World Cup Group A standings 2026: Updated results, table and fixtures for Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Czechia

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• Group A fixtures and schedule
• How do group tiebreakers work?
• Who is in World Cup Group A?
• How to watch Group A games
• Odds to win World Cup Group A
• Group A path in World Cup knockout bracket

The 2026 World Cup will be the biggest in the tournament's history, as North America plays host to the grand event.

This year's edition features 48 teams for the first time, an increase from the previous 32-team format. That means 16 teams will be eliminated after the group stage, and 32 will move on to the knockout rounds — which has an additional stage this time — to decide a champion.

Teams in Group A will get the honor of opening the tournament, as all four — including host country Mexico — will play on opening night. These teams must be ready to go once the event begins, as soccer fans from all over the world will be tuning in to watch them break the ice.

Overall, there will be six matches in Group A played over two weeks as four teams look to earn a spot in the Round of 32.

Here’s a full breakdown of Group A's match schedule and fixtures for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

2026 WORLD CUP HQ: Latest World Cup news | Full World Cup schedule

World Cup Group A standings

Group A schedule, results

World Cup group tiebreakers

FIFA confirmed its group-stage tie-breaking criteria for this World Cup back in April.

If two or more teams are level on points after the group games have been completed, the below is applied to determine the final standings:

• Head-to-head result in the group game(s) between the teams concerned
• Goal difference from those games
• Goals scored in those games

If these are not enough to split the teams, we move to the following criteria:

• Goal difference in all group matches
• Number of goals scored in all group matches
• The highest "team conduct score" (calculated based on yellow and red cards for players and staff)

If the teams are still deadlocked, the nation that places highest in the most recent FIFA rankings will finish higher in the standings.

Do 3rd place teams advance at World Cup 2026?

In this expanded tournament, the eight best teams that finish third in their group will also progress to the Round of 32.

The third-place teams will be ranked by the following criteria:

• Most points in the group stage
• Highest goal difference in the group stage
• Most goals scored in the group stage
• Highest "team conduct score"
• Highest FIFA ranking

World Cup Group A teams

Mexico

Once considered the dominant force in CONCACAF and a rising power on the global football stage, Mexico have stagnated in recent decades. El Tri were eliminated from the World Cup in the Round of 16 for seven straight tournaments from 1994-2018. Only twice have they achieved a coveted quarterfinal place, and both of those were on home soil (1970, 1986).

Then, in 2022, the unthinkable happened: instead of taking that long-awaited step forward, they took a step back, eliminated from Qatar in the group stage. That threw the Mexican federation into turmoil, seeing the end of Tata Martino's reign and starting a coaching carousel that chewed up and spit out Diego Cocca and Jaime Lozano. They finally settled on Javier Aguirre for his third stint in charge of the national team.

Aguirre has managed to stabilize the performances since his arrival. Still, the national team will expect real progress in 2026, rather than another dud, or else further questions will be asked about the trajectory of the Mexican federation.

• Current FIFA world ranking: 15
• Regional ranking: 1st (CONCACAF)
• World Cup titles: 0
• World Cup appearances (last): 17 (2022)
• How qualified: Automatically (host)
• Coach: Javier Aguirre (MEX) since July 2024
• Key player(s): Edson Alvarez (Fenerbahce), Raul Jimenez (Fulham)

South Korea

The established modern-day powerhouses of the AFC confederation, South Korea hold the record for the most World Cup qualifications by any nation from Asia (12). However, since famously finishing fourth at their home tournament in 2002, the best they have managed is a place in the Round of 16; they were thrashed 4-1 by Brazil at this stage in Qatar in 2022.

Hong Myung-bo’s team dominated Group B of the AFC qualifying third round, securing their place in the group stage with time to spare. In the international breaks of late 2025, they beat Ghana, Bolivia, Paraguay and the USA without conceding a goal, while they also held Mexico to a 2-2 draw in Nashville. The only blot on their recent record was a 5-0 loss to Brazil at home in October.

Led by captain and all-time record appearance-maker Son Heung-min, South Korea have a handful of star names playing at Europe's biggest clubs, including Lee Kang-in of Paris Saint-Germain, Kim Min-jae of Bayern Munich, and Hwang Hee-chan of Wolves. Yet their wider player pool is a mix of youth and experience at a variety of clubs and countries, and their strength-in-depth does not match some of the stronger European and South American nations.

They will be targeting the knockout phase in North America, but progressing as far as the quarterfinals seems unlikely unless the bracket is kind to them. 

• Current FIFA world ranking: 25
• Regional ranking: 3rd (AFC)
• World Cup titles: 0
• World Cup appearances (last): 11 (Qatar 2022)
• How qualified: AFC third round Group B winners: 6W-0L-4D
• Coach: Hong Myung-bo (since July 2024)
• Key player(s): Son Heung-min (LAFC), Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich)

South Africa

Nigeria's misery was South Africa's success, as they qualified over the Super Eagles to reach the 2026 World Cup.

Head coach Hugo Broos, in his position for the entire 2026 cycle, has developed a strong national-team setup based almost entirely on players from the domestic South African league, with a heavy continent of stars from the country's biggest clubs, Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates.

After becoming the first World Cup host to be knocked out in the group stage in 2010, South Africa will be seeking redemption from 16 years ago —when they fell agonizingly short, eliminated on goal differential behind Uruguay and Mexico.

Goalkeeper Ronwen Williams rose to prominence at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, when he saved a whopping four penalties in the quarterfinal shootout against Cape Verde, winning the tournament's Best Goalkeeper award for his heroics.

• Current FIFA world ranking: 60
• Regional ranking: 11th (CAF)
• World Cup titles: 0
• World Cup appearances (last): 3 (2010)
• How qualified: 1st, CAF qualifying Group C: 5W-3L-2D
• Coach: Hugo Broos (Belgium) since May 2021
• Key player(s): Ronwen Williams (Mamelodi Sundowns), Lyle Foster (Burnley), Teboho Mokoena (Mamelodi Sundowns)

Czechia

Czechia had to do things the hard way after being forced into the playoffs and falling 2-0 down in front of their home crowd against the Republic of Ireland in the Path D semifinal. They battled back to a 2-2 draw thanks to Ladislav Krejci's equaliser four minutes from the end of normal time, and they eventually prevailed on penalty kicks.

Miroslav Koubek's men upset the odds again against Denmark in remarkably similar fashion in the final — they triumphed on penalties after a 2-2 draw, although they were the ones to let the lead slip this time — and now look forward to a first World Cup appearance for 20 years. The next landmark will be emerging from the group stage of the expanded World Cup to claim a knockout win.

The Czechs have appeared at eight consecutive European Championships, an ongoing run going all the way back to their final defeat to Germany at Euro 96. However, over the past two decades, they have won a grand total of one major tournament knockout match — a 2-0 Round of 16 success against the Netherlands in Amsterdam at Euro 2020. The not-inconsiderable challenge is to break beyond that ceiling.

• Current FIFA world ranking: 41
• Regional ranking: 21st (UEFA)
• World Cup titles: 0
• World Cup appearances (last): 9 (Germany 2006)
• How qualified: UEFA Playoff Path D winners (D 2-2 vs. Republic of Ireland (4-3 pens), D 2-2 vs. Denmark (3-1 pens))
• Coach: Miroslav Koubek (Czechia) since 2025
• Key player(s): Patrik Schick (Bayer Leverkusen), Tomas Soucek (West Ham), Pavel Sulc (Lyon)

MORE WORLD CUP NEWS:

• Who will win the World Cup in 2026?
• How World Cup qualifying works
• Updated FIFA World Rankings
• Explaining the expanded World Cup bracket
• Full list of teams to qualify for 2026 World Cup

How to watch the 2026 World Cup

In the United States, the World Cup will be broadcast in English on Fox, with streaming options available via Fubo, who are offering a free trial.

Here is how you can watch the action across other major territories:

World Cup Group A odds and predictions

Here's a look at the odds for each Group A team to win the group, qualify for the Round of 32 and win the World Cup title, according to DraftKings.

World Cup 2026 bracket for Group A

Whichever team wins Group A will move onto the knockout stage and play the third-place finisher from one of Groups C, E, F, H, and I. Additionally, the Group A runner up will move on to play the Group B runner up in the first game of the knockout rounds.

The team that finishes third in Group A isn't guaranteed to play in the next stage, as only eight groups will have a third-place finisher move on. If the third team in Group A does earn a spot in the Round of 32, it will play either the Group E winner or the Group G winner.

Round of 32

Round of 16

Quarterfinals

Semifinals

Third-place match

Final

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