Mexico has an advantage over South Korea and is level with South Africa in their head-to-head history at World Cups, ahead of the tournament to be held next year in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The three teams will be joined by the winner of UEFA Play-off 4, which will be decided by Denmark, North Macedonia, Ireland, and the Czech Republic. According to a survey by the Argentine News Agency, in the history of encounters between the three confirmed teams, Mexico played only one World Cup match against South Africa and it ended 1-1. Coincidentally, this happened on June 11 (the same day they will play in 2026) with Javier Aguirre as the coach of the 'Aztec' team (he is the current coach). In the 2010 South Africa edition, in Group A, the host nation took the lead with a goal by Siphiwe Tshabalala, but Rafael Márquez equalized for the North American team. Meanwhile, Mexico and South Korea have faced each other twice in World Cups, with both ending in 'Tri' victories. In France 1998, in Group E, the 'tri' won 3-1, with goals from Luis 'el Pájaro' Hernández (twice) and Ricardo Peláez, while Ha Seok-ju had given the Asians the lead. The other clash was at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where Mexico defeated South Korea 2-1 in Group F, with goals from Carlos Vela and Javier 'Chicharito' Hernández, while Heung-Min Son pulled one back for the Asians. Meanwhile, South Korea and South Africa have never faced each other in World Cups.
