
Mexico players celebrate after securing a hard-fought 1-0 victory over South Korea at Guadalajara Stadium, becoming the first team to book a place in the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup ( by AP) Mexico took advantage of a defensive blunder by South K
orea to win 1-0 ( by AP)
Luis Romo scored in the 50th minute after South Korea goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu collided with defender Lee Gi-hyuk and dropped the ball inside the area ( by AP)
The South Koreans nearly equalized in the 87th minute when Mexico goalkeeper Raúl Rangel stopped a header from close range by Cho Gue-sung ( by AP)
Rangel then preserved Mexico's lead with a spectacular reflex stop on the rebound, stretching out his right arm to keep the ball from crossing the line and secure a 1-0 victory ( by AP)
Mexico opened with a 2-0 win over South Africa, while South Korea rallied for a 2-1 victory over the Czechs ( by AP)
Mexico has six points from two Group A matches, three more than South Korea and five more than the Czech Republic and South Africa, who drew 1-1 earlier Thursday in Atlanta ( by AP)
The top two teams from each group move on to the knockout stage, along with the best eight third-place teams ( by AP)
A round of 32 is being played for the first time at the World Cup after the tournament was expanded to 48 teams ( by AP)