While Mexico own the day's headlines, the sharper betting question is in Guadalajara: South Korea against Czechia is the closest call of the entire opening round. Bookmakers can barely split them — Korea around +165, Czechia +185, the draw +200 — and the Opta supercomputer makes it 42.9% to 31.1% in Korea's favor. Whoever wins this match controls their own destiny in a Group A where Mexico are heavy favorites to take top spot.

Korea's case rests on their stars. Son Heung-min, now 34, arrives off an outstanding MLS season with LAFC and remains the most proven attacker on either side. Kim Min-jae anchors the back line, and Hwang Hee-chan has shaken off a late-season ankle knock to start. But there are real cracks: defender Cho Yu-min is out with a foot injury, Lee Kang-in managed limited club minutes this season, and Hong Myung-bo's 3-4-2-1 has a known flaw — the wing-backs push high and leave space behind, an invitation for quick transitions.

That weakness is exactly where Czechia, at their first World Cup since 2006, will aim. Patrik Schick is a genuinely elite penalty-box striker, and the Soucek-Coufal spine brings Premier League physicality, though Jan Kuchta's ankle leaves their bench thinner. The AI leans Korea 2-1 at just 45% confidence — effectively calling it a coin flip with goals at both ends. If you're going to disagree with the AI anywhere on opening day, this is the match.