The second round of group games at the 2026 World Cup begins in Atlanta as Czechia and South Africa clash at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Both teams lost their opening matches and need points to avoid early elimination.
Match Context
South Africa, known as Bafana Bafana, faced co-hosts Mexico in the tournament's opening game, losing 2-0 at the Azteca in an entertaining curtain-raiser. Hours later, Czechia took the lead against South Korea but fell to a 2-1 defeat as the Asian side's dominance eventually prevailed.
With Mexico and South Korea playing each other seven hours later, the door is open for either Czechia or South Africa to move into the top two spots and stake a claim for a knockout stage berth. This is only the second meeting between these two nations, and the first since the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup.
How to Watch in the UK
- TV channel: The game will be televised live on BBC One, with coverage starting at 4:30pm BST ahead of a 5pm kick-off.
- Live stream: UK viewers can also watch the contest live online via BBC iPlayer.
- Free highlights: World Cup highlights are available on FIFA's official YouTube channel and BBC iPlayer.
Live Updates
Czechia and South Africa go in pursuit of their first win at the 2026 World Cup tonight. Ladislav Krejci opened the scoring on the hour mark as Czechia faced South Korea in their tournament opener, but they came away empty-handed after a late show from substitute Hwang In-Beom flipped the result. South Africa, meanwhile, were beaten by Mexico in the tournament curtain-raiser at the Estadio Azteca in front of a global audience.
This match is a must-win for both sides, as heading into the third group-stage matchday pointless would make progression effectively impossible.
