The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off this week. After the initial round of games, the next set of matches for each team will commence on Thursday.
Interestingly, some teams have already secured their place in the final tournament.
Here’s what’s happening in Group A as we approach Thursday’s matchup.
Current Rankings in Group A
As we gear up for the game on Thursday, June 18th, the standings in Group A are as follows:
| Team | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| South Korea | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Czech Republic | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 0 |
| South Africa | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -1 | 0 |
Next Matches in Group A
Here’s what’s on the schedule for Group A, starting with today’s games:
Czech Republic vs. South Africa
Mexico vs. South Korea
South Africa vs. South Korea
Czech Republic vs. Mexico
Current Scenario for Group A
Heading into the June 18th game, here’s how things stack up for each team.
Mexico is leading Group A with 3 points and a goal difference of +2. If they manage to beat South Korea and Czech Republic either loses or draws against South Africa, they’ll advance and square off against the third-placed teams from Groups C, E, F, H, and I in the round of 32.
However, there’s no certainty that Mexico will clinch Group A even if they defeat South Korea or if Czech Republic triumphs over South Africa.
South Korea also has a chance at winning Group A on Thursday, depending on results. If they win against Mexico and South Africa loses or draws with Czech Republic, they could secure a spot in the next round.
On the other hand, South Africa faces elimination this Thursday. If they lose to Czech Republic, they’ll be out of the Round of 32 if South Korea avoids defeat against Mexico. In that situation, Mexico would earn three points, South Korea at least four, and Czech Republic would also claim three points. Consequently, South Africa would end up at the bottom, even if they win against South Korea.
The Czech Republic is in a similar predicament as South Africa. A loss to South Africa, coupled with a Mexico victory or draw against South Korea, would eliminate them from contention.
It’s worth noting that a tiebreaker may come into play. Here’s how those will work in this World Cup.
When two or more teams are tied on points after the group stage, a three-step method will determine the order.
First, the maximum points from the matches between the tied teams are considered. Next, the highest goal difference in those matches is evaluated, followed by tallying the overall points from all group matches involving the tied teams.
If that doesn’t resolve the tie, teams move on to the second step. Here, the goal difference across all group matches is checked, followed by the total number of goals scored, and then the team behavior scores related to yellow and red cards.
Finally, if a tie still exists, the teams will be ranked according to FIFA World Ranking.
According to FIFA, the main determinant in a tie is “maximum points earned in the group matches between the teams in question,” effectively serving as a head-to-head tiebreaker. Let’s illustrate this using Mexico as an example. If Mexico wins against South Korea on Thursday while the Czech Republic defeats South Africa, Mexico would have six points, with South Korea and Czech Republic each sitting at three.
In their last group match, Mexico would face Czech Republic. If Czech wins that final matchup, they could potentially take the top spot by earning maximum points in the head-to-head tiebreak.
