Mexico took a major step towards the FIFA World Cup 2026 knockout rounds after defeating South Korea 1-0 at Estadio Guadalajara in their second Group A match.
Luis Romo’s second-half strike proved decisive in a contest that remained tight until the final whistle. South Korea pushed hard for an equaliser late on, but a combination of Raúl Rangel’s heroics and determined Mexican defending ensured El Tri claimed a second consecutive victory and moved onto six points.
Story of the match
High intensity start but little end product
Both teams started with high intensity (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
Both teams came into the contest knowing a positive result would put them in a strong position to reach the Round of 32, and the opening stages reflected that urgency. Mexico and South Korea pressed aggressively from the first whistle, with neither side willing to allow the other time on the ball.
The first booking of the evening arrived after just four minutes when K.I. Lee was shown a yellow card for a foul on Luis Romo. El Tri looked the more threatening side during the early exchanges and nearly found a breakthrough in the seventh minute. Roberto Alvarado tested Seung-Gyu Kim from distance before Bryan Gutiérrez followed up moments later with another effort that the South Korean goalkeeper gathered comfortably.
Mexico’s home support inside Estadio Guadalajara appeared to give Javier Aguirre’s side an extra boost. The Tricolour controlled possession for much of the opening 20 minutes and repeatedly looked to spring forward through quick counter attacks. Julián Quiñones came closest to opening the scoring in the 19th minute, but his header was brilliantly kept out by Kim.
South Korea grow into the game
A hydration break midway through the half briefly slowed the tempo, but Mexico continued to look comfortable. Jorge Sánchez was particularly lively down the right flank, while the Mexican defence dealt well with South Korea’s attempts to play direct balls forward. Despite the absence of suspended vice-captain César Montes, the back line looked organised throughout.
As the half progressed, South Korea began to settle. The Asian Tigers started to enjoy longer spells of possession and gradually pushed Mexico further back. Their defence also remained compact, preventing Mexico from finding the through balls that had looked dangerous during the opening stages.
The best chance of the closing minutes arrived just before half-time when Heung-Min Son delivered an inviting cross into the six-yard box. Jae-Sung Lee met it but could not direct his effort on target. Both teams showed plenty of energy, but neither could find a breakthrough before the interval.
Romo strikes as Mexico take control
Luis Romo scores first goal for his team (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
The opening stages of the second half followed a similar pattern to the first, with both sides showing intensity but little willingness to take unnecessary risks. Mexico threatened almost immediately when Bryan Gutiérrez slipped a clever pass through to Jesús Gallardo, but the full-back could not keep his effort on target.
The breakthrough arrived moments later and it was enough to lift the entire stadium. South Korea failed to properly deal with an effort on goal and the rebound fell kindly for Romo, who reacted quickest to fire Mexico into the lead in the 49th minute.
South Korea attempted to respond quickly and nearly found an equaliser six minutes later. Young-Woo Seol found space to break forward, but Mexico’s defence recovered well to shut down the opportunity before it could truly test Rangel. Frustration soon began to creep into the South Korean game as Seung-Ho Paik received a yellow card before Hong Myung-bo turned to his bench for answers.
As the match entered its final quarter, both managers made a series of substitutions. Mexico continued to look comfortable protecting their advantage and nearly doubled their lead in the 87th minute when Obed Vargas unleashed a powerful effort that forced Kim into a sharp save on his goal-line.
South Korea save their best for last
The closing minutes produced the drama the match had lacked for long periods. Deep into the final stages, South Korea created their clearest opportunity of the evening. A brilliant delivery into the box found Gue-Sung Cho, whose header was somehow kept out by Rangel. The rebound fell invitingly, but Mexico’s goalkeeper reacted again to smother the follow-up effort and preserve the lead.
South Korea continued to push during six minutes of added time. Lee Han-Beom directed a late effort wide before Cho went close again from another dangerous cross. Mexico survived the pressure and held on for a valuable victory that moved them a significant step closer to the Round of 32.
What is next?
Mexico now sit on six points and are in a commanding position heading into their final Group A fixture. South Korea remained in the qualification race despite the defeat and will need a positive result in their final group game to strengthen their hopes of reaching the knockout rounds.