Mexico Becomes First Team to Advance to 2026 World Cup Round of 32 Stage
Mexico is through to the round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup following a hard-fought 1-0 victory over South Korea on Friday, June 19. Luis Romo's 50th-minute strike was enough to secure all 3 points for the hosts. The win kept the Mexicans firmly atop Group A with 6 points.
W. Roland James
North America: Mexico is through to the round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup following a hard-fought 1-0 victory over South Korea on Friday, June 19.
Luis Romo's 50th-minute strike was enough to secure all 3 points for the hosts. The win kept the Mexicans firmly atop Group A with 6 points.
This paved the way for Mexico as the first nation to book a ticket to the next stage of the tournament.
The hosts have been in fine form since the start of the 2026 World Cup. Mexico initially defeated South Africa 2-0 in their tournament opener.
As it stands, South Korea sits second in the Group with 3 points, Czech Republic holds the third place with 1 point, while South Africa lies at the bottom with 1 point.
While Mexico is sparing a game to qualify, the rest of the group members will decide their fate in the last round of the group stage matches.
The two top teams from across the 12 groups of four in the expanded World Cup will qualify directly to the knockout round of 32.
They will be joined by the eight best losers across the group stage to complete the round of 32 draws. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is jointly hosted by Mexico, Canada, and the United States.
