Luis Romo scored the decisive goal five minutes into the second half at Akron Stadium in Guadalajara, giving the co-hosts a second consecutive victory and confirming their qualification and top spot in the group.

The win lifted Mexico to six points, three ahead of South Korea and five clear of Czechia and South Africa, who shared the points after a 1-1 draw.

Under head coach Javier Aguirre, Mexico progressed to the knockout stage after failing to do so at the previous edition and will now look to emulate their best World Cup performances, having reached the quarter-finals in 1970 and 1986.

The victory also marked a historic achievement for El Tri, who have now recorded three consecutive wins at the World Cup finals – including a 2-1 win over Saudi Arabia in 2022 – for the first time in the nation’s history.