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Mexico v South Africa team news: Rangel starts

11 June 2026 250 comments
Skonto Rigga Skonto Rigga
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After much discussion, copious articles and draft after draft of Fantasy FIFA World Cup 2026 teams, the action finally begins tonight.

Co-hosts Mexico get the 2026 World Cup underway against South Africa in a re-run of the 2010 curtain-raiser.

Kick-off is at 20:00 BST.

TEAM NEWS

After much debate, Raul Rangel ($4.9m) gets the nod over Guillermo Ochoa ($4.2m) between the posts for Mexico. The former is owned by 4.9% of managers at the time of writing, so he is right on the cusp of passing the Scouting Bonus threshold.

Further forward, a familiar face to Fantasy Premier League managers, Raul Jimenez ($7.0m), leads the line. 

The 17-year-old prodigy, Gilberto Mora ($4.5m), the youngest player at the World Cup, is on the bench.

As for South Africa, Burnley’s Lyle Foster ($5.4m) spearheads the attack.

While Rangel is flirting with the 5% ownership mark, no other player on show tonight is above that figure.

LINE-UPS

Mexico XI: Rangel, Montes, Vasquez, Reyes, Gallardo, Lira, Fidalgo, Alvarado, Gutierrez, Jimenez, Quinones.

Subs: Acevedo, Ochoa, Sanchez, Alvarez, Chavez, Romo, Pineda, Vargas, Mora, Chavez, Vega, Gimenez, Gonzalez, Huerta, Martinez.

South Africa XI: Williams, Modiba, Mbokazi, Sibisi, Mudau, Okon, Mokoena, Sithole, Adams, Foster, Rayners.

Subs: Chaine, Goss, Matuludi, Ndamane, Kabini, Makhanya, Sebelebele, Cross, Mbatha, Appolis, Moremi, Mofokeng, Zwane, Maseko, Makgopa.

Fantasy FIFA World Cup 2026: Get involved with our coverage!

READ MORE OF OUR FANTASY FIFA WORLD CUP 2026 CONTENT

GROUP A: Mexico | South Africa | Korea Republic | Czechia
GROUP B: Canada | Bosnia & Herzegovina | Qatar | Switzerland
GROUP C: Brazil | Morocco | Haiti | Scotland
GROUP D: USA | Paraguay | Australia | Turkiye
GROUP E: Germany | Curacao | Cote d’Ivoire | Ecuador
GROUP F: Netherlands | Japan | Sweden | Tunisia
GROUP G: Belgium | Egypt | Iran | New Zealand
GROUP H: Spain | Cabo Verde | Saudi Arabia | Uruguay
GROUP I: France | Senegal | Iraq | Norway
GROUP J: Argentina | Algeria | Austria | Jordan
GROUP K: Portugal | DR Congo | Uzbekistan | Colombia
GROUP L: England | Croatia | Ghana | Panama

Round 1 Scout Picks | Round 1 best captains | Round 1 best differentials: | Sleep-friendly XV | Players to avoid | Team reveals | Best players by position + price

Predicted line-ups | Penalty + corner takers | Direct free-kick takers

How to play World Cup 2026 Fantasy | What is ‘Scouting Bonus’? | How to order your starters + subs | Can you captain, transfer or sub 12th Man? | 150 of the best, worst and funniest team names

Join our mini-league + win prizes! | Stats Centre | FREE AI Team Rater | Fixture Ticker | Scouting Bonus tracker | Fixture calendar

250 Comments Login to Post a Comment
  1. Jafooli
    • 14 Years
    7 hours, 13 mins ago

    Williams another big save vs Jimenez

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    1. Jafooli
      • 14 Years
      7 hours, 13 mins ago

      …and Mexico hit post

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    2. JBG
      • 8 Years
      7 hours, 12 mins ago

      Mexico unlucky not to be 3-0 up by now

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  2. Jafooli
    • 14 Years
    7 hours, 11 mins ago

    Predicting ref cam being a big hit in this WC, really good footage so far…

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    1. Better off with a pin and a…
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      7 hours, 6 mins ago

      Great shot of the goal. Shame it makes the ref look like one of the Borg.

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      1. Jafooli
        • 14 Years
        7 hours, 5 mins ago

        Ha, yeah, looks like Terminator filming from his robotic eye…

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    2. panda07
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      7 hours, 4 mins ago

      It makes me feel dizzy and nauseous.

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      1. Jafooli
        • 14 Years
        6 hours, 58 mins ago

        Eat some bamboo, you’ll be fine…

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  3. Jafooli
    • 14 Years
    7 hours, 9 mins ago

    Decent game so far, at least both teams going for it and not sitting back looking for a draw…

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  4. JBG
    • 8 Years
    7 hours, 7 mins ago

    Oh fck off... what was that?

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  5. Travel Notes
    • 3 Years
    7 hours, 2 mins ago

    I went with a couple of Mexican players for opening day excitement. Sadly, they look as they are in the quarter-finals and are happy with things how they are. This is Groups Stage, Mexico are at home, the need to give South Africa a roasting.

    Selling the players for Matchday 2, South Korea could sort them out in Guadalajara next Friday.

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  6. Charlie Price
    • 5 Years
    6 hours, 59 mins ago

    Drop-down menu displaying date of matches for each player in Round 1 has now disappeared. Not very user friendly. Think this has happened in previous FIFA fantasy products.

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    1. Jafooli
      • 14 Years
      6 hours, 57 mins ago

      Some years back the UEFA CL was unplayable, designed by an intern with Temu doing the coding…

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    2. Travel Notes
      • 3 Years
      6 hours, 53 mins ago

      Good spot. Have to scroll down to see the fixtures. Glad I'm so sad sad I noted the play dates in a text file.

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  7. panda07
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    6 hours, 50 mins ago

    Ads after 25 mins, the game is gone!

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    1. Travel Notes
      • 3 Years
      6 hours, 47 mins ago

      I think we're going to see a lot of duds.

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  8. Jafooli
    • 14 Years
    6 hours, 50 mins ago

    In the not too distant future, the ref will become an on pitch cameraman and all refereeing will be done by AI/VAR in a van somewhere in a lay-by on the M42…

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  9. keefy59
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    6 hours, 48 mins ago

    Great half time analysis on ITV about Sithole's error
    Very strange no one mentioned his name
    Ian Wright would be sniggering

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  10. jacob1989
    • 4 Years
    6 hours, 48 mins ago

    What is the sa gk think he is doing? And he is their captain too

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  11. Travel Notes
    • 3 Years
    6 hours, 46 mins ago

    Red Card

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    1. Jafooli
      • 14 Years
      6 hours, 45 mins ago

      Right in a Sithole now…

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    2. Travel Notes
      • 3 Years
      6 hours, 45 mins ago

      A tumble fumble, but the ref didn't hesitate. South Africa down to ten men.

      Penalty.

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      1. Travel Notes
        • 3 Years
        6 hours, 44 mins ago

        Well, just on the edge of the area.

        Nothing.

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      2. Jafooli
        • 14 Years
        6 hours, 44 mins ago

        Ref cam should have a good view…

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  12. Jafooli
    • 14 Years
    6 hours, 46 mins ago

    Quinones shooting from Tijuana…

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  13. jacob1989
    • 4 Years
    6 hours, 45 mins ago

    Red card. Going worse for SA.. they should be really 0-4 down by now

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  14. JBG
    • 8 Years
    6 hours, 45 mins ago

    Welp

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  15. Pino
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    6 hours, 45 mins ago

    Sithole again

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  16. CoracAld2831
    • 5 Years
    6 hours, 45 mins ago

    Red card for Sithole.

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  17. JBG
    • 8 Years
    6 hours, 45 mins ago

    Sithole having a very sit match

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    1. Revival
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      6 hours, 44 mins ago

      Think that's a zero in the player ratings for him

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      1. Travel Notes
        • 3 Years
        6 hours, 41 mins ago

        Can we give a minus?

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  18. NZREDS
    • 12 Years
    6 hours, 43 mins ago

    What a sithole!

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  19. Thanos
    • 4 Years
    6 hours, 43 mins ago

    What has that hole done

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    1. Travel Notes
      • 3 Years
      6 hours, 40 mins ago

      Go sit on it.

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  20. jacob1989
    • 4 Years
    6 hours, 42 mins ago

    What a sit game by sithole!

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    1. keefy59
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      6 hours, 38 mins ago

      I bet the commentators are glad he's been sent off
      Just in case they make a mistake with his name .

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  21. Thanos
    • 4 Years
    6 hours, 41 mins ago

    Anyone on WC for MD2?

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    1. Jafooli
      • 14 Years
      6 hours, 41 mins ago

      Sithole for sure…

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    2. Revival
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      6 hours, 38 mins ago

      Staying flexible at the moment, I will wildcard if most or all of Qatar, Haiti, Curacao, New Zealand, Cape Verde, Iraq, Jordan and Panama are beaten easily in the first round of matches.

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      1. Travel Notes
        • 3 Years
        6 hours, 36 mins ago

        They could all bounce back with two wins.

        Oh, I get it; you're going to load up on Qatar, Haiti, Curacao, New Zealand, Cape Verde, Iraq, Jordan and Panama to get ahead of the curve.

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        1. Revival
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 13 Years
          6 hours, 32 mins ago

          not a single player from these nations will be over the 5% ownership 😉

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    3. Travel Notes
      • 3 Years
      6 hours, 38 mins ago

      Seriously considering it.

      Original plan was matchday 3, but it could be a lottery; or not.

      Need to get some more under 5% players in the mix, as we'll know who's playing.

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      1. Thanos
        • 4 Years
        6 hours, 32 mins ago

        Yeah same. There’s a sort of fixture swing too in MD2 while MD3 could be lottery.

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  22. jacob1989
    • 4 Years
    6 hours, 37 mins ago

    SA qualified ahead of Nigeria in their group.. don't know how. But credit to them only being 0-1 down till now.

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    1. JBG
      • 8 Years
      6 hours, 32 mins ago

      Mexico look like they can't be bothered anymore

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    2. Travel Notes
      • 3 Years
      6 hours, 31 mins ago

      I think it's more discredit to Mexico, for not going for it. It's ten men now, with half-an-hour to play.

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  23. jacob1989
    • 4 Years
    6 hours, 35 mins ago

    Looking forward to czechia vs south korea already.. should be a more even match.. perhaps a 2-2 game

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    1. keefy59
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      6 hours, 30 mins ago

      Early days but it looks like a draw would suit them both
      As they might already be playing for second place in the group .

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  24. JBG
    • 8 Years
    6 hours, 31 mins ago

    My C is on 18pts atm, not sure I want to switch over hahah.

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  25. Thanos
    • 4 Years
    6 hours, 31 mins ago

    Damn 9 points from Vasquez cap! Can he get a goal??

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    1. Revival
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      6 hours, 29 mins ago

      They look like they have settled for 1-0 already

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      1. JBG
        • 8 Years
        6 hours, 28 mins ago

        Timing

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        1. Revival
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 13 Years
          6 hours, 27 mins ago

          impeccable as usual

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      2. Thanos
        • 4 Years
        6 hours, 28 mins ago

        Yeah looking like it. Not sure if stick or switch with 18 points

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        1. Travel Notes
          • 3 Years
          6 hours, 25 mins ago

          I'm sticking.

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        2. Travel Notes
          • 3 Years
          6 hours, 24 mins ago

          Does Ronaldo get a hat-trick, or blank?

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    2. Travel Notes
      • 3 Years
      6 hours, 27 mins ago

      I've got 18 points on him.

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  26. Travel Notes
    • 3 Years
    6 hours, 28 mins ago

    2-0

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    1. Thanos
      • 4 Years
      6 hours, 27 mins ago

      Jammy Jimmy

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  27. CoracAld2831
    • 5 Years
    6 hours, 28 mins ago

    2-0.

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  28. JBG
    • 8 Years
    6 hours, 28 mins ago

    2-0

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    1. JBG
      • 8 Years
      6 hours, 27 mins ago

      Jimenez G

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  29. Jafooli
    • 14 Years
    6 hours, 28 mins ago

    2-0

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    1. Jafooli
      • 14 Years
      6 hours, 26 mins ago

      Jammy Jimmy Jimenez G - time for an ad break lol…

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  30. Brazooka
    • 13 Years
    6 hours, 26 mins ago

    JIMINEZZZZ

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