World Cup 2026: Mexico vs. South Korea Predictions

Mexico vs. South Korea Overview and Latest Odds

El Tri are the favorites for the clash with South Korea, with home advantage playing a big role in the odds. Mexico looked assured in their 2-0 win over South Africa in the opening match of the World Cup, but South Korea put in a resolute display en route to a 2-1 win over Czechia, heavily complicating many pre-tournament World Cup predictions for Group A.

The two nations last met in a friendly in September 2025, which ended in a 2-2 draw. South Korea have failed to win any of their last four meetings with Mexico, last winning in a friendly in 2006. Mexico defeated the Taegeuk Warriors 2-1 in their last competitive match at the 2018 World Cup.

• Location: Guadalajara Stadium, Guadalajara, Mexico

• Date & Time: Thursday, June 18, 9:00 PM ET

• US Broadcast: FOX Sports

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Expert Betting Predictions and Best Bets for Mexico vs. South Korea

Here you can find our expert betting tips and picks for Mexico vs. South Korea.

• Mexico To Win

South Korea’s win over Czechia has raised their stock in this Group, meaning it won’t be easy for El Tri here. It will be a different game for Korea than it was for them against Czechia, though, so it will be interesting to see how they deal with a much more intense pressing unit.

It’s hard to ignore just how important the Guadalajara crowd will be, and a win for the hosts will seal their spot in the knockouts as the likely Group A winners. Altitude will play a big role as well, so there’s enough value to back Mexico to win this one at even money.

• Both Teams to Score

Mexico’s high-energy approach will cause plenty of problems for Korea, and they should be able to make the most of dead-ball situations and crosses into the box. The Taegeuk Warriors showed that they are vulnerable aerially against Czechia. A confident Raúl Jiménez could capitalize on those issues.

However, Mexico can be hit in transition, and if they had faced a better technical side than South Africa in their opener, they could have easily conceded. Javier Aguirre will continue to press aggressively here, which could leave opportunities for the likes of Lee Kang-in and In-Beom Hwang to create on the counter. As a result, we think there’s good value on Both Teams to Score.

Mexico Betting Preview

Aguirre’s Mexico got off to the perfect start in their Group A opener, comfortably dispatching South Africa 2-0. Goals from Julián Quiñones and veteran Jiménez secured all three points, and despite captain César Montes receiving a red card late on, Mexico were able to keep a clean sheet. This clinical opening performance has already generated plenty of buzz, causing bookmakers to adjust the Mexico odds to win World Cup silverware as tournament momentum builds on home soil.

Quiñones was key to Mexico’s win last Thursday, operating in the left half-space, as left-back Jesús Gallardo bombed on out wide. Midfielder Álvaro Figaldo combined with the pair well to link the play, while Brian Gutiérrez’s freer role allowed him to find pockets of space. The press was crucial to the opener, with holding midfielder Erik Lira pushing high to pick the pocket of South Africa midfielder Sphephelo Sithole.

Center-back Montes will miss this match after his late red, which will cause a selection issue for Aguirre. Edson Álvarez is likely to come in to replace the defender and partner Johan Vásquez. There’s also a chance that Jorge Sánchez and teenage sensation Gilberto Mora come into the starting lineup for Israel Reyes and Gutiérrez respectively.

Le Tri will continue to be a threat from crosses regardless. Their strength in this area was proven by Jiménez’s second-half goal. He nodded home an inswinging cross from the right by Roberto Alvarado with a typical striker’s finish at the back post.

South Korea Betting Preview

Following a 2-1, come-from-behind triumph over Czechia in Guadalajara, South Korea are level on points with Mexico in Group A, a dramatic result that has significantly shifted the latest World Cup Group odds. Ladislav Krejci opened the scoring for Repre last Thursday against the run of play, but a stunning performance from midfielder Hwang helped Korea pick up all three points. The Feyenoord man scored the equalizer with a deft finish to get past ‘keeper Matěj Kovář, and he set up Hyeon-Gyu Oh for the 80th-minute winner.

The Taegeuk Warriors dominated possession in their Group A opener, but the battle for play will be much tougher against Mexico who are used to the altitude and have the home advantage. Still, their three-man defense provided excellent stability and helped them control the ball against Czechia, while Hwang and Lee provided the threat from the middle of the field.

It wasn’t completely smooth sailing for Korea, however. Tomáš Souček narrowly had a goal ruled out for offside in the second half, which would have put Czechia 2-1 ahead, and goalkeeper Seung-Gyu Kim was called into action late on to stop an effort from Adam Hlozek from inside the six-yard box that looked destined to hit the back of the net. Despite Hong Myung-bo’s side being an organized unit, they do have defensive frailties that can be exploited.

How Mexico and South Korea Match Up Against Each Other

Mexico will be expected to control most of the ball in this matchup, despite South Korea posing as a much sterner outfit than South Africa. That could leave El Tri susceptible to getting hit on the counterattack, especially due to South Korea’s strong vertical play and the creative ability of Lee. If Heung-Min Son is able to improve on his finishing, he could cause some serious issues in transition.

There were a few moments where Mexico looked vulnerable against South Africa, and a better side may be able to take advantage of that. With the excellent link-up play driven by Hwang and the passing threat of Lee, Korea will find opportunities to exploit El Tri on the break.

Nevertheless, Mexico will be able to exploit Korea’s aerial vulnerabilities, particularly from set pieces. Czechia’s opener came from a long throw from Vladimír Coufal, while they nearly snatched a point at the death following another long throw late on from the Hoffenheim full-back. Aguirre’s men threaten the most from crosses and set plays, which will cause issues for Korea’s center-backs. The key matchup will be how Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-Jae can handle an in-form Jiménez.