Mexico vs South Korea Predictions & Picks
South Korea looked excellent in their opening clash against the Czech Republic, and I don’t expect them to lose against a Mexico team who were not properly tested by South Africa.
- South Korea have lost just 3 of their last 28 matches
- Heung-Min Son has scored 2 goals in his last 3 matches for South Korea
Head To Head
- Mexico lead the all-time series 8-5 with 2 draws
- The two teams drew 2-2 when they last met in September 2025
Mexico Form
Mexico’s performance in their World Cup 2026 opening match against South Africa was far from spectacular, but it was enough to secure a comfortable 2-0 victory in front of the home crowd.
Julian Quinones broke the deadlock after nine minutes, while veteran Raul Jimenez sealed the result with a headed goal in the second half. El Tri did not have a particularly difficult task as South Africa had two players sent off, and finished the match with a 1.46-0.08 expected goals advantage.
They enjoyed plenty of success in their recent friendlies, recording three consecutive victories 2-0 against Ghana (allowing just one shot on target), 1-0 against Australia (with Johan Vasquez on target), and most recently 5-1 against Serbia (posting 2.26-0.45 xG).
South Korea Form
South Korea showed great discipline in their World Cup 2026 opening clash and deservedly defeated pre-match favorites Czech Republic 2-1, taking a major step toward the knockout stage.
The Taegeuk Warriors had been trailing for 67 minutes before Hwang In-Beom found an equalizer, while victory was secured 13 minutes later through Oh Hyeon-Gyu. They ended the match with a 2.30-0.83 expected goals, 61% possession, and a 15-7 in total shots.
South Korea were also victorious in both of their warm-up matches ahead of the tournament, beating Trinidad & Tobago 5-0 and El Salvador 1-0. They secured their place at World Cup 2026 by dominating the Asian qualifiers with six wins and four draws.
Team News & Predicted Lineups
Mexico (4-4-2) Raul Rangel; Israel Reyes, Cesar Montes, Johan Vasquez, Jesus Gallardo; Erik Lira Mendez, Roberto Alvarado, Brian Gutierrez, Fidalgo Alvaro; Julian Quinones, Raul Jimenez
Cesar Montes is serving a suspension after being sent off against South Africa. Julian Quinones was one of the biggest attacking threats in the opening match, scoring the opener.
Cesar Montes is serving a suspension after being sent off against South Africa. Julian Quinones was one of the biggest attacking threats in the opening match, scoring the opener.
South Korea (4-5-1) Kim Seung-Gyu; Han-Beom Lee, Kim Min-Jae, L. Gi-Hyuk, Young-Woo Young-Woo; In-Beom In-Beom, Paik Seung-Ho, Tae-Seok Lee, Lee Kang-In, Lee Jae-Sung; Son Heung-Min
Son Heung-Min registered six shots in the opening match against Czechia and is expected to lead the attack once again.