Group A will kick off the 2026 World Cup, with all four teams scheduled to play on June 11's opening day. Headlined by one of the three host nations, Mexico, Group A also includes Czechia, South Africa, and Korea Republic (South Korea).
Before and during the 2026 World Cup group stage, you can make real-money predictions on countries to win their group or advance to the knockout stage on PrizePicks.
With the 2026 World Cup just around the corner, let's make Group A predictions and preview the favorites to advance to the knockout stage.
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2026 World Cup Group A Teams & Favorites to Win
Here are the Group A teams and the payouts for each squad to win and advance to the knockout stage.
The top two teams from every group and the top eight third-place teams across all groups will advance to the World Cup knockout stage.
The payouts below indicate real-money earnings if a prediction is correct on PrizePicks; for example, a 2x on a $100 entry would pay out $200 on PrizePicks Team Picks.
The lower the payout multiplier, the more likely the outcome, according to user picks.
2026 World Cup Group A Winner Payouts, Favorites
Here are the payouts for each team to win Group A, per PrizePicks Team Picks. Mexico is a significant favorite, while Czechia and Korea Republic are given a similar projection to win the group. South Africa is the clear long shot to win the group in its first World Cup appearance in 16 years.
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Mexico: Yes 1.78x | No 1.96x
Korea Republic: Yes 3.84x | No 1.21x
Czechia: Yes 4x | No 1.21x
South Africa: Yes 11.11x | No 1.03x
Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.
2026 World Cup Group A to Qualify Payouts
Here are the payouts for each team to advance to the knockout stage in Group A. According to PrizePicks Team Picks, Mexico, Czechia, and Korea Republic are all expected to advance through FIFA's expanded format. South Africa remains a relative long shot to qualify.
Mexico: Yes 1.08x | No 6.66x
Czechia: Yes 1.33x | No 2.94x
Korea Republic: Yes 1.4x | No 2.77x
South Africa: Yes 2.5x | No 1.47x
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2026 World Cup Group A Winner Prediction
Mexico to Win Group A: Yes 1.78x | No 1.96x
Mexico to Win 2026 World Cup: Yes 33.33x
After a disappointing group stage exit in 2022, Mexico returns with higher expectations under manager Javier Aguirre. El Tri has kept busy between tournaments, winning the Gold Cup and Nations League over the past two years.
Aguirre’s squad was officially announced on Sunday and features several new faces alongside the veterans. With a blend of youth and experience, Mexican fans are hopeful for a deep run on home soil.
Based on recent form, El Tri could have little trouble winning Group A. The 2022 group-stage exit was the first time Mexico had failed to reach the World Cup knockout stage since 1978.
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Korea Republic – World Cup Group A Prediction, Preview
To Win Group A: Yes 3.84x | No 1.21x
To Qualify for Knockout Stage: Yes 1.4x | No 2.77x
Korea Republic and Czechia have nearly identical payouts for winning or qualifying from Group A. The consensus is that Mexico will win the group, with South Korea and Czechia battling for second place.
Despite what the projections or the masses say, Myung Bo Hong’s squad will like its chances of winning Group A outright, given its level of play during the AFC World Cup qualifiers. Korea Republic went unbeaten across two qualifying rounds, winning 11 of 16 matches, scoring 40 goals, and conceding just 8.
South Korea has a history of pulling off upsets at the World Cup. In 2022, they advanced from Group H after stunning Portugal 2-1 with a stoppage-time winner on the final matchday. This squad won't lack confidence and has the talent to surprise people in this competition.
Czechia – World Cup Group A Prediction, Preview
To Win Group A: Yes 4x | No 1.21x
To Qualify for Knockout Stage: Yes 1.33x | No 2.94x
After a 20-year absence, Czechia returns to the World Cup with a chance to make the wait worthwhile for Nároďák fans. Thanks to FIFA's expanded format, Czechia has a realistic chance of advancing past the group stage for the first time in the country's history.
Czechia's path to the 2026 World Cup was far from straightforward. Despite a solid qualifying campaign, the Czechs were forced into the UEFA playoffs to secure their spot. Miroslav Koubek's side beat both Ireland and Denmark in nerve-wracking penalty shootouts to earn their place.
As with South Korea, many are considering Czechia a potential dark horse team not only in Group A but in the tournament as a whole. While the opener against Korea Republic isn't a must-win, matchday one will go a long way toward determining how Group A shapes up.
South Africa – World Cup Group A Prediction, Preview
To Win Group A: Yes 11.11x | No 1.03x
To Qualify for Knockout Stage: Yes 2.5x | No 1.47x
South Africa returns to the World Cup for the first time since hosting the tournament in 2010. Bafana Bafana were impressive in qualifying, topping their group with five wins and just two losses. The team has steadily improved since Hugo Broos took charge in 2021.
Broos' side will look to build on their recent success in continental competition. They reached the knockout stages of both AFCON and the COSAFA Cup after topping their respective groups. Replicating that in the World Cup won't be easy, but South Africa is capable of springing an early surprise.
Getting a win in their final friendly could do a lot for the squad's confidence heading into the tournament. Since their AFCON elimination, South Africa has gone winless in three friendlies heading into the tournament. They have one more friendly against Jamaica before turning their full attention to the tournament opener against Mexico.
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Make 2026 World Cup Group A Predictions on PrizePicks
Mexico, Korea Republic, and Czechia are all expected to qualify from Group A into the knockout rounds. Will South Africa make some noise as the heavy underdogs of the group?
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Stick around with the Playbook for continued World Cup predictions, picks, and analysis through the end of the tournament.
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