2026 World Cup Picks & Predictions: Thursday (6/11)
Opening Day of the 2026 World Cup is Thursday, and four teams in Group A are ready to kick off the tournament. Below, I explain why Mexico will be too much for South Africa to overcome. Then, I highlight the betting angles for South Korea versus Czechia. Here are the best 2026 World Cup picks for Thursday, June 11th.
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Thursday’s Best 2026 World Cup Picks
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Mexico vs. South Africa
The first game of the 2026 World Cup is going to be a blowout. There's no doubt in my mind. Mexico won the CONCACAF Gold Cup last summer, allowing goals in just two of its six games. Meanwhile, the offense scored at least twice four times.
Mexico has continued this style of play in the friendlies they've played in the lead-up to the World Cup. They defeated Serbia 5-1 on June 4th, and they've shut out seven of their last 10 opponents. Mexico is 6-0-2 in its last eight matches, tying both Belgium and Portugal in March.
Given how good Mexico’s defense has been, I struggle to see how South Africa will score. Yes, this is a team that has scored in five of its last six games, but it hasn't faced a side like Mexico in a very long time.
The last time South Africa took the field, they defeated Jamaica 1-0. In their game before that, they tied Nicaragua 0-0.
South Africa enters the World Cup 1-2-2 in its last five matches. The South Africans have failed to score more than one goal in a single match in all of 2026, despite playing just one World Cup qualifying team during that stretch.
Then there is the fact that Mexico is playing a home game in Estadio Banorte to open the World Cup. The atmosphere is going to be electric, and Mexico is a quality unit that can build off that energy.
Picks: Mexico -1.5 (+124) & South Africa to Score No Goals (-165)
South Korea vs. Czechia
While the first match in Group A is destined to be a blowout, the second match is a total toss-up.
At FanDuel Sportsbook, South Korea (+360) and Czechia (+380) have nearly identical odds to win Group A. With South Africa expected to be out of the mix, this game is important for earning a shot at competing with Mexico for the group title.
However, I don't think much will be resolved in this match. South Korea is a slight favorite, but a draw is currently priced at +210. That's the second-lowest price for a draw for any opening matchup.
I can't help but feel like this all makes sense. South Korea has been an inconsistent side for the last 12 months. They defeated Paraguay 2-0 last October, but they lost 4-0 to the Ivory Coast in late March.
South Korea enters this match 3-0-2 in their last five, but two of their wins were over El Salvador and Trinidad and Tobago, both of whom didn't qualify for the tournament.
But Czechia hasn't been much better. The last two qualifying games for Czechia ended in ties against Denmark and the Republic of Ireland. Ultimately, Czechia advanced thanks to penalty kicks, but I'm not going to act like they’re a hot team entering this tournament.
And while Czechia won back-to-back matches entering this one, those performances were far from convincing against Guatemala and Kosovo.
Pick: Draw (+210)