Almost a week after their convincing opening match against Czechia (1–2), which earned them three valuable points in the race for qualification, the South Korea took on Mexico, one of the three host nations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, on Friday 19th June. At the Estadio Akron in Guadalajara, where the home crowd was predictably behind the hosts, the Koreans put in a more than respectable performance. Having been instrumental on matchday one, Paris Saint-Germain’s Kang-In Lee was once again in the starting line-up for this high-profile clash between the group’s two leaders.
Although he played the full 90 minutes and was a key figure in both attack and defence, our midfielder was unable to prevent Mexico from maintaining their perfect record in Group A, as they secured victory thanks to a goal from Luis Romo (1–0, 50'). Following the draw between Czechia and South Africa a few hours earlier, the Taeguk Warriors remain second behind their opponents this evening and are two points clear of the Bafana Bafana ahead of their clash on Matchday 3, which will take place on Thursday 25th June.
MEXICO - SOUTH KOREA: 1-0 (0-0)
FIFA World Cup 2026 - Group stage - Matchday 2 - Group A
Estadio Akron (Guadalajara, Mexico)
Goal: Luis Romo (50') for Mexico.
MEXICO: Rangel, Sanchez, Alvarez, Vasquez, Gallardo, Lira, Romo (Vargas, 71'), Gutierrez (Pineda, 71'), Jimenez (Gimenez, 80'), Quinones (Huerta, 84'), Alvarado (Reyes, 80'). Manager: Javier Aguirre Onainda.
SOUTH KOREA: Kim Seung-Gyu, Lee Han-Beom, Kim Min-Jae, Kim Moon-Hwan (Eom Ji-Sung, 71'), Seol Young-Woo (Yang Hyun-Jun, 71'), Lee Gi-Hyuk, Hwang In-Beom, Paik Seung-Ho (Cho Gue-Sung, 77'), Lee Jae-Sung (Hwang Hee-Chan, 57'), Lee Kang-In, Song Heung-Min (Oh Hyeon-Gyu, 57'). Manager: Myung-Bo Hong.
