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2026 FIFA World Cup Group A preview, betting odds, prediction

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As we near the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the build-up to the first match on June 11 feels tangible. The tournament will take place in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, and all three countries will try to become the first host country to win the World Cup since France in 1998. 

While major powerhouses such as Spain, France, England, Brazil, and Argentina are the main talking points for this tournament, this World Cup marks the first time that the tournament has 48 teams. Therefore, we have 12 different groups to break down and analyze before the tournament gets underway, so let’s get into my 2026 FIFA World Cup Group A prediction.

Make sure to check out Sports Interaction’s complete list of World Cup game odds and World Cup futures.

Group A odds

Here are the latest odds for each team to win the group:

  • Mexico (-110)
  • Czech Republic (+280)
  • South Korea (+300)
  • South Africa (+1200)

Additionally, you can bet on which teams will qualify based on the odds below:

  • Mexico (-1000)
  • South Korea (-330)
  • Czech Republic (-310)
  • South Africa (+120)

The top two teams of the group will automatically qualify for the knockout stage, but there will also be eight third-placed teams that can qualify. Clearly, oddsmakers expect South Korea or the Czech Republic to be one of the third-placed teams that qualify.

Mexico preview and analysis

One of the biggest conspiracy theories around FIFA and the World Cup is that they often give easier groups to the host nations. Well, I can’t argue that here; Mexico are the odds-on favourites to win Group A, and I see them cruising through this group. Although they struggled at the end of 2025, they responded well in 2026. They’ve only played in friendlies since winning the Gold Cup last July, but they’re 4-2-0 in their five friendlies in 2026. They’ve picked up wins over Panama, Bolivia, Iceland, and Ghana while drawing Portugal and Belgium. 

Anything outside a quarterfinal appearance is likely a disappointment for Mexico. Raul Jiménez is still the main threat up top, but their biggest question mark comes in goal. 26-year-old Raul Rangel will start and play in his first competitive match with the national team, while 40-year-old Guillermo Ochoa will mentor him from the bench. Even with this question mark, Mexico should take care of and win Group A.

Czech Republic preview and analysis

The Czech Republic enters this World Cup after qualifying through a playoff against Ireland and Denmark, and they’ll feel as if they can win this group. It is interesting that their odds of winning the group are shorter than South Korea’s, yet the Asian squad has shorter odds to qualify. Either way, if you think this Czech team can win it all, you can bet them to take home the 2026 World Cup at 250-1 odds.

If they want to win, they’ll need their physical play style to bury teams. Bayer Leverkusen’s target man Patrik Schick is the main man up front, but Lyon’s Pavel Šulc and West Ham’s Tomáš Souček power the midfield. Their main threat will be balls in the box, and this group sets up quite nicely for them. While I see South Korea and Mexico as more talented squads, the Czech Republic can make any game dirty and win on a set piece. This is a team to watch.

South Korea preview and analysis

South Korea enters this tournament with 400-1 odds to win the World Cup, which makes sense given that an Asian country has never won the tournament or even made it to the final. Now, South Korea did make the semifinals back in 2002, but they beat Portugal, Italy, and Spain to get there, which I can’t see happening this year.

Even so, this South Korea squad dominated Asian qualifying, going undefeated, and they currently rank 25th in the FIFA rankings. The star for South Korea is still Son Heung-Min, but they’ll be playing without Park Yong-Woo and possibly Hwang In-Beom. Therefore, only Lee Jae-Sung remains as a first-team starting midfielder, so I expect the South Koreans to struggle with controlling games. 

South Africa preview and analysis

This tournament marks South Africa’s first World Cup since they hosted the tournament back in 2010. Additionally, they’ve never made it out of the group stage, and I can’t see that changing this year. This side qualified by topping CAF Group C, which included the heavy favourites, Nigeria. Although they were able to win the group, their results during qualifying were extremely inconsistent, and they even had to forfeit a 2–0 win over Lesotho (which was overturned to a 3–0 loss) due to fielding an ineligible player.

South Africa has 1000-1 odds to win the World Cup, and I can’t see a world where they pull that off. They’ve had little to no success at international tournaments, and their form is lacklustre. South Africa had two friendlies against Panama back in March, losing one and drawing the other. Panama has similar 1000-1 odds to win the World Cup, so clearly this South African squad will struggle in Group A.

2026 FIFA World Cup Group A Prediction: South Africa to finish bottom in Group A (-120)

I was very close to picking Mexico as the group winner as my best bet, but I can’t see this South African team picking up three points in any of their games. For me, second place is a toss-up between the Czech Republic and South Korea, but all three squads should have their way with South Africa. Even though they are back in the tournament, don’t expect them to make it out of Group A.

Best Bet: South Africa to finish bottom in Group A (-120)

Group Winner: Mexico (-110)