World Cup 2026 Day 8: Group A Recap

An entire round of the group stage in the 2026 World Cup has come and gone, so now we start all over again with round 2, starting back at Group A, where Mexico and Korea Republic currently lead the group on 3 points each, while Czechia and South Africa will be looking to pick up from their game one defeats.

General view inside the stadium of giant Czech Republic and South Africa flags on the pitch before the match

Bernadett Szabo

Czechia 1 - 1 South Africa 

We start the day with a clash between the two teams that lost their opening group-stage games, as Czechia and South Africa go face-to-face. A defeat for either of these teams will pretty much confirm their exit from the competition. 

Miroslav Koubek made 5 changes to the side that lost to the Republic of Korea in game 1, but he kept the same 3-5-2 shape. Tomas Holes was the newcomer in the back three, replacing Stepan Chaloupek, while Michal Sadilek, Lukas Cerv, Adam Hlozek, and Vladimir Darida also came into the starting 11. Ever-present veteran midfielder Tomas Soucek was left on the bench for this one, and his midfield partner Alexandr Sojka was moved to left wing-back. 

Hugo Broos, who was forced into making at least two changes to his starting 11 after the red cards to Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane, opted for 3 changes in the end and a change of shape, going for a 4-3-3 formation over the 5-3-2 formation from the first game. Thalente Mbatha, Thapelo Maseko, and Oswin Appollis come into the starting 11. Burnley's Lyle Foster was dropped from the starting 11, with Iqraam Rayners picked as the lone striker. 

Czechia started the game on the front foot, and it really paid off as South Africa couldn’t cope from the off with the pressure, and Patrik Schick had a golden chance to score in the opening minute, but he put his header wide of the right post. 

Within a few minutes, though, Czechia found their opening goal when a brilliant ball across the box found Alexandr Sojka on the edge of the box, who played a lovely little touch pass through to Michal Sadilek, who was one of the changes to the starting XI, and the midfielder finished well to put his side 1-0 up. 

Czech Republic's Michal Sadilek scores their first goal past South Africa's Ronwen Williams

Bernadett Szabo

South Africa grew into the game quickly after the opening goal, and they went close when an Appollis shot from around 25 yards out took a deflection and just went wide and into the side netting. 

The rest of the first half was mainly Czechia going through the motions, with South Africa gaining increasing control. Unfortunately for South Africa, while their buildup play was brilliant at times and they got into promising positions, they lacked quality in their final touch, and no one up front had that killer touch. 

Patrik Schick had a great chance to double Czechia's lead in the first few minutes of the 2nd half, but his header from the middle of the box was straight at the goalkeeper. Krejci also went close a few minutes later with a header from a Coufal corner, but again, the chance was straight at Ronwen Williams in the South Africa net. 

Much of the 2nd-half action was very similar to the 1st half, with both teams playing some great football and getting into good positions, but the chances just failed to be converted. Czechia went close with a shot from outside the box, but it was a comfortable save. South Africa saw some good crosses into the box, but they were wasted by players not committing to the box or getting on the end of the cross. 

South Africa's Teboho Mokoena celebrates scoring their first goal

NATHAN RAY SEEBECK

With just ten minutes to go, South Africa was putting more and more pressure on Czechia, and as a cross went towards the back post, it hit off Pavel Sulc's arm, and the referee pointed to the spot. Teboho Mokoena stepped up for Bafana Bafana and slotted the penalty away brilliantly to level the game. 

Relebohile Mofokeng had a chance just outside the box with just 2 minutes left on the clock, but his effort was comfortably saved by Matej Kovar. Provod had a half chance in added time, but his long-range effort started out just wide and kept going further away from the goal. 

Evidence Makgopa had a huge chance to win the game for South Africa with a minute or so left on the clock, but his shot went straight at Kovar in the Czech Republic goal. Modiba then had a shot inside the box blocked for South Africa, and the game ended 1-1 with both teams grabbing the first point of their 2026 World Cup campaign. 

Mexico 1 - 0 Korea Republic 

General view as players line up during the national anthems before the match

Amanda Perobelli

With the earlier draw between South Africa and Czechia, both Mexico and the Republic of Korea headed into their game against each other knowing that a win would guarantee them a spot in the knockout stages and put them in the driving seat of winning the group outright. 

Javier Aguirre made some changes to his starting XI for this game, switching from the 4-1-4-1 they used against South Africa to a 4-3-3. Jorge Sanchez came into the starting XI at right back for his first minutes at this World Cup, while Edson Alvarez replaced the suspended captain Cesar Montes. Elsewhere, Luis Romo came into the center midfield three for Mexico, and the same front three was named, with all three players getting goal contributions in the opening game. 

The Korea Republic made just one personnel change to the side that came back to beat Czechia 2-1 in their opening game. Kim Moon-hwan came into the side at LWB to replace Lee Tae-seok. The midfield duo of Seung Ho Paik and Hwang In-beom stayed together after their incredible performances in the opening game. National icon and captain of the side, Son Heung-min, led the line once again. 

The game was fairly open in the first 20 minutes, but both teams struggled to create any decent chances. Korea went close with Son chipping the keeper before it was cleared off the line, but the flag went up for a delayed offside call. 

Mexico's Luis Romo scores their first goal as South Korea's Kim Seung-gyu reacts

Paul Childs

Mexico went the closest during the opening 20 minutes when opening game goalscorer Julian Quinones saw his header well saved by Korean goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu. The rest of the first half was completely uneventful, other than Korean players constantly being offside. The game lacked energy and any desire from either team to win; it just looked like both teams were happy to take a point, given that it'll most likely be enough to take them both through to the knockout stages. 

Mexico had the first big chance of the 2nd half when Jesus Gallardo was put through down the right wing, and as he cut in towards the front post, the Mexican could only send his shot into the side netting. 

Just a few minutes after the Gallardo chance, Mexico opened the scoring, and what a howler from the Korean goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu. The ball was looped up into the air, and all he had to do was catch and claim it, but as he caught it in midair, the keeper spilled it, and Luis Romo poked the ball into the empty net to put the co-hosts 1-0 up. 

Raul Jimenez had a huge chance to put his side 2-0 up and secure all three points when the ball was played into the back post for him by Julian Quinones, but his shot was well saved by Kim Seung-gyu at his near post. Kim Seung-gyu made another brilliant save from an Obed Vargas shot from outside the box that was rifled towards the bottom corner. 

Mexico's Raul Rangel in action as he makes a save from South Korea's Cho Gue-sung.

Paul Childs

A minute or so later, Raul Rangel produced an incredible double save, first from an initial header from Cho Gue-Sung and then Yang Hyun-Jun almost chipped the Mexican keeper with the rebound at the front post, but Rangel got a glove to it and kept his nation 1-0 up. 

Korea had another huge chance to level the game in stoppage time from a corner, but Lee Han-Beom got his header all wrong and squandered a huge chance. Mexico managed to hold on for the final few minutes to win 1-0 and become the first team at the 2026 World Cup to qualify from the group stage, securing their spot in the round of 32. 

Day 8, Group A, Round-up:

We finally have the first team to qualify out of the groups, and it’s the co-hosts of the tournament, Mexico. For Korea, it creates a little nerve-wracking last group-stage game with a chance to finish 4th, but it would take quite a bad final game for them. Czechia and South Africa will be hoping to grab a win in the final game, finish with 4 points in 3rd, and advance to the round of 32. 

Tomorrow is another jam-packed day of World Cup football, as Group C and D play their 2nd games of the group stage. In Group C, Scotland takes on Morocco while Brazil takes on Haiti; in Group D, co-hosts USA will take on Australia, while Turkey and Paraguay also face off.