S. Korea to face Mexico, South Africa, European qualifier at 2026 FIFA World Cup

South Korea’s flag is displayed on a scren through the draw for the 2026 FIFA Soccer World Cup happening within the U.S., Canada and Mexico, on the Kennedy Heart, in Washington D.C., Friday. AFP-Yonhap

SEOUL — South Korea will tackle Mexico, South Africa, and a European playoff qualifier within the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The draw for the twenty third version of soccer’s premier occasion happened on the Kennedy Heart in Washington Friday (native time). Co-hosted by america, Canada and Mexico, the 2026 World Cup, set to run from June 11 to July 19, would be the largest match in historical past.

South Korea will play of their eleventh consecutive World Cup and twelfth general.

They’ve reached the knockout stage 3 times — reaching the semifinals in 2002 as co-hosts and the spherical of 16 in 2010 in South Africa and in 2022 in Qatar.

There might be 12 teams of 4 groups every on the upcoming World Cup. The highest two groups from every group will qualify for the knockout stage, and the eight finest third-placed groups will be part of them.

At Friday’s draw, the 42 nations that had already certified had been positioned into 4 “pots,” primarily based on their FIFA rating positions from November. The three co-hosts — United States, Canada, and Mexico — had been routinely positioned in Pot 1, no matter their rating. The remaining 9 spots in Pot 1 had been crammed by the highest 9 certified nations, together with world No. 1 Spain and defending champions Argentina, at the moment world No. 2.

Because the Twenty second-ranked crew, South Korea had been in Pot 2.

With 42 nations at the moment certified, the six remaining spots might be crammed by the 4 winners of the European playoffs and the 2 successful sides from the FIFA interconfederation playoffs. These six spots had been positioned into Pot 4.

Teams for the three co-hosts had been predetermined, with Mexico in Group A, Canada in Group B and the U.S. in Group D.

And South Korea’s identify was the primary to be drawn from Pot 2, as they ended up in Group A. South Africa joined them moments later.

Group A then drew the winner from “Path D” within the European playoffs, one of many 4 sequence on that continent.

In Path D, the Czech Republic and Eire will meet in a single semifinal match, whereas Denmark and North Macedonia will sq. off within the different, with each matches set for March 26. The semifinal winners will conflict on March 31 for the proper to get into Group A.

Denmark are the highest-ranked crew in that European playoff bracket at No. 21.

At No. 15, Mexico had the second-lowest rating place in Pot 1, forward solely of No. 27 Canada.

South Korea and Mexico had a 2-2 attract a pleasant match in September in Nashville, Tennessee, the place South Korea conceded a late equalizer after battling again from a 1-0 deficit.

This would be the third World Cup during which the 2 nations will face one another within the group stage, with Mexico prevailing within the first two conferences. That they had a 3-1 win in France in 1998 and a 2-1 victory in Russia in 2018.

South Korea have 4 wins, three attracts and eight losses in opposition to Mexico, their final victory having are available in February 2006.

South Africa had been the lowest-ranked nation in Pot 3 at No. 61. South Korea and South Africa have by no means performed one another on the senior stage.

On paper, Denmark would be the favourite to emerge victorious from Path D. South Korea and Denmark have solely met twice thus far, with Denmark successful the primary assembly 3-1 in February 2006 and the 2 sides taking part in to a goalless attract a pleasant match in November 2009.

Group A groups will play on the opening day of the match on June 11, with Mexico taking over South Africa at Mexico Metropolis Stadium in Mexico Metropolis, and South Korea going through the European playoff winner at Estadio Guadalajara in Zapopan.

The second spherical of matches will happen per week later, as South Korea play Mexico in Zapopan and South Africa go up in opposition to the European crew in Atlanta.

The ultimate Group A matches might be June 24: South Korea versus South Africa at Estadio Monterrey in Guadalupe, and Mexico in opposition to the European qualifier in Mexico Metropolis.

Beneath are the total outcomes of the draw.

Group A: Mexico, South Korea, South Africa, European playoff D

Group B: Canada, Switzerland, Qatar, European playoff A

Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Scotland, Haiti

Group D: United States, Australia, Paraguay, European playoff C

Group E: Germany, Ecuador, Ivory Coast, Curacao

Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia, European playoff B

Group G: Belgium, Iran, Egypt, New Zealand

Group H: Spain, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Cape Verde

Group I: France, Senegal, Norway, FIFA playoff 2

Group J: Argentina, Austria, Algeria, Jordan

Group Okay: Portugal, Colombia, Uzbekistan, FIFA playoff 1

Group L: England, Croatia, Panama, Ghana