When the curtain rises on the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca on June 11, Group A will set the tone for a tournament unlike any other. With 48 teams competing for the first time, the opening pool brings together co-hosts Mexico, a returning South Africa, an Asian giant in South Korea, and Czechia, back at football’s biggest stage after a 20-year absence. Here is a closer look at the favorites and the standout names worth watching.
Mexico: Home advantage and a generational shift
El Tri are the clear favorites to top Group A. Hosting a World Cup for a record third time after 1970 and 1986, Mexico arrive on the back of a 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup triumph and with the entire country dreaming of finally breaking the so-called “fifth-game curse.” Coach Javier Aguirre has blended seasoned campaigners with an exciting wave of new talent.
The headline act is striker Raúl Jiménez, who turned in a strong Premier League season at Fulham and reached double figures in the scoring charts. Veteran goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa is in contention for what would be a remarkable sixth World Cup, while captain Edson Álvarez anchors the midfield from his base at Fenerbahçe. The most intriguing storyline, however, is the rise of Gilberto Mora, the teenage Tijuana midfielder who lit up the 2025 U-20 World Cup, and Seattle Sounders’ Obed Vargas. With home crowds, favorable matchups, and depth across every line, Mexico should advance comfortably—but the demands of a host nation will be enormous.
South Korea: Son’s last dance
The Taeguk Warriors return for an eleventh consecutive World Cup, and they bring star power that rivals anything else in the group. Coach Hong Myung-bo will lean on a backbone of European-based stars, headlined by captain Son Heung-min. Now at LAFC after a decade at Tottenham Hotspur, the 33-year-old is heading to what may be his fourth and final World Cup, where he is already his nation’s joint-top scorer with three tournament goals. Son was the joint second-highest scorer in Asian qualifying with 10 goals, and his form will be decisive.
He is far from alone. Kim Min-jae of Bayern Munich is the cornerstone at centre-back, while Lee Kang-in continues to grow into one of the world’s most creative midfielders at Paris Saint-Germain. Wolves forward Hwang Hee-chan offers Premier League-honed pace on the flank. South Korea were the only Asian side to go through qualifying unbeaten, and a knockout-stage finish—matching or even improving on the round of 16 in Qatar—is well within reach.
South Africa: Bafana Bafana’s emotional return
Sixteen years after hosting the tournament, Bafana Bafana are back. Belgian coach Hugo Broos, who has announced this will be his final managerial role, guided South Africa to a fourth-place finish at AFCON 2023 and topped their qualifying group ahead of Nigeria. They will not be favorites, but they are dangerous.
Captain and goalkeeper Ronwen Williams is the spine of the team, famed for his penalty heroics at AFCON 2023, when he saved four spot-kicks against Cape Verde. Burnley forward Lyle Foster is the talisman up top—his Premier League experience and AFCON goals make him indispensable. Behind him, midfielder Teboho Mokoena brings creativity, while youngsters Mbekezeli Mbokazi at the back and Orlando Pirates winger Relebohile Mofokeng represent the brightest of a new generation. South Africa open against Mexico in a poetic rematch of the 2010 opener and will harbor genuine hopes of escaping the group.
Czechia: Back after 20 years
The last side to qualify for Group A, Czechia secured their spot via dramatic playoff penalty wins over the Republic of Ireland and Denmark. Veteran coach Miroslav Koubek—who will become the oldest coach to lead a side at a World Cup—has built a team around physicality, set pieces, and resilience.
Patrik Schick, the Bayer Leverkusen striker who finished joint top scorer at Euro 2020, remains the obvious goal threat with 25 goals in 52 caps. West Ham midfielder Tomáš Souček brings drive from deep, even after losing the captaincy to Ladislav Krejčí, the versatile defender on loan at Wolves. The breakout name to watch is Pavel Šulc, the Lyon playmaker enjoying a brilliant club season with more than 20 goal contributions across competitions.
The verdict
Mexico are the clear favorites to win Group A, with South Korea best positioned to claim second. South Africa and Czechia, however, are perfectly capable of an upset—and in a tournament where eight third-placed teams advance, every point counts.
