Mexico secured first place in Group A of the 2026 World Cup by beating South Korea 1-0 on June 18 in Guadalajara. The only goal came early in the second half when Luis Romo volleyed into an empty net after South Korea goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu collided with a teammate and failed to control a cross at the 50th minute [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8].

Kim's key error happened as he clashed with Lee Gi-hyuk, leaving Romo with a clear chance to finish. Mexican goalkeeper Raul Rangel also made crucial late saves to preserve the clean sheet and secure the win for the home side [1, 2, 3, 6, 7].

South Korea captain Son Heung-min remained active but could not convert chances, with one close attempt cleared off the line by Mexico’s Edson Alvarez [3, 9, 6, 7]. Despite their efforts, South Korea has three points from two matches and will play South Africa in Monterrey on June 24 in their final Group A game [1, 2, 8].

Mexico finished the group stage with six points from two wins, becoming the first team to qualify for the knockout stage this World Cup [1, 2, 3, 4, 10, 5, 7, 11, 8]. Mexico coach Javier Aguirre, 67, downplayed the milestone of topping the group for the first time since 2002, saying, "It was a very close game; we didn’t give up a single centimetre and fought for every ball as if it were our last... It was a game to forget, but the result is one to remember" [3, 10, 11]. He added that playing at home was "priceless" and expressed his ambition to break into the world's top 10 teams [10, 11].

South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo praised his team's tactical execution despite the loss and urged players to move on from the defeat. Goalkeeper Kim admitted his mistake, saying, "I should have focused better in that situation" [8].

Mexico’s performance was described as resilient and opportunistic but lacking attacking fluency, relying heavily on defensive effort and the goalkeeper error to secure victory [4, 7].

Mexico will face the Czech Republic in the round of 32 on June 30 at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City [3, 4, 10, 5, 7, 11]. South Korea must focus on their June 24 match against South Africa in Monterrey to keep hopes alive in the group [1, 2, 8].