Mexico has made history by becoming the first nation to secure a spot in the Round of 32 of the World Cup. They are currently the only team to have won their first two matches, following the commencement of the second phase of the group stage with Groups A and B. Mexico’s victory came against South Korea with a 1-0 scoreline, thanks to a goal from Luis Romo. The goal was aided by a misstep from South Korean goalkeeper Kim Seung Gyu, who let the ball slip through his hands. Mexico now leads Group A with six points.
In Group A, the match between Czechia and South Africa ended in a 1-1 draw, leaving both teams with just one point. South Korea is set to face South Africa in their next match on June 25th. A draw would be enough for South Korea to qualify. Czechia, on the other hand, can only hope for a victory against Mexico, who have already qualified. They also need South Africa to either beat South Korea or for the match to end in a draw, to potentially advance to the next round as the second-placed team based on goal difference.
Group A Standings:
- Mexico: 6 points, goal difference +3
- South Korea: 3 points, goal difference 0
- Czechia: 1 point, goal difference -1
- South Africa: 1 point, goal difference -2
Moving to Group B, Canada’s dominant 6-0 victory has given them a superior goal difference (+6) compared to Switzerland, who defeated Bosnia and Herzegovina 4-1. Canada and Bosnia will face each other in their upcoming match, which will determine the group leader. Should this game end in a draw, both Bosnia and Herzegovina and Qatar would be eliminated. Their chances are already slim, as they would not only need to win but also score an improbable number of goals to overcome the significant goal difference against Canada or Switzerland.
With such unfavorable goal differences, the tournament journey for Qatar and Bosnia and Herzegovina appears to be nearing its end.
Group B Standings:
- Canada: 4 points, goal difference +6
- Switzerland: 4 points, goal difference +3
- Bosnia and Herzegovina: 1 point, goal difference -3
- Qatar: 1 point, goal difference -6