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The opening match of the World Cup will take place on June 11 in Mexico City, where host country Mexico will face South Africa.
Group A of the 2026 World Cup brings together four teams with different footballing histories and traditions. Mexico, South Africa, South Korea and the Czech Republic all qualified for the finals through different qualifying routes and are aiming for a place in the knockout stage.
Mexico: The organizer with a rich tradition
Mexico will be participating in their 18th World Cup and have played 60 matches in the tournament's final stages. Their best achievement remains reaching the quarter-finals in 1970 and 1986, when they hosted the competition.
The team led by coach Javier Aguirre and captain Edson Alvarez aims for a successful appearance in the third World Cup that the country is hosting, this time together with the United States and Canada.
The final national team roster is expected to be announced on June 1, 2026.
South Africa: The return of "Bafana Bafana"
South Africa returns to the World Cup after a 16-year absence. This will be their fourth appearance at the tournament, following appearances in 1998, 2002 and 2010.
Under Belgian coach Hugo Brus, the team secured qualification by finishing first in their group in the African qualifiers. Despite scoring just 15 goals in 10 matches, fewer than any other group winner in the CAF zone, South Africa showed strong defensive organisation and collected 18 points.
In the history of the World Cup, Bafana Bafana have never managed to get past the group stage. In 2010, when they hosted the tournament, they drew with Mexico, beat France and lost to Uruguay.
South Africa have named their squad for the 2026 World Cup. ????????????
— Micky Jnr (@MickyJnr__) May 27, 2026
They've been drawn into a tricky Group A alongside Mexico, the Czech Republic and South Korea.
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South Korea: The longest continuum in Asia
South Korea continues its streak of World Cup appearances. The 2026 World Cup will be the 11th consecutive and 12th overall for the Asian team.
In the last edition, the Koreans reached the round of 16, where they were eliminated by Brazil. Their greatest achievement in history remains fourth place in the 2002 World Cup, co-hosted with Japan.
Current coach Hong Myung-bo, former captain of the 2002 team, leads a team that secured qualification without defeat, but dropped important points in matches against Palestine, Oman and Jordan during the qualifiers.
Among the team's most recognizable names are Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in, Hwang Hee-chan and Kim Min-jae.
Czech Republic: The comeback after two decades
The Czech Republic secured qualification for the 2026 World Cup after defeating Denmark on penalties in the UEFA play-offs. This will be their first World Cup appearance since 2006.
If you count appearances like Czechoslovakia, it's the seventh time the country has participated in the tournament. Czechoslovakia was a World Cup finalist in 1934 and 1962.
The Czech team is considered one of the main contenders for second place in the group, in direct competition with South Korea.
???????????? South Korea have announced their squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
— World Cup HQ (@WorldCup26HQ) May 16, 2026
Their schedule is as follows:
???????? Czech Republic | June 11
???????? Mexico | June 18
???????? South Africa | June 24 pic.twitter.com/dg1Jju2blq
Group A Calendar
First week
June 11, 2026
Mexico – South Africa (Mexico City) – World Cup opening match
June 12, 2026
South Korea – Czech Republic (Guadalajara)
Second week
June 18, 2026
Czech Republic – South Africa (Atlanta)
June 19, 2026
Mexico – South Korea (Guadalajara)
Third week
June 25, 2026
South Africa – South Korea (Monterrey)
Czech Republic – Mexico (Mexico City)/" Newsbomb.gr ", adapted in Albanian, Pamphlet
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