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Mexico v South Korea: World Cup 2026 – live | World Cup 2026
Key events
78 mins: Brilliant from Hwang Hee-chan in midfield, collecting the clearance on the volley on the turn, twisting out of the Mexican press, driving forward, and swapping passes with Oh. With Mexico retreating Lee shoots from range but it is miles off target.
77 mins: Hong throws on Cho Gue-sung up front and brings off the industrious Paik Seung-ho.
76 mins: Yang thinks he’s created a goalscoring cross on the right flank but he is flagged offside, as many Koreans have before him tonight.
75 mins: Save! Quinones does well on the left again and curls over a cross that finds Jimenez at the far post. His first touch brings the ball down nicely and allows him to shoot on the stretching half-volley from a tight angle but Kim is out quickly to save. That was almost game set and match Mexico.
74 mins: That stoppage facilitates a decent couple of minutes for Mexico to attack down the left with Gaalrado and Quinones to the fore.
72 mins: South Korea attempt a long throw but Mexico deal with it comfortably in the air. Javier Aguirre then gestures theatrically at Yang who went down during a collision for which he was penalised.
70 mins: Two subs at the final drinks break for both teams. Mexico freshen up their midfield with Orbelin Pineda and Obed Vargas replacing Gutierrez and Romo. For Korea it’s the two wingbacks who are swapped out for Eom Ji-sung and Yang Hyun-jun.
Mexico might be leading but Space Purple is definitely going to be the winner on the day.
Here is that final hydration break. What has Hong got up his sleeve?
“This might be the worst game of football I’ve ever seen… and I’ve spent forty years supporting Derby County,” bemoans Ben Goodge. Before adding: “Your correspondents are quite right that only the combination of red/green kits could make it worse for me. But! Is a life of mockery and confusion for being colour blind worth it for the joy of discovering Space Purple? Absolutely.”
67 mins: Both teams have some possession in the final third. Mexico’s is sporadic, Korea’s is more controlled, but it stalls on the edge of the penalty area with the combinations that worked so well against Czechia failing to click.
66 mins: Mexico are doing just as the need, remaining calm, taking no risks. Gutierrez does well to spin on the half-turn in midfield and advance his team downfield, but there is little support with El Tri happy to slow everything down and defend their lead.
64 mins: The final hydration break is going to be crucial for Korea. Hong needs to shake things up. His trio of central defenders are being allowed all the time in the world on the ball, they need the more creative midfielders to come deep and accept that responsibility.
62 mins: An offside and some physical contact slow the play down, give Mexico chance to reset. They now look to be defending in more of a 5-4-1 out of possession, denying Korea any room in behind.
60 mins: South Korea have done well to settle things down following the goal, making their changes, circulating possession. Now they need to find some penetration from somewhere against an already well organised Mexican side now happy to sit back and protect a lead.
59 mins: It may be fitness-related but that is a clear indication of Son’s diminishing impact on the Taeguk Warriors.
57 mins: Here come the subs for Korea, and they are interesting ones. Hwang Hee-chan and Oh Hyeon-gyu come on… Son Heung-min and Lee Jae-sung make way.
And there’s a deserved yellow card for Paik for a late tackle.
55 mins: South Korea have some rare touches in the penalty area with Son benefiting from a high turnover. The skipper tries to fashion room but he’s too tightly marked and Lee does not attempt to shoot first time from the offload and Mexico clear.
54 mins: The match should open up now as Korea will be forced to chase the game. Surely it won’t be long before Hong utilises his bench.
52 mins: Romo plays his club football in this stadium and the fans that idolise him domestically go wild in celebration. It really was an awful moment for the Korean goalkeeper.
Quinones does well to curl over a cross from the left that Jimenez heads up into the air. Kim Seung-gyu comes out to claim in – and looks to have done a good job – but lands on top of Lee Gi-hyuk and in so doing spills the ball to the feet of Romo who stabs home into the empty net.
GOAL! Mexico 1-0 South Korea (Romo, 50)
Calamity for Kim and Korea!
48 mins: Adding to the sense of deja vu, Korea try the lofted throughball over the Mexican defence for a runner, but it’s attempted from too deep and poses no threat. And Mexico return to their hits, releasing Gallardo overlapping on the left but the fullback is forced wide and ends up shooting harmlessly wide.
47 mins: Korea dominated possession in the latter stages of the first half and they are back on the ball after the interval. Again the conservative stuff is not a problem but heading forward is problematic. Also continuing the theme of the first half both teams are willing in midfield with Romo robbed in possession then quick to win it back.
46 mins: No changes at the break.
The teams are back out for the second half as drone shots highlight how stunning this venue is, floating like a glowing UFO at the foothills of the Jalisco mountains.
Half-time stats:
End of stats.
“Interesting to see West Ham‘s forgotten man Edson Alvarez captaining Mexico again and clearing off his line, still on loan at Fenerbache,” emails Neill McGowan. “Strange that the Hammers never thought he could help with their defensive problems, insisting on playing him in midfield. No mention of him either in the list of players they might unload to avoid a points deduction due to consecutive years in the red.”
While I freshen up, enjoy this meandering dispatch from Jonathan Liew, who, like most of you, is not following the World Cup professionally.
The winner of this group will play in the round of 32 at the Azteca, which for El Tri would seem like a major incentive. However, as Saxon Baird points out, “if Mexico finishes second they play at SoFi for the round of 32 which will be essentially a home match.”
Back to the kits.
“What’s wrong with Mexico in green and South Korea in red?” asks Shaun T.
As Chris Rodgers has emailed in to suggest, I’m pretty sure it’s a red v green colourblindness / visual impairment issue.
Earlier, Joshua Reynolds commented on the shade of Korean purple. Ronald Stack would like it confirmed that is not THE Joshua Reynolds, 18th century portraitist and a man who know a thing or two about colours.
Oh wow. Massive boos ringing around Estadio Akron as the two teams walk off for half-time. The crowd was not treated to a spectacle of champagne football.
Half-time: Mexico-0-0 South Korea
Both teams seem happy with a draw and safe passage to the knockout phase ahead of a final round shootout to decide who finishes top.
45+2 mins: Has this been a good 0-0? It’s been tactical and intense. Or has it been a poor 0-0? It has lacked in goalmoouth action and neither side seems eager to take any risks that might open them up defensively on the counter.
45 mins: The ref comes over to have a word with Javier Aguirre. It’s all laughs and back pats. Meanwhile, Korea find some room on the right and a magnificent early cross catches Mexico flat footed. Lee Jae-sung just can’t get a touch to his despairing dive in the six-yard box.
44 mins: This is cagier than Donal Trump’s understanding of a gazebo on the front lawn.
43 mins: One of those long diagonals from earlier reaches Seol on the left to set Korea in motion again, but play is recycled into midfield and Mexico stagger 11 men behind the ball.
42 mins: Korea benefit from a ricochet and can slip Seol in behind but from a narrow angle his shot is wild. Technically I think that might pad the risible xG stats.
39 mins: Was this always going to be so risk averse? It makes sense given the state of the group, but I expected Mexico to be hell bent on victory in front of their home fans. As it is, South Korea have now enjoyed about five minutes of near unbroken possession with all the intensity of a mindfulness podcast.
Photograph: Héctor Vivas/FIFA/Getty Images
38 mins: Mexico’s players are content to watch the Space Purple possession eaters do their thing, focussing instead on covering the turf in their defensive web, denying passing lanes and tracking runners. Eventually the Asian powerhouses are forced to go back to Kim and start from scratch.
36 mins: For the first time all half Mexico drop off and allow Korea some concerted possession in the final third. They circulate the ball from one side to the other, check back then come out the other way, time and again, looking for the vertical pass. The crowd turns a gentle smattering of boos into a caterwaul of frustration.
35 mins: Yeah, this match has stalled. Hopefully there’s a rev-up at half-time and the introduction of a dribbler or two to take the game on.
34 mins: “Korea’s jerseys are a colour I associate with nose tissue containers,” correctly observes Joshua Reynolds.
33 mins: I’m starting to err away from being complimentary to the two defences towards being critical of the two attacks. The absence of any fluidity from either team is making this a jarring watch. So many misplaced passes and poorly timed runs.
31 mins: Mexico catch South Korea offside again. Unlike against Czechia, Korea’s throughballs are coming from deeper areas, allowing the defensive line greater visibility to track both ball and runner.
30 mins: Mexico let the ball do the work for a passage and invite Gallardo to cross from the left, but his centring delivery is overhit and El Tri have to recycle.
29 mins: Another marginal Korean offside. Lee Kang-in delivered a lovely lofted throughball but Lee Jae-sung had just sprung too soon. Mexico’s defensive line has been razor sharp.
27 mins: “Unfortunately this is one of those games in which 0-0 suits both sides,” emails Gary Stover. I guess, but Mexico will be very keen to finish top of the group and enjoy the easier route into the round of 32 and a return to the Azteca.
26 mins: The urgency of both sides in midfield means the ball has spent a considerable amount of time in dispute around halfway. This is fun for people like me, who grew up idolising Bryan Robson, but not ideal for free-flowing football.
James, like me, is under the misapprehension Korea are playing in Lavender, when it is in fact Space Purple.
“Can’t agree with you about the kits,” emails James Humphries, “iirc red (Korea) v green (Mexico) is a bad combination for some visual impairments, so fair enough, but I can’t believe black/lavender is the only plausible alternative for these teams with some cracking colours. Something to ponder during the ad – I mean water – break, no doubt.”
23 mins: Mexico are now playing the greater urgency and forcing the issue but they are struggling to move the ball cleanly in the final third against a committed Korean defence.
Time for some ads.
21 mins: Joshua Reynolds has perfectly described El Tri. “Mexico really excel at being boring, boring, boring, NOT BORING AT ALL”.
20 mins: Save! Superb play from Alvarado on the right, cutting in onto his left and curling over a wonderful cross that Quinones attacks on the penalty spot and directs a decent header that Kim is forced to dive to his right and save. Not only that, he holds onto the effort for good measure.
19 mins: Korea have made a couple of errors in possession across defence that haven’t cost them yet, but they need to be careful.
17 mins: Now Sanchez is offside on the overlap for Mexico. Lots of jabbing and attempted combinations so far but nothing is landing.
16 mins: Offside! But that was one of the all-time great World Cup goalline saves from Alvarez. Son thought he had sprung the offside trap, found by the vertical pass, and the LA man lofted a half-volley over the onrushing keeper and seemingly into the far corner, only for Alvarez to hurtle towards his own net and acrobatically volley clear. All moot once the offside flag is raise.
15 mins: Korea drop into a compact 5-3-2 structure and allow Mexico to dictate terms. El Tri are patient, looking for triangles to unleash Gallardo on the left, but the execution is off. It is very willing in midfield.
The family of Shaun Burton, say they are “devastated” by the loss.
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Key events
In the opening half an hour against Cape Verde, Mikel Oyarzabal, the centre-forward, did not get a single touch.
Kyle Green gets in touch: “Your highlighting of Lalas and his absurdity is something that has prevented me from wanting to watch the coverage on Fox. While every channel has its pros and cons I just can’t.
“I’m 45 and probably the youngest of anyone who remembers him as a player instead of an opinionated insert insult here. As for the match this could be more competitive than it looks on paper Spain need a win the pressure is on them. Saudi Arabia could hold out for a draw and see what happens in their last match. “
News from the England camp, and it seems to be good news on Declan Rice.
“I’m ready and fit, raring to go. I was feeling a little bit of neural pain in my hamstring, which I was managing from after Christmas with Arsenal for a very long time. Obviously, not a lot of people would have known that. It was all behind-the-scenes stuff but it was a smart decision.
“In the end, that last 20 minutes is probably where you pick up the most, and it’s where you play a 70-minute match. But that last 20 is where you really feel your body going for it. And I think it was a smart decision because the last few days I felt really, really good.”
Alex Reid has penned today’s weekend special Football Daily.
Portugal v Uzbekistan on Tuesday enticingly pits the incredibly nice, incredibly 41-year-old-superstar-tolerant Roberto Martínez against Fabio Cannavaro, who’s won a Ballon d’Or as a player and the Chinese Super League as a coach. While the fixture following that game really does see the dream of Thomas Tuchel – in his first international job with England – taking on Queiroz, who is in charge of his ninth national side with Ghana.
The expected formations are 4-2-3-1 for Spain, and 5-3-2 for the Saudi Arabians.
The Saudi team features two Donis changes: Ali Lajami, a defender, and Nasser Al Dawsari, a midfielder, are preferred to Mohammed Abu Al Shamat and Mohamed Kanno. You may recall Salem Al Dawsari, the Saudi captain, as the man who scored the winner against Argentina.
An entertaining read, even for those of us who have just seen the clips.
In a conversation where his co-panelist is casually reminiscing about his days playing alongside Messi or exchanging shirts with Ronaldo Nazário at the World Cup, what exactly is Lalas going to talk about – coming on as a second-half substitute for Earnie Stewart in a friendly against Scotland in 1998? Helping the Kansas City Wizards finish last in the 1999 MLS Western Conference? Did Lalas enjoy an elite playing career? No. But does he do the background reading that could compensate for his relative lack of standing in a conversation with titans like Henry and Zlatan? Also no. But is he charming or funny or charismatic or otherwise magnetic on screen? Eh, no.
For the record, I once interviewed Alexi Lalas on the challenge of playing against Romario in the 1994 World Cup. He had this to say:
“He could kill you in so many different ways. If you remember from that World Cup, he scored so many types of goals. That ranged from solo adventures to an outside-of-the-right-foot half-volley off a corner kick. Romario was both the most difficult to play against and the best that I have faced.
“Roberto Baggio was doing his thing, but in terms of consistency and living up to the hype, he [Romario] was the best. As with all stars, there was a moment when the fans sit up in their seats, and that was a feeling I got with Romario. When it got close to him and the potential for his involvement in a play was there, everybody sat up in their seat. They knew that something spectacular would be happening.”
Saturday’s match reports here.
The Saudi Arabia coach, and Blackburn legend, Georgios Donis, spoke about the challenges facing his team: “Spain is not the same team when Yamal or Williams are on the bench.
“While they still have plenty of possession, they lack the individual one-on-one penetration when these two are missing. I’m not saying it’s a problem for Spain, but when those players are missing, they play in a different way. We saw this very clearly against Cape Verde.
“We are playing against one of the best teams in the world, and it’s very important that when you play against these kinds of teams, you should enjoy the experience and respect the opponent, but not too much.
“It is very hard for any team playing against Spain to have any time in possession. So what we must do is to be more in control of our movement and compact, and when the ball goes through the lines, be able to defend dynamically.
“It’s nice to see miracles in football, and we’ve seen favourites losing against underdogs. Of course, it’s great for Saudi football to have a great memory of the result against Argentina, but we aren’t drawing anything from that.
“I think we’ll feel more pressure in that [Cape Verde] game than we will against Spain.”
The Spain coach, Luis De La Fuente had this to say in his Saturday press conference: “This generation of footballers is highly competitive and really fired up… It’s going to be a completely different story,” he said at his pre-match press conference on Saturday. There is no drama or crisis. The bottom line is simply that we need to win tomorrow.”
Four changes for Spain: Lamine Yamal, Pedro Porro, Dani Olmo and Alex Baena also come into the side with Marcos Llorente, Fabian Ruiz, Ferran Torres and Gavi dropping out.
The teams – Lamine Yamal starts
Spain: Simon, Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella, Gonzalez, Rodri, Yamal, Olmo, Baena, Oyarzabal. Subs: Raya, Joan Garcia, Pubill, Grimaldo, Eric Garcia, Llorente, Merino, Torres, Fabian, Gavi, Pino, Williams, Zubimendi, Munoz, Iglesias.
Saudi Arabia: Al Owais, Abdulhamid, Tambakti, Lajami, Al Amri, Al Harbi, Nasser Al Dawsari, Al Khaibari, Al Juwayr, Al Buraikan, Salem Al Dawsari. Subs: Al Aqidi, Al Kassar, Majrashi, Yahya, Al Shehri, Al Boushal, Kadesh, Al Johani, Al Ghannam, Al Hajji, Al Hamdan, Mandash, Kanno, Thakri, Abu Al Shamat.
Referee: Raphael Claus (Brazil)
Perhaps one of the Saudi -players can write themselves into this high-grade selection?
Perhaps it can be their goalkeeper.
Madrid screening of Spain v Saudi Arabia cancelled due to heat
The public screening of Spain’s World Cup match against Saudi Arabia in Madrid on Sunday has been cancelled because of extreme heat forecast for the Spanish capital, officials said.
The match, due to kick off at 6pm local time on Sunday, had been scheduled to be shown on a giant screen installed by the Spanish football federation (RFEF) at a fan zone in Plaza de Colón in central Madrid.
Madrid city council and the federation decided to cancel the screening after national weather agency AEMET issued an orange heat warning – the second-highest level – for the Madrid region, with temperatures forecast to reach 40C.
“The decision has been taken with the aim of protecting the health of attendees, event staff and support services involved in the event,” Madrid city hall said in a statement, apologising for any inconvenience.
Officials urged supporters to watch the match indoors in air-conditioned spaces and avoid prolonged exposure to the heat.
Large parts of Spain are experiencing unusually high temperatures for June as a mass of hot air from North Africa moves across the Iberian Peninsula.
A total of 13 of Spain’s 17 regions are on orange alert for heat on Sunday, while the northern Basque Country bordering France is on red alert, the highest level.
Authorities advised residents and visitors to take precautions during the heatwave, including drinking water regularly, staying in cool environments, limiting outdoor physical activity during the hottest hours of the day and taking extra care of vulnerable people. AFP
Can Saudi Arabia repeat the magic of 2022?
Argentina arrived in Qatar on a 36-game unbeaten run. When Lionel Messi opened the scoring from the penalty spot after 10 minutes, a comfortable afternoon seemed in the offing. Saleh al-Shehri and Salem al-Dawsari had other ideas, Argentina had three goals disallowed for offside in the space of 13 minutes and the greatest comeback in Saudi Arabia football history was made. Argentina went on to lift the trophy, while defeats to Poland and Mexico meant the Saudis did not reach the knock-out stage.
Unai Simon over David Raya is a controversial choice for De la Fuentes. The Arsenal keeper could lay claim to being Europe’s best this season.
“Those at the Champions League final had a few more days, so I got there on the Wednesday night,” Raya says. “I arrived a bit before Fabián [Ruiz]. I was saying hello to some of the others in reception when he arrived. I went to say congratulations; that was almost the first thing I did. I couldn’t really talk [to him] after the final; I just didn’t have it in me. The next day we talked about the game properly. Just two mates chatting … I was happy for him that he could lift the trophy for a second time.”
A high pressure game for the European champions, as Sid Lowe reports.
“If we had scored one, the game would have changed,” Martín Zubimendi said. Immediately after the game, De la Fuente had offered a simple analysis: when the ball doesn’t want to go in it doesn’t want to go in, he insisted. Spain had racked up 27 shots, after all. Ferran Torres had hit the bar and seen another clear opportunity saved. Vozinha, the 40-year-old goalkeeper who stopped that, saved six more and was named the man of the match. “There’s nothing to reproach the team for,” Rodri said. “We generated chances but couldn’t put it away; the good thing is they created almost nothing.”
We wait to see what role Lamine Yamal will play today. His coach would surely like to be able to use him.
The worst mistake we could make would be to compare him to anyone. He is the midst of a process. He has exceptional footballing maturity and lives it all with total naturalness. He has great serenity and strength. We have to let him follow his path but those players who have something different are ready for that. They’re geniuses, like Dalí [who] can paint a picture, or Michelangelo. They’re different. What is exceptional to us, isn’t to them. In those extremes, they feel comfortable. Why? Because they are different. What we think is exceptional, they consider normal.
Preamble
Spain’s campaign did not get off to a flying start, and Luis de la Fuentes may wake up in the night to visions of Cape Verde’s Vozinha. He will have Georgia on his mind ever since Monday. Saudi Arabia are no pushovers and gave Uruguay a scare in their opening match. Memories of downing Argentina four years ago still abound, and so Spain might beware. They can ill afford to go into the final game with Uruguay at a disadvantage. All eyes on Lamine Yamal, whose fitness situation remains opaque, though Spain need their other forwards to come to the party.
Kick-off 5pm UK, 1pm ET, 2am AEST. Join me.
A topless man can be seen driving erratically in Edinburgh before abandoning his car and attacking a black man and a delivery rider.
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