Mexico vs South Africa Preview: Team News & Prediction | FIFA World Cup 2026 | Group Stage
Just like when the tournament was hosted in South Africa in 2010, the FIFA World Cup is getting underway with a clash between Mexico and Bafana Bafana - this time with the Mexicans on home soil in Mexico City.
Kick-off date/time:
How to watch on TV: UK – ITV / USA – FOX Sports
How to watch online: UK – ITVX / USA – FOX One
Mexico preview: The pressure of hosts
Former Real Mallorca boss Javier Aguirre has experienced a topsy turvy time of it in charge of the Mexican national side thus far, with some spells suggesting this could be a very difficult tournament and then some periods of form, both in terms of results and performances, indicating the very opposite.
El Tri, hosting a FIFA World Cup for a record third time, albeit as co-hosts this time around, performed well to win the CONCACAF Gold Cup last summer before a woeful autumn. That has since been followed by a more encouraging start to 2026, with draws against Portugal and Belgium in the March international break.
The Mexicans have since enjoyed impressive victories against Ghana, Australia and Serbia in the last couple of weeks in their pre-tournament friendlies before the FIFA World Cup.
South Africa preview: Bafana Bafana are back
After a three-tournament hiatus from the FIFA World Cup, South Africa are back on the global stage after coming through a dramatic CAF qualifying campaign, where they appeared set to finish behind Benin, rather than Nigeria, before somehow scraping past the Beninese and still holding off the star-studded Super Eagles.
The South Africans have steadily improved in recent years, with a third-place finish at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations in early 2024, before being knocked out in the round of 16 of the tournament in Morocco earlier this year. With a heavily Mamelodi Sundowns-influenced core, the South Africans will be confident of adapting to conditions in North America after last summer’s FIFA Club World Cup.
Bafana Bafana have prepared for the FIFA World Cup with a goalless draw against Nicaragua at the end of May before a slender 1-0 defeat of Jamaica last week.
Mexico team news: Quartet get minutes in the build-up
In the build-up to the tournament, there had been concern over the fitness levels of Cesar Montes, Edson Alvarez, Luis Chavez and Alexis Vega. However, they have all got minutes under their belt in the pre-tournament friendlies, with Montes starting against Serbia, while Alvarez, Vega and Chavez all came off the bench, with the latter scoring.
As captain, it is expected that Alvarez will force his way into the starting lineup even if not at 100%. The big debates come at right-back, with Israel Reyes likely to pip Jorge Sanchez to the eleven, as well as on the right-hand side of the attack to go alongside Raul Jimenez and Julian Quinonez, with both Vega and Chavez pushing but a lot of talk around 17-year-old potential star Gilberto Mora.
There has been some suggestions that Alvarez may play at centre-back alongside Montes but that would be a surprising decision to drop Vasquez. We think Alvarez will slot in in defensive midfield with Vasquez and Montes' partnership being maintained from the clash with Serbia.
Predicted XI (4-3-3): Rangel; Reyes, Montes, Vasquez, Gallardo; Fidalgo, Alvarez, Gutierrez; Mora, Jimenez, Quinones
Unavailable:
Questionable:
South Africa team news: Audrey Modiba back in training
Hugo Broos and his South African squad have been boosted by the return to full training of key left-back Audrey Modiba, who had picked up a hamstring injury in the first-leg of last month’s CAF Champions League final for the Mamelodi Sundowns against Esperance de Tunis. Broos has since confirmed that Modiba “should be fine” for opener.
Bafana Bafana are also able to welcome back key attacking midfielder Themba Zwane. He missed AFCON due to injury but has returned and should help to accommodate Broos’ preferred 4-2-3-1 system, rather than the 4-3-3.
It is expected that Hannover defender Ike Okon partners Mbekezali Mbokazi at the back after the exclusion of FCSB defender Siyabonga Ngezana from the squad.
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Williams; Mudau, Okon, Mbokazi, Modiba; Sithole, Mokoena; Appollis, Zwane, Moremi; Foster
Unavailable:
Questionable: Modiba (Fitness)
Mexico’s top FIFA World Cup Fantasy assets
Raul Rangel ($3.9m) – Goalkeeper
Israel Reyes ($4.0m) – Defender
Raul Jimenez ($7.0m) – Forward
Matchday 1 captain pick: Raul Jimenez
Set-piece duty
Penalties: Raul Jimenez
Free kicks: Luis Chavez
Corners: Luis Chavez, Alexis Vega
South Africa’s top FIFA World Cup Fantasy assets
Tshepang Moremi ($4.9m) – Midfielder
Teboho Mokoena ($4.3m) – Midfielder
Lyle Foster ($5.4m) – Forward
Matchday 1 captain pick: Lyle Foster
Set-piece duty
Penalties: Tehobo Mokoena, Oswin Appollis
Free kicks: Oswin Appollis
Corners: Oswin Appollis, Relebohile Mofokeng
Key stats
- Mexico and South Africa also faced each other in the opening match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in Johannesburg — their only meeting on football’s biggest stage — where Siphiwe Tshabalala spectacularly put the hosts in front before Rafael Márquez levelled the score.
- Mexico are appearing at their 18th FIFA World Cup, a total surpassed only by Brazil (23), Germany (21) and Argentina (19), and this tournament marks their ninth consecutive participation since their absence in 1990.
- Co-hosts of this year’s finals, Mexico achieved their best finishes on the two occasions when they previously hosted the tournament, reaching the quarter-finals in 1970 and again in 1986.
- The Mexicans are unbeaten in their seven FIFA World Cup matches played in Mexico City to date, recording five wins and two draws while conceding just twice.
- Mexico head coach Javier Aguirre and his opposite number for South Africa, Hugo Broos, both made their FIFA World Cup debuts as players at the Mexico City Stadium in the 1986 opening Group B fixture between Mexico and Belgium. Aguirre’s Mexico won the game 2-1, and the group, before exiting in the quarter-finals, whereas Broos’s Belgium, third in the group, went on to finish fourth.
- South Africa are returning to the FIFA World Cup for the first time since hosting the tournament in 2010, marking their fourth overall appearance at the finals.
- South Africa’s nine FIFA World Cup matches prior to this edition produced 27 goals, at an average of three per game.
- Guillermo Ochoa (Mexico) is participating in a record-equalling sixth FIFA World Cup - a feat only achieved by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi at the 2026 finals.
- At the age of 17 years and 240 days at the start of the tournament, Gilberto Mora is the youngest player in any squad at the 2026 finals. If he appears in this match, he will become the youngest player ever to represent Mexico at a FIFA World Cup, surpassing Manuel Rosas, who was 18 years and 87 days old when he faced France in 1930. Mora would also become only the eighth player in World Cup history to feature before turning 18, and the youngest ever from a Concacaf nation.
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Mexico vs South Africa prediction
South Africa’s potentially important ability to adapt to conditions may serve them better against Czechia in Atlanta in their second game, rather than against Mexico at Estadio Azteca and then in Monterrey against Korea Republic. An opening game, with the nerves that that entails, would suggest the avoidance of defeat would be enough for South Africa - but, while reasonable, that cannot be the case for the Mexicans. A repeat of the 1-1 draw 16 years ago in Johannesburg doesn’t seem out of the question but Mexico will likely have to throw more at it here - and with a bit more firepower in attack, should get a narrow opening day win.
Mexico vs South Africa betting tip: Mexico to win & under 3.5 goals
