MEXICO 1-0 SOUTH KOREA
Jun 18, 2026
Att. 45,522 • Estadio Akron
GUADALAJARA — Matchday 2 between Mexico and South Korea in Group A was full of drama and even friendly competition as the two countries fought for the top spot in their group. There’s plenty of history between the two countries that made this matchup seem more like a mutual agreement of enemies for just ‘90 minutes before agreeing to be close friends once again. South Korea has had a major supporter in Mexico, dating back to the 2018 World Cup, when Mexico, on the verge of being eliminated, was saved by South Korea’s upset of Germany, which earned them a spot in the knockout round.
Ever since the South Korean fans arrived in Mexico, they’ve been treated as one of their own, as seen in the laughter shared and partying between Korean and Mexican fans. Even in South Korea’s first game of the World Cup against the Czech Republic, the South Korean fans were seen wearing sombreros during the game and even celebrating with Mexican fans after their 2-1 win against the Czechs. The bond goes to show that the chant “Coreano, hermano, ya eres mexicano” (Korean, Brother, you are Mexican now.) has never left, as all of Mexico has gratefully welcomed South Korea and their fans with open arms.
Many saw this game as being the one that would decide who’d win Group A, but earlier in the day, due to the Czech Republic and South Africa tying in their game, the stakes became higher for both Mexico and South Korea. Whoever would win between the two would guarantee themselves a spot in the Round of 32 and the guaranteed leaders of Group A. For Mexico, this was a game they had to win in order to make sure they could host one of the games in the knockout stages at home at Mexico City Stadium (Estadio Banorte). Both teams were coming off big wins to start their World Cup runs, Mexico with a 2-0 win over South Africa and South Korea with a 2-1 win over the Czech Republic.
Mexico’s lineup was facing plenty of criticism as manager Javier Aguirre made three changes, swapping Israel Reyes for Jorge Sánchez and Álvaro Fidalgo for Luis Romo, Edson Álvarez took over Cesar Montes’s spot due to the red card he received in the opener vs South Africa. Many did not know if these were the right moves, but Aguirre chose these players to start due to the way they can help defend and control the game against the fast-paced Korean attackers.
The crowd in Guadalajara Stadium definitely lived up to the hype, as from the time Mexico’s national anthem played, they were nothing but loud throughout the game from start to finish. It was already history for Mexico as it would be the team's first World Cup game played in Guadalajara.
Just in the first 20 minutes of the first half, both teams had close chances to take a lead but could not break through the tough defenses both countries had on the field. In minute 15, Mexico’s captain Edson Álvarez saved a would-be goal from South Korea’s captain Son Heung-min, who chipped a ball over Mexico’s goalie Raúl Rangel only for Álvarez to clear it just before it could enter using a bicycle kick, despite the play being ruled offside just a few seconds later; nonetheless, an impressive play by Álvarez. Just four minutes later, in the 19th minute, Mexico’s Julián Quiñones almost gave Mexico the lead but failed to head in a ball crossed from Roberto Alvarado that ended up being saved by South Korea’s goalie Kim Seung-gyu.
Both teams continued to pressure each other and gave few chances to score as they went into halftime tied at zero. Despite Mexico being the host and at home, the fans made sure to voice their displeasure with the way they were playing as they booed the team once heading into the locker rooms.
Once the second half had begun, South Korea’s goalie Kim Seung-gyu made a costly mistake very early in the 49th minute that would prove to be the difference-maker in the match. Seung-gyu failed to properly secure a ball after a cross he had, which was dropped only for Mexico's Luis Romo to find the ball and score, which would give Mexico the 1-0 lead. Despite having the lead, the game stayed tight as many of the chances were created by South Korea, while Mexico chose to drop back and play defensively, only having two chances to score after Romo’s goal. Such as in the 74th minute when Raúl Jiménez’s shot was saved by Seung-gyu after an excellent cross by Quiñones, as well as in the 84th minute, Obed Vargas, who was subbed on, almost scored a screamer of a volley that would have guaranteed the victory for Mexico was saved by Seung-gyu.
The most important play came in the 86th minute when Raúl Rangel stopped a would-be goal after a header by Korea’s Cho Gue-sung and again saved another shot and even a possible own goal if Johan Vasquez just got a foot on the ball that would have seen the game be tied. An incredible save by Rangel, who proved why he was chosen to be the starter over the more experienced Guillermo Ochoa. Mexico continued their defensive play and got the 1-0 win over South Korea in a very defensively tight game that was not for the faint of heart.
With the victory, Mexico all but guaranteed themselves the spot as leaders of Group A and a game at home come the Round of 32. Much more impressively, Mexico became the first country in this year’s World Cup to clinch their group and advance. Mexico will head back to Mexico City Stadium to face off in their final group stage game against the Czech Republic and possibly make even more history if they are able to win their three group stage matches for the first time in history. South Korea, on the other hand, will try to find a win against South Africa in Estadio Monterrey to advance to the knockout round despite likely being second in Group A.
In the following game, Mexico should likely consider starting Guillermo Ochoa to give their legendary goalie a proper sendoff and a start in his sixth World Cup. Even though they played a defensive game that Mexico’s fans weren’t proud of, Aguirre should see this next game against the Czech Republic as an opportunity to mess around with the lineup and see what works and what doesn’t. They have the group clinched, and going for the win is the best option, but it would not hurt for many other players to see the field and find a way to put away more opportunities, as this kind of playing style will be much harder to win against the more competitive teams they could encounter in the knockout round.
With these two wins under their belt, Mexico has momentum and should have the confidence to continue what fans are hoping will be a deep run in the World Cup; who’s to say they can’t end as champions? As Mexico’s 17-year-old star Gilberto Mora said, “Y por que no?”
- Alessandro Flores
