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Mexico coach Javier Aguirre will be in familiar company at the 2026 World Cup after the co-hosts were paired with South Africa, South Korea and a playoff winner from Europe in Friday’s draw.
El Tri will kick off the tournament on June 11 in Mexico City against South Africa in Group A, in a repeat of the opening game from the 2010 World Cup when South Africa hosted the event.
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Aguirre, in his third stint as Mexico’s coach, was at the helm on that occasion as the two teams tied 1-1. Mexico went onto progress to the round of 16, while South Africa became the first host country to fail to advance from the group stage.
After South Africa, Mexico will face a rematch with a South Korea team it played to a 2-2 draw in September before taking on the winner of playoff games among Czechia, the Republic of Ireland, Denmark and North Macedonia.
Aguirre said that not knowing one of their rivals would be a challenge.
“We recently played Korea, we know South Africa very well, but the Europeans [in the playoff] are very different, I will put my assistants to work and analyze them all to find opponents that resemble them,” Aguirre said following the draw at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
Mexico’s captain Edson Álvarez was more bullish, saying that his team can go far in the World Cup.
“I’m happy because we have faced those rivals before,” Alvarez said to TUDN of his team’s group.
The midfielder, on loan at Fenerbahçe from West Ham United, said that playing at home will also help the Mexican team try to emulate its best historical results, reaching the quarterfinals in the previous World Cups played in Mexico in 1970 and 1986.
“You feel a responsibility as one of the hosts to open this great event,” Álvarez said. “We rely on the extra support the fans give us, and opening the event against South Africa helps, and we can do great things.”
Winners and second-place nations from the 12 groups advance to the new round of 32 along with the top eight third-place teams.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.