Mexico became the first team to win tickets to the 2026 World Cup knock-out round after a 1-0 victory over South Korea at Estadio Akron (Guadalajara).
In the enthusiastic atmosphere of more than 45,000 spectators, the two teams entered the game quite cautiously when they both understood that a draw was not a disaster after victories in the opening matches. However, a turning point appeared right at the beginning of the second half.
In the 50th minute, goalkeeper Kim Seung-Gyu did not handle well a high ball situation in the penalty area, creating conditions for Luis Romo to easily tap the ball into the empty net, scoring the only goal of the match.
This victory helped Mexico soon take the top spot in Group A and become the first team to participate in the knockout round. This is also an important step forward in the journey to conquer the milestone that El Tri fans have always desired: passing the round of 16.
It was really a very difficult match. We understand their strength very well. South Korea created a lot of pressure and made it difficult for Mexico to deploy their playing style.
They did not leave any space for us, and we did the same with them. The game was very balanced. In the end, it felt like just one mistake, big or small, was enough to completely change the course of the match" - coach Javier Aguirre shared.
Historically, Mexico has only reached the World Cup quarter-finals twice, both at home in 1970 and 1986. Since then, they have continuously stopped in the round of 16 at World Cups from 1994 to 2018.
Being at the top of Group A gives Mexico the opportunity to continue playing at home at Estadio Azteca in the round of 32, before heading towards a round of 16 match also on Mexican soil if they continue to advance.
However, the performance against South Korea was not really convincing. Coach Javier Aguirre's team lacked sharpness in attack and only made a difference thanks to the opponent's mistakes.
The first half was quite dull, causing many fans in the stands to express disappointment with boos after the break. However, Aguirre once again showed the familiar pragmatism in his football philosophy.
This veteran coach agreed to give up ball control to prioritize certainty in the defense. Mexico does not defend negatively, but always maintains reasonable formation distance and organizes effective offside traps.
After Romo's opening goal, Mexico played more openly, although that also created conditions for South Korea to increase pressure in the final minutes. However, the home team still successfully preserved the slim advantage to win all 3 points.
The second consecutive victory helps Mexico advance to the knockout round with great confidence. However, if they want to go far and end the 16th round curse, Aguirre's team will need to significantly improve the quality of their playing style in the upcoming matches.
It wasn't a very good match. In fact, the opponent also didn't allow us to show much. But the most important thing is that we won and completed the goal of winning a ticket to the next round" - Javier Aguirre added.
