Mexico and South Korea would have been delighted with the Group A result earlier in the day with South Africa holding Czechia to a 1-1 draw courtesy of a late penalty.

The decision to award the spot-kick was a clear demonstration the modern handball law is not fit for purpose.

That neither of them got it means both can still go through. A win over South Korea would mean South Africa progress, although a second yellow card means Mokoena will miss the game. A win for Czechia against Mexico would see them through too. Whether either are capable is a different matter.

Hello everybody and welcome to live coverage of match 28 of the 2026 World Cup between Mexico and South Korea. Kick-off in this Group A clash at the Estadio Guadalajara is 7pm local time (9pm EDT/2am BST/11am AEST).

With the first round of fixtures completed, contests containing immediate jeopardy are now upon us. If there is a winner at Estadio Akron that nation will top Group A and take on a third-place side in the round of 32. The loser will still be well placed to progress, but they will face nervy moments in their final group matches.

El Tri did what was required of them on the opening day against South Africa. The Tageuk Warriors showed fortitude in defence and quick feet in attack against Czechia. Both will have to raise their games to earn a positive result this evening.

This pair played out a 2-2 draw as recently as September last year, a game Mexico dominated for large parts but required a stoppage time strike from Santiago Giménez to share the spoils.

This will be the third time these countries have met in the group phase of a World Cup with Mexico proving victorious in both 1998 and 2018.

I’ll be back shortly with team news and a roundup of all the matchday action so far. In the meantime you can keep an eye on Canada v Qatar and email any thoughts about the World Cup to jonathan.howcroft.freelance@theguardian.com.