World Cup 2026: Updated Group Standings After Matchday One

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The FIFA World Cup 2026 kicked off on Thursday, June 11, 2026, with hosts Mexico taking on South Africa in the tournament’s opening match.

The highly anticipated Group A encounter saw both sides battle for an early advantage in the race to qualify for the knockout stages.

Mexico entered the tournament relying on experienced stars such as captain Edson Álvarez, striker Raúl Jiménez, and forward Santiago Giménez, while South Africa looked to captain Ronwen Williams, midfielder Teboho Mokoena, and Burnley striker Lyle Foster for inspiration.

The two nations were meeting in a World Cup opener for the second time after their memorable 1-1 draw at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in Johannesburg, where Siphiwe Tshabalala and Rafael Márquez scored for South Africa and Mexico, respectively.

Hours after the opening match, South Korea and Czechia were scheduled to face off in the second Group A fixture, completing the first round of matches in the group.

Group A Standings After 2026 World Cup Matchday One

GROUP A

Pos	Team	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Mexico	1	1	0	0	0	0	2	3
2	South Korea	1	1	0	0	0	0	1	3
3	Czechia	1	0	0	0	1	0	-1	0
4	South Africa	1	0	0	0	1	0	-2	0

GROUP B

Pos	Team	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Canada	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2	Bosnia & Herzegovina	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
3	Qatar	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
4	Switzerland	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

GROUP C

Pos	Team	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Brazil	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2	Morocco	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
3	Haiti	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
4	Scotland	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

GROUP D

Pos	Team	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	USA	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2	Paraguay	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
3	Australia	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
4	Türkiye	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

GROUP E

Pos	Team	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Germany	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2	Curaçao	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
3	Ivory Coast	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
4	Ecuador	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

GROUP F

Pos	Team	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Netherlands	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2	Japan	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
3	Sweden	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
4	Tunisia	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

GROUP G

Pos	Team	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Belgium	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2	Egypt	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
3	Iran	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
4	New Zealand	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

GROUP H

Pos	Team	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Spain	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2	Cabo Verde	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
3	Saudi Arabia	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
4	Uruguay	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

GROUP I

Pos	Team	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	France	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2	Senegal	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
3	Iraq	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
4	Norway	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

GROUP J

Pos	Team	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Argentina	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2	Algeria	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
3	Austria	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
4	Jordan	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

GROUP K

Pos	Team	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Portugal	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2	DR Congo	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
3	Uzbekistan	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
4	Colombia	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

GROUP L

Pos	Team	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	England	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2	Croatia	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
3	Ghana	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
4	Panama	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

How Group A Looks After the Opening Round

Following the completion of the first two matches, the Group A table began taking shape, with the top two teams moving into the early qualification positions.

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However, with two group matches still remaining for every team, the race for the Round of 32 remains wide open.

Remaining Group A Fixtures

Mexico vs South Korea
South Africa vs Czechia

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Mexico vs Czechia
South Africa vs South Korea

The top two teams in each group will automatically qualify for the Round of 32, while several of the best third-placed teams across the tournament will also progress to the knockout stage under FIFA’s expanded 48-team format.

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FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaking during the FIFA World Cup International Broadcast Centre Grand Opening on June 1 in Dallas, Texas. PHOTO/FIFA