Mexico beats South Korea to top Group A, reach knockouts

Mexico kept control of Group A with a 1-0 win over South Korea at Estadio Guadalajara, but the result also exposed how narrow the margin still is for Javier Aguirre’s side. Luis Romo scored in the 50th minute, and the victory sent Mexico into the round of 16 as the group winner and FIFA’s first team to clinch a place in the next stage.

South Korea made Mexico work for every opening. The first half stayed tight, with Son Heung-min briefly threatening before the play was ruled offside, and Mexico did not truly separate until Romo finished after the break. That sequence mattered because South Korea denied Mexico the open field and fast, loose game that stronger opponents can also force into a longer grind.

The win gave Mexico three straight victories at a World Cup for the first time, following the 2-0 opening-day victory over South Africa. Yet Aguirre has not dressed up the level of play: he said several players were weighed down by the occasion, acknowledged errors and nerves, and said Mexico could have put South Africa away by a wider margin. The pattern points to a team that is getting results while still searching for the control and precision expected from a contender.

Mexico’s place at the top of Group A was secured against a field that also includes Czechia, and the team’s path now runs through a round-of-16 match at Estadio Ciudad de México on June 30. The wider setting matters too, because Mexico is cohosting the 2026 World Cup with Canada and the United States, its third time staging the tournament, and this edition is the largest in history with 48 teams, 104 matches and 16 host cities. For Mexico, the numbers are building quickly. The football still looks unfinished.