Lots on the line in the Group A Mexico vs South Korea clash as the winner of the game was set to top the group, and the game felt a little restrained accordingly. The home side eventually took the lead in a moment that required a little bit of luck, but it wasn’t a free flowing spectacle, it wasn’t their best performance, but the home side and their boisterous crowd didn’t seem to care less. Good luck to them, knockout football in their home country awaits.
The Premium Match Centre Review has the bits and pieces and minutes that mattered during the game, to provide you with as much information as you need in one minute, or at least allow you to fast forward the SBS coverage.
Setting the scene.
Host nation Mexico are back in action and probably facing their hardest test of the Group Stage in South Korea, and both sides coming into the game on first game wins. But before going any further, we have to remark on how disappointed we are that the home side isn’t wearing the green home shirt, dare we say the best World Cup shirt at this World Cup. The black alternative does look good too. Korea’s purple much less so. We’d argue yes. The way the draw has worked for this group, the draw earlier in the day means the winner of this game will top the group. Also, the national anthem and noise from the home crowd was magnificent.
Forgive us, certain keys have stopped working on our laptop, so some player spellings are incorrect.
4th Min – Earlier yellow card and play acting to set the scene. A Korean tackle and Mexico dance. Whilst we’re sure the mistimed tackle hurt, we’d refer any player rolling around to Kone from Canada who looks like he ended up with an actual broken leg in their game v Qatar.
7th Min – Although unlikely to go into the goal at any level above Under 8’s, Mexico have their first shot on goal through our man Brian Gutiérrez, we do love Brian, and the fact a Mexico player has the name Brian. A special mention in the lead up to Julián Quiñones, who out on a twenty second show of battling what felt like every Korean player for the ball. A little like a much less aggressive Football Hulk.
15th Min – Wow, almost a Korean goal through Son as a ball over the top of the Mexico wall lands perfectly for Son who gets a fine touch, and seeing the approaching Mexico keeper chips him, the ball is slowly looping towards goal but out of nowhere Mexico defender Edson Álvarez appears and bicycle kicks it backwards over his head and away from the line. All for nothing ecept words on this page though, as Son was offside anyway.
20th Min – Decent chance for Mexico as our new favourite Julián Quiñones has a header close to goal and in the centre from a cross, but his header is too close to the keeper who snavels it with ease. Thankfully the game is opening up a little more, it’s been a bit quiet.
32nd Min – Son picks up what feels like his hundredth offside foul for the evening so far, which of course you have to admire the go-forward of the only Korean player most know, but is hard to score these days with professional referees, video assistance and Pythagoras’s theorem.
44th Min – Chance for Korea goes begging as a cross rolls teasingly past the goal along the 6 yard line with no one there to take advantage. Son might have but he was probably offside.
45th Min +2 – A little argument between a Mexico player and Korean player. Not much in it, but always good to see hate at an international level.
You would say South Korea had the upper hand in that first half keeping Mexico reasonably quiet. There are boos at half time, not sure why. Maybe Mexico’s performance is worse than I thought, maybe they had all bet on a another half time result, or maybe they were all saying Boo-urns, Boo-urns. Boo-urns seems unlikely, kind of like a goal at the moment.
HALF TIME – MEXICO 0 SOUTH KOREA 0
48th Min – First chance of the half to Mexico, as they charge down the field and ball through to Jesús Gallardo gets the ball and he shoots at the near post, but the wrong side of it. But action anyway.
50th Min – GOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
Mexico have scored, and it’s a little lucky but no less welcome for the home fans. And boy there is some noise. A low danger cross goes into the Korean area and the ball pops up in an aerial argument between our mate Brian and a Korean defender. The Korean keeper spies the looping ball and charges out to pick it up, he does jump up and grab it, but falls over his own defender and spills the ball. It falls gently to Mexico player Luis Romo who calmly slots it into the back of the net.
MEXICO 1 SOUTH KOREA 0
56th Min – Chance for Korea as Son get the ball on the edge of the penalty area, and for once he is onside. He is met by a Mexico wall that they have paid for, and Son and his Korean friends are unable to even get a shot away.
66th Min – Raul Jimines has spent as much time on the ground sniffing out a foul as Son has spent offside today. Mexico are tightening things up here anyway, so it’s not as if he has much to do. South Korea are slowly building into attack mode. Time for an ad break, I mean Hydration – Maccas break.
70th Min – Substitutions for all, both countries look to either kill off the opposition and find that killer instinct to steal a win/draw. You’re smart enough to work out which is which.
75th Min – What a chance for Mexico to seal the game. A lovely floating cross finds Raul Jimines at the back post and he has a heavy-ish first touch but still gets a shot away but is a fine save from the Korean keeper.
76th Min – Big chance for Korea down the other end. A run down the right produces a fine cross across the si yard line again, and again there is no one to tap it in. Also, it doesn’t matter again, as surprise, surprise, the Korean player was offside anyway.
78th Min – A sky high shot at goal, or more accurately over goal, by Korea brings Mexico joy. Joy for the fans who caught the ball in the crowd that is. But what happiness. The crowd certainly are happier and louder since the first goal. Not long after Jimines is replaced by Gimines.
90th Min – Desperation for Korea now as they stull trail 1-0 with 6 injury time minutes to go, they force the first corner of the game for either side. The cross is good, the free header is not.
90th Min +4 – Another chance for Korea as a ball comes flying in and needs a Mexico karate kick clearance. The corner is a repeat of the previous one, good cross, poor header.
An energetic last few minutes produces no breakthrough goal, and the home side take the win, good enough for top spot in Group A and that gives them consecutive knockout games in Mexico.
FULL TIME – MEXICO 1 SOUTH KOREA 0
Like the John West of Football stats, The Gurgler trawled the internet to find the quickest, easiest stats just for you. To give you just the taste of stats you need to impress friends and/or family.
BEST OF STATS
- At World Cup however, Mexico’s record v Asian teams is 6 wins from 6 games.
- South Korea’s 6 offsides equals the single match high of this World Cup so far.
- It’s five unbeaten for Mexico over South Korea now (W4 D1).
REST OF STATS
Two winners from Group A in the first round of matches meet in this quality clash, with Mexico more than handling the pressure of home nation status with a solid 2-0 win over South Africa, while South Korea’s life was made a little harder in their 2-1 win over Czechia aka Czech Republic. And given Mexico is “South of the Border” and they beat “South Africa” last time, perhaps Mexico just likes South. This 2026 FIFA World Cup Group A Mexico vs Korea Africa Match Centre will provide an overview of the before and after with a Pre-Game Summary, Match Review and Post-Match stats.
Mexico vs South Korea Preview
STATS SUMMARY
RATINGS
The Gurgler’s in-house Ratings system chooses the winner.
| Mexico | 57.5% | South Korea | 42.5% |
And it’s a ratings win for Mexico, but not totally convincing.
BARELY INTERESTING STATS
There teams have played each other 14 times, which is kind of amazing and a lot more than most other World Cup clashes.
Mexico have won both of the World Cup clashes v South Korea, by 2-1 and 3-1.
Mexico’s record v South Korea in North America (USA/Mexico) is W5 D2 L2, but have won both of their clashes in Mexico.
Mexico have a really good record v Asian team – all time it is W31 D11 L7.
At World Cup however, Mexico’s record v Asian teams is five wins from five games.
South Korea have yet to beat a CONCACAF nation at a World Cup – D1 L2. The draw is v USA, the losses v Mexico.
MATCH PREDICTION
MEXICO 2 SOUTH KOREA 1
