2026 World Cup Group A: Mexico vs South Africa Preview, Odds and Predictions (June 11)

• When: Thursday, June 11, 2026. 3:00 PM ET
• Where: Estadio Guadalajara, Zapopan, Mexico
• How to Watch: FOX

The action at the 2026 World Cup gets underway on June 11, with the first matchup in Group A getting underway in Zapopan with Mexico’s taking on South Africa. These two squads will likely be in direct competition for a qualifying spot in the group, meaning that there will be pressure on both nations on MD1.

ALSO SEE: World Cup 2026: Our Experts Share Their World Cup Picks

Mexico Stats & Team News

Mexico went through a rough period of its history after crashing out of the group stage in the 2022 World Cup. Despite this, they won the Gold Cup in 2025 as they have important momentum going into their opening matches as one of the hosts for the 2026 World Cup.

Whenever Mexico hosted the World Cup, they reached the quarterfinals in 1970 and 1982 as they hope to achieve another run for the third time this year. Raul Jimenez stands out as the star striker for the Mexicans as he hopes to spark the offense with solid performances to have success in the group stage and advance to the knockouts.

Likely Lineup:

(4-3-3) Rangel (GK); Sanchez, Montes, Vasquez; Gallardo, Gutierrez, Lira, Mora; Alvarado, Jimenez; Quinones

South Africa Stats & Team News

South Africa will be making their return to the global stage this summer for the first time since hosting the 2010 World Cup. They exceeded expectations in the qualifying cycle, topping their group over the supposed favorites Nigeria.

The South Africans have experience at goal with Ronwen Williams being the start, taking part in 62 matches and counting. Themba Zwane, Lyle Foster and Teboho Mokoena stand out as key threats on offense, having the most goals on the World Cup squad.

Likely Lineup:

(4-2-3-1) Williams (GK); Modiba, Mbokazi, Okon, Mudau; Mokoena, Sithole; Moremi, Zwane, Apollis; Foster

Head-to-Head Stats

• This is the second meeting between Mexico and South Africa.
• The most recent encounter ended in a 1-1 draw in the 2010 World Cup opener.
• This will be the second competitive meeting between the nations.

Mexico vs. South Africa World Cup Picks

Mexico is expected to be the favorite as they host the first match of the global tournament. They also have positive momentum with three straight wins while drawing with Belgium and Portugal in their last five games. It’s the opposite for South Africa, having one win over Jamaica while losing two games and drawing twice. It would be safe to believe that Mexico takes this one by a 2-1 or 3-1 score.