South Korea vs. Mexico Odds, Picks & Predictions - Group A, 06/18
After all the hoopla and the run up, the 2026 World Cup’s group stage starts their second round of games with a Group A matchup as South Korea takes on Mexico Thursday night. We have you covered with our South Korea vs. Mexico prediction. South Korea opened group play with a 2-1 victory over Czechia in their previous matchup last Thursday. Mexico opened up group play with a 2-0 triumph over South Africa last Thursday. These teams have met twice previously in World Cup play, with Mexico prevailing both times. In the most recent matchup, Mexico earned a 2-1 win on June 23, 2018, in a Group F matchup. Letls break down this South Korea vs. Mexico matchup.
Don’t forget to check out all the World Cup odds as the tournament progresses!
South Korea Looking for 2-0 Start
South Korea rolled through World Cup qualifying as they posted a record of 9-0-5, though it’s been a bumpier road lately. The Reds dropped friendlies to Ivory Coast (4-0) and Austria (1-0) in March but regrouped. South Korea bombed Trinidad and Tobago (5-0) on May 30 before edging El Salvador in their final friendly before rallying to down Czechia in their first group match. This marks the Reds’ 13th appearance in the World Cup and their 11th consecutive appearance. South Korea is ranked 25th in the FIFA rankings entering p\ay. Their record in World Cup action stands at eight wins, 10 draws and 21 losses.
Against Czechia, South Korea found themselves down in the second half before rallying in the late stages to earn the win. The Reds owned better than a three to two margin in terms of possession in the match. In addition, South Korea had the advantage in shot attempts (15-7) and shots on goal (6-4) in the match. The sides seemed a bit nervous and tentative. As a result, the sides went to halftime with the match remaining scoreless.
In the second half, Ladislav Krejcí tallied in the 59th minute to give Czechia a 1-0 advantage. That put South Korea in a hole that they had to climb out of in the match. Hwang In-Beom tied the match as he scored in the 67th minute. Lee Kang-In assisted on that marker. South Korea maintained the pressure and took the lead in the 80th minute. Oh Hyeon-Gyu scored from in close off a setup by Hwang In-Beom. Kim Seung-Gyu made three saves down the stretch to secure the victory for the Reds. He projects as the starting goalkeeper again here.
Mexico Seeking to Clinch Spot in Knockout Round
Mexico posted a record of six wins, two draws and no losses in their eight international friendly matches in 2026. El Tri appears in the World Cup for the 19th time in their history. This marks their ninth consecutive appearance in the World Cup dating back to 1994. They have not advanced beyond the quarterfinals in their history. El Tri opened group play with a win over South Africa to delight the home crowd. Mexico’s all-time record in World Cup action is 18 wins, 15 draws and 28 losses. On the plus side, the two previous times that El Tri was a host country, they reached the quarterfinals. Mexico enters the World Cup ranked 15th in the FIFA rankings.
Against South Africa, Mexico was in control of the match pretty much from start to finish en route to victory. El Tri owned a three to two advantage in terms of possession in the match. Mexico held a massive 16-3 edge in shot attempts and a 4-2 margin in shots on goal in the match. In a chippy contest, Julián Quiñones opened the scoring with a goal in the ninth minute of play. Érik Lira assisted on that goal. That gave them a 1-0 lead at the half. After intermission, Raúl Jiménez scored in the 67th minute off a header to give Mexico a 2-0 lead. Roberto Alvarado assisted on the marker. In the second half, there were three red cards handed out in the match. South Africa took a pair of red cards while Mexico’s Cesar Montes picked up one of his own in stoppage time.
Montes won’t play here after his red card against South Africa. Edson Alvarez steps in to replace Montes. Raúl Rangel is slated between the sticks for El Tri in this matchup. You can check out Mexico’s World Cup odds ahead of this match.
New Users – Bet $5 Get $200 in Bet Reset Tokens for 5 Days South Korea vs. Mexico Prediction
There is plenty at stake here as these are the two teams that won their opening matches in Group A. That means the winner would guarantee themselves a spot in the round of 32. With that in mind, one has to think that you might see things played closer to the vest. El Tri is weaker defensively with Montes getting the red card. That’s a major blow for Mexico in this contest. Meanwhile, South Korea rallied from a goal down against Czechia but that won’t be as easy to accomplish here. With neither side wanting a loss here, the safest bet here is backing a draw.
Our Prediction: Draw (DraftKings, +220)
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