Group A's favorites both won on the opening day of the 2026 World Cup. Co-host Mexico beat South Africa 2-0 in front of more than 80,000 at the historic Estadio Azteca: Julian Quinones struck early and Raul Jimenez doubled it with an emotional first World Cup goal of his career. In the Guadalajara nightcap, South Korea rallied to beat Czechia 2-1, with Hwang In-beom equalizing a Ladislav Krejci header and Oh Hyeon-gyu scoring the winner around the 80th minute. Our reads split: on the opener, Mexico to win (and Mexico -1, a win by two) plus the under 2.5 both cashed; on the nightcap, our draw lean, the under 2.5, and a Son Heung-min scorer angle all missed in a genuine three-way coin flip. Co-hosts Canada (vs Bosnia) and the USA (vs Paraguay) open Friday. Full results, the reads, and how to bet a six-week tournament sensibly.
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