MEXICO CITY — Mexico secured first place in Group A of the 2026 FIFA World Cup ahead of the final round of group-stage matches, becoming one of the first teams to guarantee a group-winning finish in the expanded tournament, according to FIFA standings and tournament organizers.
The co-host nation reached the top of the group after winning its opening two matches, including a 1-0 victory over South Korea on June 18 in Guadalajara. The result left Mexico on six points and ensured that no other team in Group A could overtake it under FIFA’s tiebreaking rules, tournament standings showed.
Mexico entered the tournament as a co-host alongside the United States and Canada and opened the competition in Mexico City on June 11. Group A also includes South Korea, South Africa and Czechia.
The team’s victory over South Korea proved decisive in determining the group winner. According to match reports and tournament standings, midfielder Luis Romo scored the only goal of the match in the second half, giving Mexico its second consecutive win of the tournament.
“Mexico have already secured the top position in Group A,” tournament scenario updates published on Wednesday said, outlining the qualification picture before the final group matches.
FIFA’s revised tiebreaking system for the 2026 tournament has contributed to several teams clinching positions before the end of group play. Reuters reported that the competition’s head-to-head rule, which now takes precedence over goal difference in certain situations, helped confirm Mexico as Group A winner with one match remaining.
The 2026 World Cup is the first edition to feature 48 teams and a round of 32. Under the format, the top two teams from each of the 12 groups advance automatically, while eight of the best third-placed teams also qualify for the knockout stage.
While Mexico’s position at the top of Group A is settled, the race for the remaining qualification places continued on Wednesday. South Korea entered the final round in second place, while Czechia and South Africa still had mathematical chances of advancing depending on results and tiebreakers, according to tournament standings and qualification scenarios published before the matches.
As of Wednesday evening, Mexico had already secured a place in the Round of 32 as Group A winner, while the remaining teams awaited the outcome of the final group-stage fixtures to determine advancement to the knockout phase.
