A defeat on the 2026 World Cup opening day and a draw in their second outing. South Africa, currently ranked 61st in the FIFA World Ranking, still cling to hopes of reaching the next stage ahead of their match against South Korea.
The reality for the Asian side is quite different, at least in this statistic. The South Korean team is ranked 24th in the FIFA World Ranking, holding a clear advantage over its opponents.
Group A remains wide open heading into Matchday 3. All four teams, including Mexico and the Czech Republic, are looking to leave everything on the pitch and secure their place in the Round of 32 at the World Cup.
South Africa look to pull off an upset
If both South Africa and the Czech Republic win their matches, they will finish tied in the group stage. However, neither team would be able to catch Mexico at the top of the standings mathematically.
Lyle Foster #9 of South Africa in action during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group A match
With their head-to-head match having ended in a draw, the team that finishes higher in the group will ultimately be decided by goal difference and, if necessary, goals scored. South Africa is still in contention.
South Africa eye historic feat
France 1998, Korea-Japan 2002 and South Africa 2010 — what do these three World Cup editions have in common? Bafana Bafana failed to advance beyond the group stage in all of them, something they will look to achieve for the first time in their history at the 2026 edition.
