South Korean players look dejected as they walk off the field after their 1-0 loss to Mexico in a Group A match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, at the Guadalajara Stadium in Zapopan, Mexico, on Friday. (Yonhap) South Korea lost to Mexico 1-0 in its second Group A match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, falling to second place behind the host nation in the race for the knockout stage.Luis Romo of Mexico eluded Korean defenders to net the match's first and only goal five minutes into the second half at the game held in Zapopan, near Guadalajara in western Mexico. After a scoreless first half, South Korean goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu collided with his teammate Lee Gi-hyuk and lost the ball, allowing Romo a crucial chance.South Korea battered the Mexican defense for the remainder of the half, but failed to score an equalizer.South Korea employed a 3-4-2-1 formation with team captain Son Heung-min at the top, sticking mostly with the lineup that rallied the team past the Czech Republic in their tournament opener. Mexico countered with a 4-3-3 formation, with captain Edson Alvarez dropping into central defense, but otherwise sticking with the formation in its victory against South Africa.Son had some scoring opportunities but failed to connect. He was substituted for Oh Hyeon-gyu 12 minutes into the second half. Mexico midfielder Luis Romo (No. 7) shoots and scores his team's lone goal against South Korea in their World Cup group stage game at Guadalajara Stadium in Zapopan, Mexico, Friday. (AFP-Yonhap) With Friday's win, Mexico now leads Group A with two wins, after beating South Africa 2-0 last week. Czech Republic and South Africa both have one draw and one loss, with the Czech Republic in third place via a slight edge on goal differential.South Korea beat the Czechs 2-1 in their first game, giving the team three points and a comfortable buffer over the two lower teams in the group. While still in a favorable spot to reach the knockout round as the top two in the group advance, the risk remains for the Koreans to be eliminated, depending on the result of the remaining games.South Korea faces off against South Africa at 10 a.m. for their final match of the group stage on Thursday, while Mexico will also play Czech Republic for their last match of the stage.