The Mexican National Team will share a group with South Africa, with which it will open the 2026 World Cup at the Azteca Stadium. Their second match will be against South Korea and the third rival will come from a European playoff.
Mexico City, December 5 (However).– The Football World Cup 2026 in Mexico, USA (EU) y Canada is closer than ever, and today they were defined los 12 groups with which the sporting event most important in the world. The Mexican National Team you already know your rivalsbut how were the rest of the selections drawn?
This Friday, December 5, the draw official of next year’s World Cup, in which Mexico will become for the first time the country that receives three different editions of the Copa of the World.
The Mexican team will share Group A with South Africa, South Korea and the winner of the European Repechage 4, which will be played by the national representatives of Denmark, Macedonia, the Czech Republic and Ireland.
#GrupoA | @FIFAWorldCup 2026. ✨
MEXICO 🇲🇽
South Korea 🇰🇷
South Africa 🇿🇦
Repechage Europe 4 🌍This Group represents much more than rivals: it is the beginning of a path that we will travel at home, accompanied by millions of voices that feel, live and dream with us.… pic.twitter.com/flfzNRm4oK
— National Team (@miseleccionmx) December 5, 2025
Mexico will play the opening match on June 11 against South Africa at the Azteca Stadium, in Mexico City. The match will be historic, as the building will host its third inaugural World Cup match, reaffirming its relevance as one of the emblematic venues of the tournament.
After its debut, the Mexican National Team, led by Javier Aguirre, will travel to Guadalajara to face South Korea at the Chivas Stadium, in its second match of the group stage. With this, the host will take the World Cup party to the west of the country and reinforce its presence in different regions.
In its third match, the tricolor team will return to the capital to face the winner of the European playoff between Denmark, Macedonia, the Czech Republic and Ireland, again at the Azteca Stadium. This duel will be decisive in defining Mexico’s future in the tournament and keeping the World Cup dream alive in front of its fans.
How were the World Cup groups?
The stage is set. Who triumphs? 🏆@aramco | #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/21qBVC6KlE
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 5, 2025
Group B was made up of Canada, also co-host of this edition, Qatar, Switzerland and the winner of the European playoff, which will come from Italy, Northern Ireland, Wales and Bosnia.
Group C will have Brazil as seeded, accompanied by Morocco, Haiti and Scotland.
Group D corresponds to the United States, the third host, along with Paraguay, Australia and the winner of the European playoff between Türkiye, Romania, Slovakia and Kosovo.
Group E is made up of Germany, Ecuador, Ivory Coast and Curacao.
Group F went to the Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia and the winner of the European playoff between Poland, Albania, Ukraine and Sweden.
Group G includes Belgium, Egypt, Iran and New Zealand.
🇨🇦🇲🇽🇺🇸#FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/Nm2ELMh8bh
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 5, 2025
Group H was completely defined with Spain, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde.
Group I is made up of France, Senegal, Norway and the winner of the FIFA playoff between Iraq, Bolivia and Suriname.
Group J includes current world champions Argentina, along with Algeria, Austria and Jordan.
Group K has Portugal, Colombia, Uzbekistan and the winner of the FIFA playoff between the Democratic Republic of the Congo, New Caledonia and Jamaica.
Group L, the last one, is made up of England, Croatia, Ghana and Panama.
“We have an extraordinary, hardworking people…”: Sheinbaum
The images reveal the rivals who will accompany us in the #GrupoA of the @FIFAWorldCup. 📸
In 2026, football returns to our land. And we, along with millions of voices, are ready to defend these colors with pride, passion and heart. 🇲🇽#SomosMéxico 💚🤍❤️ pic.twitter.com/Kq2eq2P9YH
— National Team (@miseleccionmx) December 5, 2025
During her speech at the draw, the President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, stressed that Mexicans are a hard-working and extraordinary people; and when he took out the name of Mexico from the raffle he celebrated with a “Long live Mexico!”
“We are proud, proud to receive the World Cup for the third time, Mexico is an extraordinary, beautiful, magical country and millions visited our nation. I also want to tell you that we have an extraordinary, hard-working, and something special people. We have enjoyed the game of ball since ancient times,” said the president.
As predicted, Trump was awarded First Prize FIFA of Peace by the president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino.
The 2026 World Cup, which will be held in Mexico, the United States and Canada, will be the first in history in which 48 national teams will participate in a format of 12 groups of four teams.