Mexico first to advance to World Cup Round of 32

Mexico has secured to stay in Mexico City for the Round of 32.

MIAMI – Mexico has secured its place in the Round of 32 of the FIFA World Cup 2026, becoming one of the first Concacaf nations to advance to the tournament’s new knockout phase.

After two matches in Group A, the host nation has positioned itself to continue its pursuit of a deep run on home soil, with one Group Stage match remaining before the Knockout Round begins.

By winning their group, Mexico has secured to stay in Ciudad de Mexico for the Round of 32 and, if they win that match, for Round of 16.

Mexico's head coach Javier Aguirre resumed like this the importance of playing home. "The fans' support has been fantastic, but it has also demanded a lot from us. Now, we are guaranteed two more games at Estadio Ciudad de México. The Mexico factor is important".

A Historic Step into a New Round

The FIFA World Cup 2026 is the first edition of the tournament to feature 48 teams and a Round of 32. Mexico became the first nation to pen their name into the Round of 32.

The reigning Concacaf Gold Cup and Concacaf Nations League winners will conclude play in Group A as they prepare to enter the elimination phase of the tournament.

Mexico's last match in Group A will be this Monday against Czechia at Mexico Stadium, Mexico City.

Mexico’s Tournament So Far

Mexico began the tournament with a 2-0 win against South Africa in Mexico City, thanks to goals from Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez.

The co-hosts then followed that result with a 1-0 win against Korea Republic in Guadalajara, with the winning goal from Luis Romo.

Raúl Rangel and the Mexico backline has been solid defensively with no goals conceded through its first two matches.

By virtue of its win against Korea Republic, Javier Aguirre’s squad owns the first tiebreaker against the only other team that could match them on points in Group A.

Potential Round of 32 Opponents

By securing the top of the group, Mexico will face a third-place team from either Group C, E, F, H or I in the Round of 32.

Several nations remain in contention for those places, meaning Mexico could face a variety of opponents depending on final group stage results.

Among the potential rivals for Mexico are Brazil, Morocco or Scotland (Group C), Sweden or Japan (Group F), Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Spain or Cabo Verde (Group H), and Senegal, Norway or Iraq (Group I).

Key Stats

• Julián Quiñones, Raúl Jiménez, and Luis Romo co-lead Mexico with one goal scored.
• Jiménez leads Mexico with six goal attempts.
• Goalkeeper Raúl Rangel has yet to concede a goal with two clean sheets.
• Johan Vásquez is Mexico’s passing leader (134) and is also the player who has covered the most distance for his nation (20.79 km).
• Quiñones has the most receptions between midfield and defensive line (38) and leads the team with pressing attempts (78).

What’s Next for Mexico?

Mexico will conclude its group stage schedule against Czechia on Wednesday, June 24, 9:00 PM ET (7:00 PM local) as part of Matchday Three.

While the final standings in Group A have yet to be determined, Mexico is assured the top of the group based on its results so far.

Looking ahead to the Knockout Phase, Mexico will face a third-place team from either Group C, E, F, H or I in the Round of 32 on Tuesday, June 30, 9:00 PM ET (7:00 PM local), in Mexico City.