2026 World Cup Day 1 Results & Predictions – June 11
The 2026 World Cup is officially underway, and Day 1 delivered exactly the drama a tournament opener should. Mexico got the party started at the Azteca with a dominant 2–0 win over South Africa, while South Korea came from behind to edge the Czech Republic 2–1 in an entertaining late-night clash. Both co-host nations and both Asian sides announced their intentions early. Group A is already taking shape, and Day 2 brings more mouth-watering action.
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2026 World Cup – Day 1 Results
Mexico 2–0 South Africa
Julián Quiñones opened the scoring in just the ninth minute — the earliest opening goal at a World Cup since Philipp Lahm in 2006 — after capitalising on a loose touch from Yaya Sithole and firing through the legs of Ronwen Williams. Mexico dominated throughout, and Raúl Jiménez capped his first World Cup start with his first-ever finals goal, converting at the back post from Roberto Alvarado’s delivery to double the lead.
South Africa’s evening unravelled in the second half. Sithole was dismissed in the 49th minute for fouling Brian Gutiérrez as the last man, and substitute Themba Zwane was later shown a straight red card for an altercation with Alvarado. César Montes also received a red card for Mexico late on, but El Tri had already done more than enough, extending their unbeaten record in World Cup openers to eight matches.
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | GF:GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mexico | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2:0 | +2 | 3 |
| 2 | South Korea | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2:1 | +1 | 3 |
| 3 | Czech Republic | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1:2 | -1 | 0 |
| 4 | South Africa | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0:2 | -2 | 0 |
South Korea 2–1 Czech Republic
Czech captain Ladislav Krejčí broke the deadlock shortly before the hour mark, heading home from a long throw by Vladimír Coufal to give the Czechs the lead despite South Korea creating the better chances throughout. Hwang In-beom levelled with a composed strike midway through the second half, and the Czechs thought they had retaken the lead through a Tomáš Souček header — only for it to be ruled out for offside.
Three minutes later, substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu completed the turnaround, converting from close range after a superb pass from Hwang In-beom. Kim Seung-gyu then produced a fine late save to deny substitute Adam Hložek, and South Korea held on for a vital three points.
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | GF:GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mexico | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2:0 | +2 | 3 |
| 2 | South Korea | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2:1 | +1 | 3 |
| 3 | Czech Republic | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1:2 | -1 | 0 |
| 4 | South Africa | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0:2 | -2 | 0 |
2026 World Cup Predictions & Odds on Day 2
Canada vs Bosnia & Herzegovina
Canada make their long-awaited home debut having lost all six of their previous World Cup matches across 1986 and 2022. Playing in Toronto, however, is a genuine strength — their record at home is formidable, and Jonathan David provides a cutting edge up front that few opponents have been able to nullify. Canadian captain Alphonso Davies is likely to miss this opener, which weakens their left flank considerably.
Bosnia arrive in North America on an eight-game unbeaten run, having navigated play-off wins over Wales and Italy to reach these finals. Sergej Barbarez’s side have been scoring consistently throughout qualification, though European sides have historically had the upper hand against Canada on the biggest stages. With Davies absent and Bosnia’s momentum intact, the visitors carry genuine upset potential.
Prediction: Bosnia & Herzegovina to win
Odds: Canada 1.87 | Draw 3.57 | Bosnia & Herzegovina 5.00
USA vs Paraguay
The USA enter as clear favourites on home soil and have made the knockout stages in each of their last three World Cup appearances. Christian Pulisic remains the key creative force and was directly involved in all three of the USA’s goals at the 2022 edition. Mauricio Pochettino’s side have struggled for form in 2026 with three defeats from four games, though all came against higher-ranked opposition.
Paraguay return to the World Cup for the first time since 2010 and arrive with a disciplined defensive structure — conceding no more than one goal in each of their last ten World Cup fixtures. Their scoring record in qualifying was modest, averaging under a goal per game, and Julio Enciso is likely to miss out. With Paraguay’s attacking limitations in mind, the USA look well-placed to control this one.
Prediction: USA to win
Odds: USA 2.15 | Draw 3.34 | Paraguay 3.98
Final Thoughts
Day 1 set a high bar — two competitive matches, goals, red cards, and late drama. Eyes now turn to Toronto and Los Angeles as Canada and the USA make their tournament debuts on Day 2. Both co-hosts carry the weight of expectation, and how they handle their opening fixtures could define the mood of their entire campaigns.