Times of San Diego will offer match previews of U.S. and Mexico games during the World Cup, which begins Thursday. For more, see our 2026 World Cup Guide to local watch parties.
Match: Mexico vs South Africa
When: Noon, Thursday
How to watch: Fox5 San Diego, Telemundo and Peacock.
Mexico
The team comes in undefeated in its last eight matches, which include three wins in a row, the most recent, a 5-1 blowout over Serbia on June 4. El Tri Color got help with two own goals by Serbia which made the final score a little misleading. It was the first four-goal victory for Mexico since its 4-0 dismantling of Iceland on Feb. 26.
Strengths: El Tri has 11 Liga MX players on its 26-man roster including five from the most popular and beloved team in México, Chivas de Guadalajara. Santiago Gimenez and Raúl Jiménez power the team’s attack, along with the talented goalkeeping trifecta of Raúl Rangel, Carlos Acevedo and Guillermo Ochoa. Ochoa will represent the national team for a record sixth time, breaking the mark shared by goalkeeper Antonio “la Tota” Carbajal, (1950–1966), defender Rafael Márquez (2002–2018) and midfielder Andrés Guardado (2006-2022).
Keep an eye on: Midfielder and captain Edson Álvarez, who plays in the English Premier League. Álvarez has been a standout during camp in preparation for the World Cup and scored the game-winning goal in last year’s Concacaf Gold Cup final victory over the United States.
South Africa
The men’s national team comes in to World Cup play with back-to-back draws against Nicaragua and Jamaica after losing to Panamá 2-1 on March 31.
Strengths: Bafana Bafana (as the team is nicknamed) is known for its stifling defending – players fight tooth and nail for every loose ball. South Africa loves to take advantage of set pieces and corner kicks where it can impose its physicality on the opponent along with being able to speed up or slow down the tempo of the game depending on the score.
Its national team has won one major international competition, the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), but it’s been a long time – the squad captured the title in 1996. It also was the first African nation to host the World Cup, in 2010, when it defeated perennial title contender France 2-1. That was the same World Cup where Bafana Bafana played México to a 1-1 draw in the opening match.
Keep an eye on: Midfielders Oswin Appollis and Teboho Mokoena, along with forward Lyle Foster.
