Mexico becomes first country to reach knockout stage of World Cup
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GUADALAJARA, Mexico — Mexico capitalized on a defensive error by South Korea to secure a 1-0 victory, becoming the first team to reach the knockout stage of the World Cup on Thursday, prompting celebrations across the nation.
This achievement is significant for a team that didn't advance past the group stage in 2022 and has now secured two home victories before enthusiastic crowds. Mexican players celebrated at midfield, acknowledging the cheering fans in the packed stands at Estadio Akron.
As the final whistle blew, mariachis began performing at the Ángel of Independence in Mexico City while thousands of people gathered from all directions. In Guadalajara, streets were filled with honking cars and fans waving Mexican flags and chanting.
Luis Romo scored in the 50th minute after South Korea's goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu collided with defender Lee Gi-hyuk, dropping the ball in the area. Romo easily netted the loose ball.
The South Koreans almost equalized in the 87th minute when Mexico's goalkeeper Raúl Rangel stopped a close-range header from Cho Gue-sung, then made an even more impressive save on Yang Hyun-jun's rebound attempt, extending his right arm to prevent the ball from crossing the line.
"It was very quick, it was pure reaction," Rangel said. "I can't really describe what I saw, just the moment of impact with my teammate and having the ball."
Mexico clinches Group A
Mexico topped Group A with six points from two matches, three more than South Korea, and five more than the Czech Republic and South Africa, who drew 1-1 earlier Thursday in Atlanta.
The top two teams from each group advance to the knockout stage, along with the best eight third-place teams. This World Cup features a round of 32 for the first time, with the tournament expanded to 48 teams.
"We've been performing very well," Mexico coach Javier Aguirre said. "It wasn't a great match, but I think our opponent didn't allow us to do much. Still, we managed to score on that mistake, along with a couple of other chances."
Aguirre expressed satisfaction that the players secured their place in the next round back in Mexico City.
"It eases some of the pressure," he said. "But not for me, for the players. They are euphoric, they are very happy."
Mexico began with a 2-0 victory over South Africa, while South Korea came from behind to secure a 2-1 win against the Czechs.
Mexico will conclude group play on Wednesday against the Czech Republic in Mexico City, and South Korea will face South Africa in Monterrey.
Mexico had never won a World Cup match on home soil outside of Mexico City. Prior to 2026, all but one of its nine home World Cup games, spanning the 1970 and 1986 tournaments, were held at Estadio Azteca, resulting in five wins and three draws. When they played in Toluca in 1970, they lost 4-1 to Italy in the quarterfinals.
Thursday's game started slowly, with neither team creating significant chances and both sides being loudly booed at halftime.
Ranked 13th, Mexico was eliminated in the group stage four years ago in Qatar, following seven consecutive exits in the round of 16.
South Korea's star Son Heung-min had another underwhelming performance and was substituted in the 57th minute.
Plaudits for Son
The 33-year-old Son aims to become South Korea's top World Cup goal scorer and the Asian player with the most goals in the tournament. The former Tottenham star, now with Los Angeles FC, entered with three goals from three previous World Cups.
Kim prevented Mexico from extending their lead by making a difficult save from a close-range shot by Raúl Jiménez in the 75th minute.
The South Koreans pushed until the end but couldn't equalize.
Ranked 22nd, South Korea is making its 11th consecutive World Cup appearance and 12th overall, the most for any Asian country. Their best result was a fourth-place finish in the 2002 tournament co-hosted with Japan. Since then, they have not advanced beyond the round of 16.
Celebrations and Protest
Fan zones across Mexico were filled before the game. In the largest one, located in Mexico City's Zócalo, chants of support for the national team, shouting "Olé!" with each pass, mixed with a homophobic chant — a one-word slur that literally means male prostitute in Spanish — which has previously led to sanctions against Mexico and could prompt new penalties from FIFA.
There were peaceful protests in Guadalajara organized by the families of Mexico's 130,000 missing individuals.
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