Mexico’s World Cup standings in Group A will ultimately depend on all three opening matches. Yet, fans are curious how Mexico’s result against South Africa will impact El Tri’s World Cup fate.
What happens if Mexico blows the early lead and loses to South Africa? If you are new to the World Cup, a loss will not eliminate Mexico or South Africa from the FIFA tournament.
Mexico (and all 48 World Cup teams) will play the other three teams in their respective group. A win over South Africa secures three points for Mexico and at least a share of first place in Group A heading into the team’s second match.
Things get more complicated with a loss or a tie. Mexico would earn just one point with a draw against South Africa.
A loss would not eliminate Mexico, but it would be a surprising start for El Tri, especially given the early goal.
Here’s a look at Mexico and South Africa’s standings in Group A.
Live World Cup Standings Group A: Mexico & South Africa Fighting for 3 Points
Here’s a live look at the current World Cup Group A standings if the Mexico-South Africa result holds. We will update this page following the Mexico-South Africa game.
A win would secure three points for the victorious squad while a tie awards one point to each team. GD stands for goal differential.
| TEAM | WIN | DRAW | LOSS | GD | POINTS |
| Mexico | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| South Africa | 0 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
| South Korea | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Czechia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Mexico Schedule: Next World Cup Game vs. South Korea on June 18
Regardless of the result, Mexico faces South Korea on June 18 and Czechia on June 24 in their upcoming World Cup schedule. The top two teams in the group are guaranteed to advance.
Additionally, the top eight third-place teams across all groups will also advance to the Round of 32.
“I’ve told my players that this could be a good day for us, that no matter what happens, the fans will be behind us,” Mexico manager Javier Aguirre explained ahead of the opener, per FIFA.com. “It’s going to be a celebration that will last for decades.
“I hope we start off like we did back then (in 1986 World Cup), on the right foot. Let’s not doubt our style of play or our mental strength.”
How Many Teams Advance to the Next Round in the World Cup?
The 2026 World Cup marks the largest tournament in FIFA’s history of the event. This year is the first edition of FIFA’s expanded tournament from 32 to 48 teams in the World Cup.
So how many teams advance to the next round? Traditionally, 16 teams made the knockout stage of the World Cup with the top two squads in each group advancing.
Now, 32 teams will advance to the next round or, put another way, only 16 squads will be eliminated following the Group Stage. The top two teams in each group will advance to the Round of 32.
Additionally, the top eight third-place teams will advance as well. Once the World Cup reaches the Round of 32, every game is an elimination match.
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