World Cup 2026 Group A Preview: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, and Czechia
The New York Post previews Group A of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, featuring Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, and Czechia, with Mexico favored to top the group. Mexico enters as defending Gold Cup champions under manager Javier Aguirre, while South Africa seeks to advance past the group stage for the first time in their history. The group is described as relatively competitive, with the path to knockout qualification appearing open for multiple teams.
The 2026 World Cup Group A features Mexico as favorites with -125 odds to win the group, facing South Africa (12/1 odds), South Korea, and Czechia. Mexico, managed by Javier Aguirre, recently won the 2025 Gold Cup and Nations League but has struggled with injuries and consistency. The team's strength lies in its midfield, featuring 17-year-old Gilberto Mora and Edson Álvarez, while 34-year-old Raúl Jiménez leads the attack in his fourth World Cup. South Africa, managed by Belgian Hugo Broos since 2021, has never advanced past the group stage in four World Cup appearances but has shown improvement in recent tournaments. The South African squad draws heavily from Mamelodi Sundowns and plays a technical 4-3-3 style, with midfielder Oswin Appollis and goalkeeper Ronwen Williams as key players. Both teams face questions about consistency, with Mexico's transition game not yet fully realized under Aguirre and South Africa's recent mixed results against Panama raising concerns despite their strong domestic league performance.
What's missing
The article does not provide information about South Korea or Czechia, the other two teams in Group A, limiting the completeness of the group preview.
What different sources said
- New York PostRight
World Cup 2026 Group A preview: Prediction, odds, full team overviews
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