World Cup 2026 Group A preview: Prediction, odds, full team overviews
The World Cup kicks off with Group A as Mexico faces South Africa at the Estadio Azteca on Thursday afternoon.El Tri will be slight favorites to top the group that also includes South Africa, South Korea and Czechia, though it seems to be a relatively even quartet.The Post previews Group A at the World Cup.Teams listed in predicted order of finish.
* indicates third-place team predicted to advance to the knockout stage.Odds to win group: 12/1What you need to know: Hugo Broos, a Belgian native, has managed Bafana Bafana since 2021, leading them to a third-place finish at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2023 and a quarterfinal in 2025.The 2025 result was considered highly disappointing, and Broos had to apologize for comments about defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi and his agent, saying of the player, “I can assure you, he is a Black guy, but he will come out of my room as a white guy,” while calling the agent a “little woman … who thinks she knows football.” He apologized, but the damage was done.How they play: Much of South Africa’s core comes from Mamelodi Sundowns, the South African Premiership side that won the league every year from 2018 to 2026.
They play an aesthetically pleasing, technical style out of a 4-3-3 that’s fun to watch, but a 1-1 draw and a 2-1 defeat in two games against Panama in March were considered alarming results, and AFCON was not a great showing.Still, the path looks open for South Africa to reach the knockout stage for the first time in its history, which would be a strong result.Star player: Oswin Appollis, a 24-year-old midfielder who plays for Orlando Pirates in South Africa, has put up excellent scoring numbers for the national team for the past couple of years.
Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, though, might be their best overall player, with strong shot-stopping and distribution ability.World Cup history: Banned under its apartheid regime, South Africa played in its first World Cup in 1998 and qualified for the fourth time...