World Cup 2026 preview: Groups A-D – Football Weekly
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
This is The Guardian.
Hello and welcome to The Guardian Football Weekly. Here are your World Cup previews. It's your tournament guide pull-out without the hassle of reading. Four groups per pod in alphabetical order. So Group A hosts Mexico alongside South Africa, Heung-Min Son and Powell South Korea, and Czechia, Patrick Schick, Thomas Szuchek. and presumably Karol Poborski. Group B, quite exciting, Canadians and Swiss? We've never said that before. Edin Dzeko and Bosnia and Qatar. Group C, Ewan Murray in for some optimism as the Scots play Haiti, Morocco and Brazil. And then Group D will get a Socceroos perspective as the Aussies line up against host the US, Paraguay and the dark horses of Turkey. Let's get on with it. This is today's Guardian Football Weekly.
alongside me for the whole pod, the Racing Post, Mark Langdon. Welcome, Mark. Hi, Max. Hello, Lars Iffertsen. Hello, Max. And Barry Glendening is here. Hello. We should probably point out we're recording these a week before they go out. So just in case Harry Kane pulls a hamstring or something, we apologize. But let's get into it then with Group A. Mexico, South Africa, South Korea and Czechia.
What teams are in Group A for the World Cup 2026?
Mexico managed by Javier Aguirre, known as El Vasco. His third time managing El Tri in the World Cup. The best ever quarterfinals in 1970 and 2000. Mexico 86, well, Mexico 70 as well. They lost out in the group stage in Qatar behind Argentina and Poland. South Africa managed by the Belgian Hugo Bruce. Best ever is the group stages in 2010. Didn't qualify last time out. First World Cup since they were the hosts. South Korea managed by Hong Myung-bo, legend of Korean football. He captained their side to the semifinals in 2002, the first former captain ever. to manage South Korea at a World Cup. And that's their best ever, 2002. And last time out, they got to the round 16. Czechia, managed by Miroslav Kubek, who is 74.
And a spring chicken compared to the 78-year-old Dick Advocat, but more of that and Kurosawa non. They've lost the final twice, Czechia, 1934 and 1962. Obviously, when they were Czechoslovakia, of course.
Lars, how do you see this group? When I was doing my sort of brackety thing that we do, I do think this is one of the groups where I am the least confident in picking a top two, to be honest. I think this is kind of an even group. Mexico have this great history of always qualifying from the group stage, which they didn't at Qatar. But before that, I think it was like seventh straight World Cups or something crazy that they've gotten out of the group stage. The Czechs are not great, but they've got a good sort of punchy physique about them. They've got good spirits. They're not terrible. And then I'm not entirely sure what to expect from South Korea and South Africa, to be honest, but they're not bad.
I don't think they'll be outright bad, any of them. So I do think this is one of those groups where a lot of teams can take points off each other, and I think it's a little trickier to predict how it turns out than a lot of the other groups.
Mark, what do you think of Mexico?
Well, I disagree with Lars early doors and say that I think Mexico here, this is a really good opportunity for them to win the group, to stay at home in Mexico last 32. If they win the group, you then play a third place team. um last 16 would potentially be england in the azteca on things like about 1 a.m on a monday morning um in uk time and everyone's talking about this being a u.s world cup um you know because that's where the latter stages are i mean mexico can definitely use use home advantage altitude is something that they'll be used to if you look around um i'm not sure you could say the same i mean i mean thomas suchek looks like he's played 90 minutes before he starts so He is quite tall, so he is at altitude generally.
He is, but South Korea have already been moaning about the fact that they've got to play a whole tournament effectively at altitude as well. But yeah, as well as the planning for Mexico is, but most of their players now play domestically but I don't see that as a negative most of them don't need to leave home because in that part of the world you get paid really well so you know I don't know if you're in kind of Brazil or Argentina in South America you have to make that move early because you know you have to do it for the financial gains but if you're Mexican you can stay at home as long as you want really because you can make serious dough and also I
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:01–1:20
2
What teams are in Group A for the World Cup 2026?
1:20–6:13
3
What is Mexico's history in World Cup tournaments?
6:13–9:04
4
How do South Korea and Czechia stack up in Group A?
9:04–51:27
5
What can we expect from Group B in the World Cup 2026?
51:27–54:16
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