Mexico 1 South Korea 0: Keeper howler sets hosts on collision course to face England in World Cup knockout rounds

MEXICO became the first nation to book a place in the World Cup knockouts with a 1-0 win over South Korea. Luis Romo scored the decisive goal for the co-hosts after being gifted a chance by goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu. The South Korea shot-stopper had attempted to catch a deflected header around 12 yards out from his net. However, he collided with his own defender and spilled the ball straight into the path of Romo. The midfielder was then able to pass the ball into the centre of the empty target just five minutes into the second half. South Korea struggled to find a breakthrough, managing nine shots – two of which were on target. READ MORE ON THE WORLD CUP Despite his earlier mistake, Kim pulled off an impressive save to stop Raul Jimenez from extending the lead with around 15 minutes left to play. And in the late stages, Cho Gue-Sung and Yang Hyun-Jun both came close to an equaliser with back-to-back attempts. Cho firstly directed a header at the target, which was saved by Raul Rangel and parried to Yang, who had made a run into the six-yard box. The midfielder had attempted to deflect it into the net, but Rangel did well to pull off the double save before holding onto the ball. Most read in Sport WORLD CUP 2026 FREE BETS AND SIGN UP OFFERS Han-Beom Lee then found himself with a free header from a corner in added time, but directed his effort wide. The result saw Mexico become the first team to book a place in the last 32 of the World Cup. Should England win Group L now, the two sides could eventually meet in the knockouts. World Cup 2026 - all the info LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED! This year’s World Cup is like no other as a record-breaking 48 nations compete to lift football’s biggest prize. England manager Thomas Tuchel is hoping to finally bring football home after a 60-year drought. But footballing legends Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have other plans in what will likely be their final World Cup appearance. SunSport have got everything you need for the huge tournament LATEST NEWS - ‘Do as I told you’ – Tuchel’s huge row with Pickford - Rice injury concern after midfielder limps off - Hopes of World Cup bank holiday rise after England win - Heartbreaking reason behind Messi’s tears revealed KEY INFO - World Cup 2026 full match schedule including kick-off times - World Cup 2026 full squads - World Cup 2026 rule changes - World Cup 2026 prize money VIDEO - Proper Football Daily: Get all the expert analysis each morning - Team Talk – Tactics Exposed: Dive into the tactical talking points TIPS AND BETTING If you click a link in this article, we will earn affiliate revenue.