Mexico vs South Korea 
The pick
Win, draw, and loss probabilities and expected goals are from our team-strength model. The composite averages every source we track for this match — see composite ratings for the full method. Public consensus from 2 sources: Oddschecker, OffshoreSportsbooks.
Head to head
Expected shapes: Mexico 4-3-3, South Korea 4-3-3.
Ruled out: MEX — Luis Malagón · KOR — Cho Yu-min
Mexico Mexico South KoreaKey players to watch
South Korea South Korea Mexico MexicoProjected XIs
Most-likely starting elevens based on recent selections.
Mexico- 1R Rangel
- 2J Sánchez
- 3C Montes
- 4J Vásquez
- 5J Gallardo
- 6E Lira
- 7B Gutiérrez
- 8O Pineda
- 9Á Fidalgo
- 10J Quiñones
- 11R Jiménez
South Korea- 1S Kim
- 2H Lee
- 3M Kim
- 4J Kim
- 5Y Seol
- 6J Kim
- 7S Paik
- 8T Lee
- 9K Lee
- 10J Lee
- 11H Son
Storylines
World Cup: Mexico vs South Korea Group A Pick; Mexico Looks to Roll into Knockout Stage
Billed as Mexico's toughest group test: the sides last met at a World Cup in 2018 (Mexico won 2-1), and Son Heung-min's South Korea, who reached the 2022 Round of 16, look to upset the co-hosts in front of a home crowd in Guadalajara.
Mexico 2026 World Cup draw reaction: Son Heung-min and South Korea pose toughest test in otherwise straightforward group
Goal frames South Korea, led by Son Heung-min, as the standout threat to Mexico's group ambitions, making the Matchday 2 meeting the likely decider for top spot in an otherwise favorable Group A draw for El Tri.
Player ratings are EA Sports FC 26 attributes, used here as a consistent, public proxy for player quality. Squad-level comparisons cover the players we could rate; coverage varies by team.