World Cup 2026: Mexico, the first team qualified for the Round of 16
Thanks to a short but valuable win against South Korea (1-0) on Friday, Mexico became the first nation in Group A to secure its qualification for the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup. Led by opportunistic Luis Romo and decisive Raul Rangel in goal, the Tri is also closing in on the top spot in its group.
Mexico validated its ticket to the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup with a narrow victory over South Korea (1-0) on Friday during the second matchday of Group A. In a match that was long uncertain, Javier Aguirre’s men made the difference due to an error by South Korean goalkeeper Seung-Gyu Kim. Following a header by Raul Jiménez, the Asian keeper let the ball slip to Luis Romo, who took advantage of it to calmly lob the ball and score the only goal of the match.
While Romo secured the win for Mexico, Raul Rangel also played a crucial role. The Mexican goalkeeper made a spectacular double save against Gue-Sung Cho, thus preserving his team’s advantage in the closing minutes. With this second win in as many matches, Mexico is the only team in its group to boast a perfect record. The Tri takes sole control of Group A and is inching closer to a top spot that would allow them to play their Round of 16 match in Mexico City, in front of their fans.
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