'Falling to 3rd in Group': Hong Myung-bo's Team Not Yet Eliminated; Possibilities for 32nd-Place Qualification Remain

*This content was translated by AI.

The South Korean national football team failed to secure direct qualification for the 32nd round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North, Central America and the Caribbean. A draw would have been enough for South Korea to qualify for the 32nd round on its own by finishing second in the group, but it suffered a shocking defeat against South Africa. According to the FIFA rankings, South Korea is ranked 25th, while South Africa is ranked 60th.

Led by coach Hong Myung-bo, South Korea lost 0-1 to South Africa in the third group stage match of the tournament held at the Monterrey Stadium in Mexico on the 25th (Korea time). With this defeat, South Korea remained at three points (one win, two losses), falling to third place in the group behind Mexico (nine points) and South Africa (four points). In this tournament, the top two teams in each group advance directly to the 32nd-round tournament.

Although a draw would have guaranteed qualification for the 32nd round, South Korea struggled from the first half. Despite goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu (FC Tokyo) making crucial saves to keep the score at 0-0, South Korea conceded a heartbreaking and decisive goal in the 18th minute of the second half to Tafelo Maseko (AEK Limassol), ultimately losing 0-1. On this day, South Korea dominated possession with 68%, but was outshot 8-13.

Although South Korea fell to third place in the group, its elimination from the World Cup has not been definitively confirmed. Unlike previous tournaments that featured a 32-team, 16-team knockout format, this tournament has expanded to a 48-team, 32-team knockout format. Teams finishing third in each group also have a chance to advance to the 32nd round. The condition is to rank among the top eight third-placed teams out of the 12th groups. Standings will be determined by points, goal difference, goals scored, and other criteria.

South Korea, with three points and a goal difference of -1, must compare its results with other third-placed teams in their respective groups. However, it has already been overtaken by Bosnia and Herzegovina (four points), the third-placed team in Group B, in terms of points, while it currently leads Scotland (three points, goal difference of -3), the third-placed team in Group C, in goal difference. South Korea's fate will gradually be determined as the final group stage matches of the other nine groups conclude and the standings of third-placed teams are finalized. From the 26th to the 28th, final matches will be held consecutively, with three groups playing each day.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.