2026 FIFA World Cup Hobby Preview, Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, and Czechia
2026 FIFA World Cup - Group A Preview
Group A of the 2026 FIFA World Cup offers fans and collectors an impressive mix of tradition, emerging talent, and collectability. With Mexico looking to capitalize on its success as a North American contender (as well as a host nation), South Africa aiming to rewrite its very own storied history, South Korea seeking to make yet another deep tournament run, and Czechia returning to the world's biggest stage, every match could prove to be an impactful one.
Mexico - Raul Jimenez and Edson Alvarez
There’s no doubt that Mexico enters the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the most experienced nation in Group A. Making their 18th World Cup appearance and ninth consecutive trip to the tournament, not only allows the team to further cement their status as one that prides itself on being a consistent contender, but it’s also a team that resonates favorably with collectors.
On the offensive side of the ball, we have veteran striker Raúl Jiménez (Mexico's third all-time leading scorer with 44 international goals), who is subsequently complimented on the defensive side of the ball by the team’s defensive mastermind and captain Edson Álvarez, who offers versatility as both a holding midfielder and a center back that can lead from anywhere on the pitch.
From a collectibles perspective, collectors may want to consider buying the rookie cards of both Jimenez and Alvarez player as a they not only offer a reasonable point of entry ($40-$60 for the Jimenez rookie card and $130-$150 for the Alvarez rookie card that are pictured) from a buying perspective but also significant upside in terms of value that would be based on how deep of a run Mexico makes.
South Africa - Mbekezeli Mbokazi
The South African team possesses a strong sense of optimism, largely due to the on-field play of defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi. The Chicago Fire FC center back has quickly become an MLS fan favorite while also serving as one of the league’s top young defenders.
From a collectibles perspective, collectors may want to consider buying Mbokazi's rookie cards not only because of their very reasonable point of entry ($18-$30 for the card that's pictured) but also from the perspective that the world will be watching Mbokazi not just during the 2026 FIFA World Cup but for many more World Cups to come.
South Korea - Son Heung-Min
Arriving as one of Asia’s most accomplished teams, South Korea’s Son Heung-Min is not only one of the greatest players in South Korean history, but he’s also the player that this squad is built around. Son continues to produce at an elite level, not just as a scoring powerhouse but also because of his on-field IQ. South Korea's greatest World Cup achievement remains their unforgettable fourth-place finish as co-hosts in 2002.
From a collectibles perspective, collectors are already quite receptive of Son's cards as some are regarded as the most coveted throughout the entire marketplace. With that said his rookie cards is PSA 10 form can be acquired for just under $1000 (although the 2013 Topps Chrome base cards sell for $10-$20).
Czechia - Tomas Soucek
Since gaining independence in 1993 following the dissolution of Czechoslovakia, Czechia has continued to produce a high level of talent capable of competing with Europe's best and will be looking to build off its previous appearance in 2006, which ended with a group-stage exit.
From an offensive perspective, midfielder Tomáš Souček will be one of the leaders of the Czech attack next to Patrick Schick and Pavel Sulc, after scoring an impressive five goals during qualifying play.
From a collectibles perspective, collectors may want to consider buying Soucek's rookie cards based on the fact that if Czechia were to advance beyond the group stage and even beyond the round of 32, the values of his cards (especially graded rookies) could increase significantly from their current price point of $75-$85.
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Passionate sports card collector and writer based in Queens, NY. Lifelong fan of the New York Mets, Jets, and Rangers. Covering sports cards and collectibles with deep industry knowledge and enthusiasm, while bringing a fresh perspective to the ever-evolving hobby world on http://SI.com/collectibles.
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