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South Africa made history at the 2026 World Cup by defeating South Korea 1-0 to secure their first-ever place in the tournament’s knockout stage.

Thapelo Maseko netted the winning goal in the second half, turning Tshepang Moremi’s well-placed cross into the bottom-right corner from 15 yards out to earn his team a landmark victory and three crucial points.

South Korea entered the match knowing that a draw would be enough to see them advance, but they were unable to find an equaliser. Their hopes of progressing now depend on the outcomes of other matches to determine whether they qualify as one of the best third-placed teams.

The result placed South Africa second in Group A, behind Mexico. Bafana Bafana will now face co-hosts Canada—Group B runners-up—on Sunday in Inglewood, California.

Meanwhile, Mexico completed a flawless group stage with a 3-0 victory over the Czech Republic, scoring all three goals in the second half to maintain their perfect record.

Mateo Chavez, Julian Quinones, and Alvaro Fidalgo were all on the scoresheet for El Tri, sealing three wins from three matches and sending the Czechs home early at the bottom of Group A.

Denis Visinsky came close for the Czech Republic early on, flashing an effort wide, but chances were few and far between in a quiet first half in Mexico City.

With top spot already secured, Mexico made several changes to their lineup. They dominated possession but lacked urgency in attack, waiting until the 36th minute for their first real chance when Israel Reyes attempted an audacious overhead kick that went wide from the edge of the box.

David Doudera and Julian Quinones exchanged long-range efforts over the bar before the interval, while Jorge Sanchez forced the first save of the evening from goalkeeper Matej Kovar.

After the restart, Mexico absorbed some early but largely harmless pressure before taking control with two quick goals in six minutes before the hour mark.

First, Mateo Chavez finished off a swift counter-attack after excellent build-up play from Luis Romo, and shortly after, Quinones added a second from close range when a clearance rebounded off Sanchez following Kovar’s initial save.

Veteran goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, aged 40, was brought on as a substitute to make an appearance in his fourth World Cup. Alvaro Fidalgo then put the icing on the cake in stoppage time, smashing home a loose ball after Kovar had denied Santiago Jimenez.

Additional reporting by Press Association.