ATLANTA, Ga. — Mexico’s hopes of reaching the knockout stage came to a heartbreaking end after surrendering a late lead in a 2-1 loss to South Africa at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

With both teams locked in a scoreless battle for much of the afternoon, Raúl Jiménez finally broke the deadlock in the 67th minute. The veteran striker met a pass inside the penalty area and buried a first-touch finish from close range to give El Tri a 1-0 lead and renewed hope of advancing.

But Mexico could not hold on.

South Africa drew level in the 86th minute when Lyle Foster converted a penalty kick after a Mexican defender was whistled for a handball inside the box. The equalizer shifted momentum completely, and the Bafana Bafana continued to press forward in search of a winner.

That winner arrived in stoppage time. Foster struck again, finishing off a South African attack to complete his brace and send his nation into celebration while crushing Mexico’s World Cup dreams.

The statistics reflected South Africa’s dominance. The Africans outshot Mexico 14-4 and placed nine attempts on target. While Mexico controlled 58 percent of possession, South Africa repeatedly disrupted attacks, won back possession in midfield, and created the more dangerous scoring opportunities throughout the match.

The defeat leaves Mexico at the bottom of the group with just two points from two draws and a loss. South Africa advances after finishing second in the group behind Czechia, which topped the standings with seven points. Meanwhile, South Korea’s disappointing campaign ended with just one point, leaving both nations eliminated from the tournament.