'The score is out': South Korea projected to reach Round of 32 with one win and two draws in World Cup... Japan predicted to reach quarterfinals

*This content was translated by AI.

Projections indicate that the South Korean national soccer team will advance to the Round of 32 of the 2026 FIFA North America World Cup group stage with one win and two draws.

Recently, U.S. media outlet CBS Sports predicted the results of the North America World Cup group stage, forecasting that the South Korean team would accumulate five points with one win and two draws in Group A, record five goals scored and four conceded (goal difference +1), and finish second in the group behind Mexico to reach the Round of 32.

Specifically, the outlet predicted that South Korea would draw 2-2 with the Czech Republic in the first group stage match, fail to decide the outcome against Mexico with a 1-1 draw in the second match, but defeat South Africa 2-1 in the final group stage match.

Although South Korea would have the same points as Mexico, which was expected to draw 1-1 with South Korea and 0-0 with the Czech Republic after defeating South Africa 3-1, the media outlet projected that South Korea would finish second in the group and advance to the Round of 32 due to a superior goal difference.

CBS Sports further predicted that South Africa would finish third in Group A with one win and two losses (three points), while the Czech Republic would finish last with two draws and one loss (two points), following Mexico and South Korea.

The outlet added that Group A, considered the most balanced group in terms of team strength in this World Cup, is expected to feature intense competition, and that while South Africa may defeat the Czech Republic, it will fall short of securing a spot in the Round of 32.

However, the media outlet projected that Hong Myung-bo's team would be eliminated in the first Round of 32 knockout match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Bosnia and Herzegovina was expected to finish second in Group B with two wins and one loss (six points) after defeating Canada and Qatar but losing to Switzerland, setting up a matchup against South Korea in the Round of 32.

Coincidentally, the opponent predicted to defeat Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 16 was Japan. CBS Sports forecast that Japan would advance from the group stage as the top team in Group F, surpassing the Netherlands and Sweden. Although Japan was expected to lose in its first match against the Netherlands, it would defeat Tunisia and Sweden to finish first in the group, according to the outlet's analysis.

CBS Sports predicted that Japan would defeat Morocco in the Round of 32 and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 16, reaching the quarterfinals for the first time in its history, but would lose to France in the quarterfinals and conclude its North America World Cup journey.

CBS Sports identified only South Korea and Japan as the Asian teams projected to reach the Round of 32. The predicted World Cup final matchup was between France and England, with France crowned as the champion.

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*This content was translated by AI.