Luis Romo’s opportunistic goal and a wonder save by goalie Raúl Rangel were all Mexico needed to edge South Korea 1-0 on Thursday night, becoming the first team to advance to the knockout stage of the World Cup.
In front of a raucous crowd at Guadalajara Stadium, El Tri survived late pressure from the South Koreans thanks to Rangel, whose quick reflexes in minute 88 prompted the BBC to ask the question: “How did he keep this out?”
¡TALAAA! ¡ATAJADÓN! ¡UN HÉROEEEE! 😱😱😱
Doble atajada de Tala Rangel. ¡Salva a México del gol!
¡Estás locoooo! #ElMundialEsNuestro y la magia de la Copa Mundial de la FIFA 2026 se vive por @televisa a y @vix 🇲🇽🏆 pic.twitter.com/iY9H6PlRQM
— TUDN MEX (@TUDNMEX) June 19, 2026
El Tri now has 6 points in Group A, South Korea sits in second with 3 points, while Czechia (also known as the Czech Republic) and South Africa look up from the bottom with 1 point each.
The gritty win ensures that Mexico’s route to the quarterfinals goes through Estadio Azteca (renamed Mexico City Stadium for the duration of the tournament).
Coach Javier Aguirre now knows his men will face an as-yet-to-be determined opponent on June 30 in southern Mexico City. The bracket indicates it will be the third-place finisher from Group C, E, F, H or I.
Should Mexico win that match, El Tri will move on to a Round of 16 clash on July 5. It could potentially face England, one of the pre-tournament favorites, setting the stage for an epic showdown in Estadio Azteca.
A star turn in their home stadium
Rangel and Romo — Thursday’s heroes — ply their trade with the Guadalajara Chivas and play their home games at Estadio Akron (dubbed Guadalajara Stadium for the World Cup).
Romo — a surprise starter in midfield — did not see action in Mexico’s opening match, a 2-0 victory over South Africa on June 11. However, he was a steady presence during his 71 minutes on the pitch on Thursday.
The 31-year-old Sinaloa native tied defender Edson Álvarez for most duels won with 7. In soccer parlance, a duel won means a player successfully maintained or gained possession of the ball, dribbled past an opponent or forced an error.
Romo’s star turn came just 5 minutes into the second half, when a cross into the middle of the goalie box was deflected high into the air. South Korean goalie Kim Seung-Gyu raced off his line to gather in the loose ball but a collision with a teammate jostled it loose. Romo was first to react, quickly volleying the ball into the vacated net.
¡GOOOOOOOOL DE MÉXICO! ⚽
Luis Romo aprovecha un error grosero de parte de la defensa de Corea del Sur🔥🏟️#ElCanalDelMundial #CopaMundialFIFA #Somos26 #MiSelecciónAzteca #ElMundialXAzteca pic.twitter.com/ChkI7QNUrv— TV Azteca Deportes (@AztecaDeportes) June 19, 2026
For his part, Rangel — a 26-year-old from Zapotlán el Grande, just 130 kilometers south of Guadalajara — became Mexico’s starting goalie only after Aguirre’s preferred No. 1 injured his knee three months ago. But the Chivas netminder is proving to be up to the task.
Rangel’s miracle save in the dying moments of Thursday’s game will be remembered by El Tri fans forever.
Lax marking by the defense allowed South Korea’s Cho Gue-Sung a free header at the back post, but Rangel, gliding to his left, got his right hand down to deflect the ball, which a prone Cho immediately redirected toward the net. While lying on the ground, Rangel reached back and snatched the ball out of the air just above the goal line as Oh Hyeon-Gyu came flying into the melee, his right boot extended.
Minutes later, the referee blew his whistle, setting off celebrations across Mexico.
El Tri’s final group-stage contest — against Czechia on June 24 in Estadio Azteca — is now a formality, affording coach Aguirre the opportunity to tinker with his line-up, protect any players nursing bumps and bruises, and begin strategizing for the all-important Round of 32 match-up.
With reports from The Big Lead, MSN, ESPN and Goal.com
