Czechia v Mexico prediction, lineups & tips: World Cup 2026 Group A

Guillermo Ochoa is set for a sentimental farewell at the Estadio Azteca on Thursday morning, but for Czechia this is anything but a ceremony. Miroslav Koubek's side arrive in Mexico City with one point from two games at the FIFA World Cup 2026, needing a win to stand any realistic chance of reaching the round of 32. Mexico, meanwhile, have already secured top spot in Group A and are free to rotate, but the occasion around Ochoa's likely final World Cup appearance gives this dead rubber a very different kind of charge.

Mexico have been efficient rather than spectacular through the group stage. Javier Aguirre's side beat South Africa 2-0 on matchday one, then ground out a 1-0 win over South Korea, Luis Romo's scrambled second-half finish the difference, to become the first team to secure a place in the newly introduced round of 32. Six points, three goals scored, none conceded: the record is flawless even if the performances have left Mexican supporters wanting more.

The big team news is confirmed: Ochoa, 40, starts in goal in what amounts to a farewell appearance. He is one of only a handful of players in history to appear at six World Cups, joining Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in that exclusive group. Raúl Rangel, who kept both clean sheets in the opening two fixtures, is rested ahead of the knockout rounds. César Montes also returns after missing the South Korea match through suspension. Santiago Giménez is expected to lead the line, the AC Milan striker has been used carefully so far and Aguirre wants him sharp before the pressure matches begin.

Czechia qualified for this tournament the hard way, needing a playoff run, including a penalty shootout, just to reach the finals, their first World Cup in 20 years. They arrived in Mexico with ambitions of progressing from the group, but the campaign has been a study in frustration. They led South Korea after an hour, conceded twice in 13 minutes, and lost 2-1. They led South Africa with a Michal Sadílek goal on matchday two, then conceded a late Teboho Mokoena penalty to drop to 1-1. One point mustered from two games, both times surrendering a lead, and averaging just 38 per cent possession across those two matches.

Patrik Schick, the Bayer Leverkusen striker who has six goals in nine appearances at major international tournaments for the Czechs, has not scored yet and ranks fifth among Czech players in expected goals (xG) at the tournament, having managed just two shots. If Czechia are to cause an upset, he almost certainly has to play a part.

Before the tournament, Koubek told reporters plainly: "The match against Mexico is going to be the most difficult, but it is obvious that they are the favourites." That assessment has not changed. Mexico have not lost at the Estadio Azteca in eight World Cup matches, six wins, two draws, and have not conceded a single goal in their last three World Cup matches at the venue.

Czechia v Mexico kicks off at 02:00 BST on Thursday, 25 June. The match is live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK, a free-to-air broadcast for what is a must-watch occasion given the Ochoa storyline and Czechia's survival fight.