World Cup Group Stage - 2
Mexico 1 - 0 FT South Korea
Match Statistics
Possession
Shots
Shots on Target
Expected Goals (xG)
Passes
Pass Accuracy
Corners
Fouls
Yellow Cards
Red Cards
Match Events
Lee Kang-In 4'
HT
50' L. Romo
↓ Lee Jae-Sung ↑Hwang Hee-Chan 57'
↓ Son Heung-Min ↑Oh Hyeon-Gyu 57'
Paik Seung-Ho 58'
71' ↓ B. Gutierrez ↑O. Pineda
71' ↓ L. Romo ↑O. Vargas
↓ Seol Young-Woo ↑Yang Hyun-Jun 71'
↓ Kim Moon-Hwan ↑Eom Ji-Sung 71'
↓ Paik Seung-Ho ↑Cho Gue-Sung 77'
80' ↓ R. Jimenez ↑S. Gimenez
80' ↓ R. Alvarado ↑I. Reyes
84' ↓ J. Quinones ↑C. S. Huerta Valera
FT
Player Cards
Our take on every player in this match
Mexico
Goalkeepers
Raúl Rangel 
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
94
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Defenders
Jorge Sánchez
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
94
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Edson Álvarez
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
94
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Johan Vásquez 
SHIELD
3
Blocks
3
Blocks
0
Interceptions
0
Tackles
Jesús Gallardo
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
94
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Midfielders
Brian Gutiérrez
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
71
Total Mins
71
Entry
Erik Lira
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
94
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Luis Romo 
SNIPER
100%
Conversion
100%
Conversion
1
Goals
1
Shots
Forwards
Roberto Alvarado
LATE SHIFT
10
Late Mins
10
Late Mins
80
Total Mins
80
Entry
Raúl Jiménez
LATE SHIFT
10
Late Mins
10
Late Mins
80
Total Mins
80
Entry
Julián Quiñones
LATE SHIFT
6
Late Mins
6
Late Mins
84
Total Mins
84
Entry
BENCH
Carlos Acevedo 
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Guillermo Ochoa
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Israel Reyes
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
14
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Mateo Chávez
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Orbelín Pineda
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
23
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Obed Vargas
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
23
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Álvaro Fidalgo
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Gilberto Mora
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Luis Chávez
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
César Huerta
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
10
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Alexis Vega
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Santiago Giménez
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
14
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Armando González
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Guillermo Martínez
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
South Korea
Goalkeepers
Kim Seung-gyu
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
94
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Defenders
Han-Beom Lee
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
94
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Kim Min-jae 
MAGNET
99
Activity
99
Activity
95
Passes
4
Duels
Gi-Hyuk Lee
MAGNET
91
Activity
91
Activity
84
Passes
7
Duels
Midfielders
Kim Moon-hwan
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
71
Total Mins
71
Entry
Hwang In-beom
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
94
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Seung Ho Paik
LATE SHIFT
13
Late Mins
13
Late Mins
77
Total Mins
77
Entry
Young-woo Seol
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
71
Total Mins
71
Entry
Forwards
Kang-in Lee
MAGNET
60
Activity
60
Activity
53
Passes
7
Duels
Jae-sung Lee
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
57
Total Mins
57
Entry
Son Heung-min 
DRIBBLER
3
Dribbles
3
Dribbles
3
Attempts
100%
Success %
BENCH
Song Bum-keun
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Jo Hyeonwoo
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Kim Tae-hyeon
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Wi-je Cho
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Lee Tae-seok
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Jin-seob Park
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Jens Castrop
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Jun-Ho Bae
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Jin-gyu Kim
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Dong-gyeong Lee
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Hwang Hee-chan
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
37
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Hyeon-gyu Oh
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
37
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Yang Hyun-Jun
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
23
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Ji-sung Eom
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
23
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Gue-sung Cho
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
17
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Head to Head
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Competition | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09/10/2025 | Mexico | 2 - 2 | South Korea | Friendlies | Geodis Park |
| 11/14/2020 | Mexico | 3 - 2 | South Korea | Friendlies | Wiener Neustädter Stadion |
| 06/23/2018 | South Korea | 1 - 2 | Mexico | World Cup | Rostov Arena |
09/10/2025
11/14/2020
06/23/2018
Mexico Win
South Korea Win
Draw
League Standings
| Pos | Team | P | Pts | GF | GA | GD | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portugal | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | DPortugal 1 - 1 Congo DR (17-06-2026) |
| 2 | Congo DR | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | DPortugal 1 - 1 Congo DR (17-06-2026) |
League Standings
P: 3 GD: +1
P: 3 GD: 0
P: 3 GD: 0
P: 3 GD: 0
P: 3 GD: -1
P: 3 GD: -2
P: 3 GD: -2
P: 3 GD: +2
P: 3 GD: 0
P: 3 GD: -1
P: 3 GD: -3
Match previews and recaps to help you decide which games are worth watching
Tactical Chess at Estadio Akron
Skip It Futmetrix Score: 17/100. Luis Romo’s solitary strike was enough to settle a tense affair, cementing Mexico's perfect start while leaving South Korea searching for answers.
A Slow-Burning Start
The World Cup stage demands nerve, and the opening exchanges at Estadio Akron delivered a tactical chess match rather than an explosive spectacle. Mexico were surprisingly content to sit deep, while South Korea controlled possession at 57 percent. Despite seeing plenty of the ball, the Asian side struggled to penetrate a disciplined defensive line. The Intensity remained modest as both nations felt each other out, wary of making a fatal early error. South Korea's attacking unit, orchestrated by Son Heung-min, found themselves repeatedly frustrated by a well-drilled offside trap, caught out six times in their attempts to break in behind. It was a half defined by tactical rigidity, setting the stage for a decisive second-half pivot.
Romo Breaks the Deadlock
The tactical stalemate demanded a moment of individual inspiration, and it arrived swiftly after the restart. In the 50th minute, L. Romo stepped up to alter the course of the match entirely. A sudden shift in tempo saw the hosts carve out an opening, and the midfielder dispatched a clinical finish to break the deadlock. The goal fundamentally altered the Balance of the contest, forcing the visitors to abandon their cautious approach and commit bodies forward. Mexico’s underlying metrics showed a modest 0.48 expected goals, but Romo’s ruthless efficiency rendered the statistics meaningless. The strike injected raw emotion into the stadium, transforming a patient tactical battle into a frantic pursuit as the momentum decisively swung in favour of the home side.
Shutting Up Shop
Facing a deficit, the visitors pushed desperately for an equaliser, but the final phase of the match highlighted Mexican defensive resilience. The Stakes in this group stage encounter could not have been higher, and El Tri managed the closing minutes with veteran savvy. South Korea registered 0.63 expected goals and forced a string of late corners, yet they could not find a way through the resolute backline. The final whistle confirmed a vital three points for the hosts, propelling them to the top of the group with maximum points from two outings. The result leaves the defeated side locked on three points, heavily intensifying the pressure ahead of their final group stage fixture as they face a battle for tournament survival.
Key Questions
What does this mean for Mexico's season?
Sitting pretty with six points from two matches, Mexico have effectively secured progression from the group stage, riding high on consecutive clean sheets.
What is the Futmetrix Score?
The Futmetrix Score is our 0-100 verdict on how entertaining a match is. We look at intensity, balance, stakes, and star quality to tell you if it's worth your time.
Group Stage Survival Hangs in the Balance
Skip It Futmetrix Score: 52/100. An off-the-charts Stakes rating means every tackle and pass at Estadio Akron could define both nations' World Cup destiny.
The Setup
Mexico sit comfortably at the top of the group after a perfect opening match, reflecting a solid Form rating. They have maximum points and a clean sheet to their name. In contrast, South Korea face immense pressure on June 19, 2026. They desperately need a result to stay in contention for the knockout rounds. The high Stakes mean this is effectively a knockout tie disguised as a group match. Despite a modest Stars rating overall, the tension of this World Cup clash overrides any lack of marquee names. The tactical Balance might tilt heavily toward the home-favoured Mexican side, given their 51.4% win probability, but tournament football rarely follows the script.
Key Battle
The midfield engine room will dictate the tempo. Mexico will look to Roberto Alvarado to unlock the defence with his sharp distribution. He faces a colossal task against South Korea's orchestrator, Hwang In-beom. Whoever controls this space will hand their nation the critical points.
Our Prediction
Expect Mexico to leverage their momentum. South Korea will push hard, leaving spaces at the back. We see a tight 2-1 victory for Mexico, punishing the Korean transitions.