Mexico takes on South Africa as a heavy favorite in the World Cup’s opening game. Heavy Sports will update each team’s starting lineup once it is revealed.
Mexico is a -235 favorite to win versus South Africa in the opening match, per DraftKings. South Africa is a massive underdog at +750 to pull off the upset.
A draw is listed at +340. The over-under for goals in the Mexico-South Africa game is set at 2.5.
We will offer our free pick and score prediction for the Mexico-South Africa match in just a bit. The Mexico-South Africa game starts at 3 p.m. Eastern on Fox.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Mexico-South Africa game.
Mexico’s Starting XI vs. South Africa: Projected Starting Lineup for 1st World Cup Game
Mexico will announce the team’s official starting lineup closer to the start of the match. Here’s a look at Mexico’s recent starting XI ahead of the World Cup.
Here’s a look at a projected starting lineup for Mexico.
South Africa’s Starting XI vs. Mexico: Projected Starting Lineup
Heavy Sports will update this page with South Africa’s starting XI once it is announced. Here’s a look at a recent South Africa starting lineup ahead of the World Cup.
Mexico vs. South Africa Prediction: El Tri Starts World Cup With a Win
There has been plenty of drama in the lead up to Mexico’s World Cup debut. Tensions arose between the national team and players’ clubs over a scheduled training window during Liga MX’s playoffs.
All this is in the past now, and Mexico has a good opportunity to start the World Cup on a strong note. Mexico is the stronger side here and gets the win to take an early lead in Group A.
We’re taking Mexico to win and the over on goals in the World Cup opener.
World Cup Pick: Mexico 2 South Africa 1
Mexico World Cup Roster
Here’s a look at Mexico’s World Cup roster, including each athlete’s position and jersey number.
| POSITION | PLAYER | NUMBER |
| Goalkeeper | Raul Rangel | 1 |
| Goalkeeper | Carlos Acevedo | 12 |
| Goalkeeper | Guillermo Ochoa | 13 |
| Defender | Jorge Sanchez | 2 |
| Defender | Cesar Montes | 3 |
| Defender | Johan Vasquez | 5 |
| Defender | Israel Reyes | 15 |
| Defender | Mateo Chavez | 20 |
| Defender | Jesus Gallardo | 23 |
| Midfielder | Edson Alvarez | 4 |
| Midfielder | Eik Lira | 6 |
| Midfielder | Luis Romo | 7 |
| Midfielder | Alvaro Fidalgo | 8 |
| Midfielder | Orbelin Pineda | 17 |
| Midfielder | Obed Vargas | 18 |
| Midfielder | Gilberto Mora | 19 |
| Midfielder | Cesar Huerta | 21 |
| Midfielder | Luis Chavez | 24 |
| Midfielder | Brian Gutierrez | 26 |
| Forward | Raul Jimenez | 9 |
| Forward | Alexis Vega | 10 |
| Forward | Santiago Gimenez | 11 |
| Forward | Armando Gonzalez | 14 |
| Forward | Julian Quinones | 16 |
| Forward | Guillermo Martinez | 22 |
| Forward | Roberto Alvarado | 25 |
World Cup Odds: Mexico Is the Favorite to Win Group A
Heading into the World Cup, Mexico is a heavy favorite to win Group A at -140, per DraftKings. South Korea is a distant second at +350.
El Tri is a sizable underdog to win the World Cup at +6500. Fans can take Mexico to reach the Round of 16 at -150, per FanDuel.
More bullish supporters can bet Mexico to reach the quarterfinals at +290.
“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 noted 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.”
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