What were the results of the first day of the 2026 World Cup?

The final part of the 2026 World Cup started on June 11 in Mexico, the USA, and Canada. On the first day of the tournament, two matches from Group A took place, resulting in victories for the national teams of Mexico and South Korea.

In the opening match of the tournament, the Mexican national team defeated the team of the Republic of South Africa with a score of 2:0 in front of a packed Estadio Banorte ('Azteca') stadium in Mexico City.

Julian Quinones opened the scoring in the 9th minute, and Raúl Jiménez secured the home team's advantage in the 67th minute.

The match was also memorable for three red cards. The South African team had Yaya Sitole and Themba Zwane sent off, while Mexican Cesar Montes was sent off in stoppage time.

South Korea defeated the Czech Republic

In another Group A match, South Korea beat the Czech Republic with a score of 2:1.

The Czechs took the lead first with a goal from Ladislav Krejci in the 59th minute. However, the South Korean team managed to turn the match around thanks to goals from Hwang in the 67th minute and Heung Min Son in the 80th.

Group A standings after the first round

After the opening matches, the leader of the group became the Mexican national team, which tops the standings ahead of South Korea due to goal difference.

• Mexico — 3 points (2:0)
• South Korea — 3 points (2:1)
• Czech Republic — 0 points (1:2)
• Republic of South Africa — 0 points (0:2)

The next group stage matches will determine the sole leader of the group and significantly impact the battle for playoff qualification.

Recall that Donald Trump missed the opening of the 2026 World Cup in the USA.