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Korea beats Mexico 2-1 in U-17 World Cup opener, Switzerland next

Published: 05 Nov. 2025, 14:36 Updated: 05 Nov. 2025, 16:38

The U-17 national team [KFA]

Korea made a strong start to the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup on Tuesday, beating Mexico 2-1 in their opening group stage match in Doha, Qatar.

Led by head coach Baek Gee-tae, Korea struck first in the 19th minute after a corner kick deflected off the face of captain Koo Hyeon-bin and looped into the net.

Mexico responded just before halftime, with Aldo de Nigris leveling with a diving header off a corner.

Korea regained the lead early in the second half. Four minutes after the break, Nam Ian scored a header, which later sealed three points for the young Taeguk Warriors.

Korea will head to the second group stage match against Switzerland on Friday, with the top position on Group F on the line. Switzerland sits atop with three points, edging out Korea by goal difference.

Korea has not reached the quarterfinals since 2019. The national team exited the group stage in the 2023 edition with three straight losses.

The U-17 World Cup, previously held biennially, is now taking place annually from 2025 through 2029. The tournament has also expanded from 24 teams to 48.

This year’s group stage features 12 groups of four, with the top two teams from each group and the eight best third-place teams advancing to the round of 32.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY PIH JU-YOUNG [[email protected]]