Mexico became the first team to take full control of its World Cup group on Thursday night, beating South Korea 1-0 in Guadalajara and turning what had looked like a tense Group A fight into a clear statement from one of the tournament’s hosts.
Luis Romo scored the only goal early in the second half after South Korea goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu failed to deal cleanly with the ball inside the box. Mexico then held on through a nervous finish, with goalkeeper Raúl Rangel making a late double save to protect the lead. The win moved Mexico to six points from two matches and, according to Sporting News, locked El Tri into the top spot in Group A and the Round of 32.
The result mattered beyond Mexico. South Korea had also won its opener, making Thursday’s match the first real test of whether Mexico’s strong start against South Africa was enough to carry over against a faster, sharper opponent. It was not a fluent performance. The home crowd booed Mexico at halftime after a flat first half, but Romo’s 49th-minute goal changed the game and Rangel’s late save made it stand.
For Latin America, Mexico’s win was the headline result of the day. It also gave the region one of the tournament’s cleanest early stories: a host nation winning twice, avoiding a final-match scramble, and keeping momentum in front of its own fans.
Group A’s other match left South Africa and Czechia both alive but chasing. Czechia led early through Michal Sadílek, before Teboho Mokoena converted a late penalty to give South Africa a 1-1 draw in Atlanta. The result helped Mexico even more, preventing either team from closing the gap before the final round of group matches.
Canada produced the day’s biggest scoreline, beating Qatar 6-0 in Vancouver for its first men’s World Cup finals victory. Jonathan David scored a hat trick, while Qatar finished with nine men after two red cards. The win put Canada at the top of Group B on goal difference, level on four points with Switzerland, but the night was darkened by a serious injury to Canadian midfielder Ismaël Koné.
Switzerland also moved to four points in Group B with a 4-1 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina. Johan Manzambi scored twice off the bench, while Ruben Vargas and Granit Xhaka added late goals after Bosnia had been reduced to 10 men. Switzerland now needs one point against Canada to secure a place in the Round of 32.
Friday brings the Latin America angle back into sharper focus. Brazil faces Haiti at 8:30 p.m. ET in Philadelphia after opening with a 1-1 draw against Morocco, while Paraguay plays Turkey at 11 p.m. ET in the San Francisco Bay Area after a heavy opening loss to the United States. Earlier Friday, the U.S. faced Australia in Group D, a result that could directly affect Paraguay’s path before its late kickoff.
The stakes are different for each Latin American team. Brazil needs a cleaner performance after a shaky start. Haiti, back on the World Cup stage and already under pressure after losing to Scotland, has a chance to turn a difficult group into a national moment. Paraguay needs points against Turkey or its route to the knockout round could narrow sharply before the final matchday. Friday’s official schedule also includes Scotland vs. Morocco at 6 p.m. ET, Brazil vs. Haiti at 8:30 p.m. ET, and Turkey vs. Paraguay at 11 p.m. ET.
Mexico, though, has already done its work. While other Latin American sides are still trying to define their tournaments, El Tri has secured the one thing every team wants after two matches: control.
