First place in Group A will be on the line Thursday night after both Mexico and South Korea opened their 2026 FIFA World Cup with huge wins.
Mexico opened its World Cup campaign with a dominant 2-0 win over South Africa at Mexico City Stadium last week.
Julián Quiñones quickly got things started with a goal in the ninth minute, which was followed by Raúl Jiménez’s first career World Cup goal in the 67th minute after a South Africa red card.
El Tri is now -160 to win Group A, a jump from the -125 number it was at before the tournament began.
Mexico’s crucial match against South Korea will be its 11th World Cup match at home, but first ever in Guadalajara.
Just how important is Thursday’s showdown? Here are the key Group A clinching scenarios:
- Mexico advances and wins the group with a win and a South Africa win/draw.
- South Korea advances and wins the group with a win and a Czechia win/draw.
- A draw would likely result in both teams advancing, though that would not be certain until later in the group stage.
Can Mexico build off its opening match and make a deep run in this tournament? Let’s check out the updated odds for El Tri as of June 18.
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Team Mexico — Stage of Elimination
Last 32: +130 (bet $10 to win $23 total)
Last 16: +155 (bet $10 to win $25.50 total)
Quarterfinals: +500 (bet $10 to win $60 total)
Semifinals: +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)
Runner-up: +2800 (bet $10 to win $290 total)
Group stage: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)
Outright winner: +5000 (bet $10 to win $510 total)
Mexico is currently +5500 to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup after its opening win vs. South Africa (Getty Images).
Mexico to Qualify from Group A: –10000 (bet $10 to win $10.10 total)
Mexico Group A Winner: -160 (bet $10 to win $16.25 total)
Mexico Top Goalscorer
Raúl Jiménez: -115 (bet $10 to win $18.70 total)
Julián Quiñones: +150 (bet $10 to win $25 total)
Santiago Giménez: +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)
Armando González: +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)
Roberto Alvarado: +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total)
Guillermo Martínez: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)
Alexis Vega: +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total)
Gilberto Mora: +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total)
What to know: Mexico has made a habit of being in the running, but never really being in the running. Make sense? Consider this: El Tri made it out of the group stage in seven consecutive World Cups (1994-2018), but never made it past the Round of 16 in any of those years. In 2022, Mexico failed to make it out of the group stage, and it will look to get back to its winning ways in 2026, as it is favored to win Group A after its opening win against South Africa. Mexico will face South Korea and the Czech Republic in its final two group games.
Prior to the tournament, Jiménez was the clear favorite to lead Mexico in goals this summer at +220. Now, after his 67th minute header that found the back of the net vs. South Africa, he is -115. Quiñones, who many believe can be one of the breakout players of the tournament, has surged from +750 to 150 after his goal on Thursday.
