World Cup Day 1 Recap: Mexico, South Korea Open With Wins

The 2026 FIFA World Cup opened Thursday with two Group A matches and plenty of drama. Co-host Mexico defeated South Africa 2-0 in Mexico City, while South Korea rallied from a second-half deficit to beat Czechia 2-1 in Guadalajara.

The victories leave Mexico and South Korea tied atop Group A heading into next week’s highly anticipated showdown between the two nations.

Mexico’s victory was notable not only because it marked the country’s first-ever win in a World Cup opener, but also because the match featured three red cards, the most ever in an opening World Cup game.

South Korea’s comeback victory over Czechia was arguably the more impressive result, with Hwang In-beom and substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu scoring after the Koreans fell behind in the second half.

Opening Day Results

Mexico 2, South Africa 0

Key performers

• Julián Quiñones scored the first goal of the tournament.
• Raúl Jiménez added Mexico’s second goal.
• Gilberto Mora became the youngest Mexican to appear in a World Cup.
• South Africa finished with nine players after two red cards.
• Mexico defender César Montes was also sent off and will miss the next match.

South Korea 2, Czechia 1

Key performers

• Ladislav Krejčí opened the scoring for Czechia.
• Hwang In-beom scored the equalizer and assisted the winner.
• Oh Hyeon-gyu netted the game-winning goal.
• Son Heung-min helped create several scoring chances despite not finding the net.

South Korea’s comeback win stands as the biggest surprise from opening day. Czechia appeared poised to secure a valuable three points after taking a second-half lead, but South Korea’s speed and technical play overwhelmed the Europeans during the closing stages. The result gives the Koreans an early edge in the race for a knockout-round berth.

Biggest Matches to Watch This Weekend

Friday, June 12

United States vs. Paraguay

• Location: Los Angeles Stadium
• TV: FOX
• Estimated betting odds: USA -106, Paraguay +280, Draw +250
• Key players: Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Miguel Almirón

The United States enters the tournament with high expectations while playing on home soil, and a strong result against Paraguay would provide valuable momentum before tougher group-stage matches later in the tournament.

Canada vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina

• Location: Toronto Stadium
• TV: FOX
• Estimated betting odds: Canada -126, Bosnia and Herzegovina +360, Draw +275
• Key players: Alphonso Davies, Jonathan David, Edin Džeko

Canada will look to capitalize on home-field support in Toronto and secure three points in its opener as Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David lead the country’s bid for a deep World Cup run.

Saturday, June 13

Brazil vs. Morocco

• Location: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California
• TV: FOX, Telemundo
• Estimated betting odds: Brazil -275, Morocco +700, Draw +375
• Key players: Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo, Bruno Guimarães (Brazil); Achraf Hakimi, Sofyan Amrabat, Youssef En-Nesyri (Morocco)

Brazil enters the tournament as one of the favorites to lift the trophy and faces a Morocco side that reached the semifinals in 2022. This is expected to be one of the most heavily wagered matches of the opening weekend.

Qatar vs. Switzerland

• Location: Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington
• TV: FS1, Telemundo Deportes
• Estimated betting odds: Switzerland -135, Qatar +400, Draw +250
• Key players: Granit Xhaka, Manuel Akanji, Dan Ndoye (Switzerland); Akram Afif, Almoez Ali, Hassan Al-Haydos (Qatar)

Switzerland enters as the favorite after another strong qualifying campaign. Qatar will attempt to pull off an early upset and improve its chances of reaching the knockout stage.

Sunday, June 14

England vs. Panama

• Location: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
• TV: FOX, Telemundo
• Estimated betting odds: England -600, Panama +1400, Draw +550
• Key players: Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka (England); Adalberto Carrasquilla, José Fajardo, Éric Davis (Panama)

England is expected to contend for the World Cup title and opens against a Panama side looking for one of the biggest upsets of the tournament. The Three Lions will be among the most heavily backed teams on sportsbooks throughout the competition.

Portugal vs. Colombia

• Location: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
• TV: FOX, Telemundo
• Estimated betting odds: Portugal -135, Colombia +350, Draw +250
• Key players: Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Rafael Leão (Portugal); Luis Díaz, James Rodríguez, Jhon Durán (Colombia)

Portugal and Colombia meet in what could be the best matchup of the opening weekend. Both teams are viewed as legitimate knockout-round contenders, making this one of the most intriguing betting markets of the first round of group-stage matches.

Betting Outlook

Sportsbooks and World Cup prediction markets are expecting record wagering activity throughout the tournament. Industry estimates suggest legal betting handle in the U.S. could exceed $2.5 billion during the World Cup, while global betting volume could reach tens of billions of dollars by the time the final is played on July 19.

Spain remains the betting favorite at sportsbooks like FanDuel and Caesars, followed closely by France, England, Portugal, Brazil, and Argentina.

Team USA’s opener against Paraguay is expected to be one of the most heavily wagered matches of the group stage, while Brazil’s first match and England’s opening fixture should also attract significant betting interest.

After an eventful opening day, bettors will be watching closely to see whether more surprises emerge as the tournament expands to a full slate of matches across North America.