Mexico became the first nation to secure a place in the knockout phase of the World Cup after edging South Korea 1-0 on Thursday, capitalising on a costly defensive error.
The victory represents a remarkable turnaround for the hosts, who failed to progress beyond the group stage in 2022, and marks back-to-back wins on home soil in front of a jubilant crowd at Estadio Akron.
Luis Romo scored the decisive goal five minutes into the second half after a mix-up between South Korea goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu and defender Lee Gi-hyuk gifted Mexico a clear opening inside the box.
The South Koreans nearly equalized in the 87th minute when Mexico goalkeeper Raúl Rangel stopped a header from close range by Cho Gue-sung, then made an even better save of Yang Hyun-jun’s attempt on the rebound, extending his right arm to keep the ball from crossing the line.
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Mexico won Group A with six points in two matches, three more than South Korea and five more than the Czech Republic and South Africa, who drew 1-1 earlier Thursday in Atlanta.
The top two teams from each group move on to the knockout stage, along with the best eight third-place teams.
A round of 32 is being played for the first time at the World Cup after the tournament was expanded to 48 teams.
Mexico opened with a 2-0 win over South Africa, while South Korea rallied for a 2-1 victory over the Czechs.
Mexico closes group play on Wednesday against the Czech Republic in Mexico City, while South Korea takes on South Africa in Monterrey.
