'Thank goodness, Hong Myung-bo's team' — Cape Verde came to the rescue! Draw 0-0 with Saudi Arabia... South Korea maintains '7th place' in the race for 3rd in the group

*This content was translated by AI.

Cape Verde drew 0-0 with Saudi Arabia, securing direct qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup round of 32. South Korea, which had been on edge, was able to continue its hope of advancing to the round of 32 by finishing 7th in the group race, thanks to Cape Verde's rise to 2nd place in the group.

On the 27th (Korea time), Cape Verde drew 0-0 with Saudi Arabia after a back-and-forth battle in the final Group H match of the tournament at the Houston Stadium in the United States.

Cape Verde launched an aggressive attack from the first half but failed to score due to a persistent lack of finishing ability. Saudi Arabia also suffered a setback when center-back Al-Tambakti was substituted due to injury in the 33rd minute of the first half. They failed to create any significant chances throughout the match, and the game ultimately ended in a draw.

Spain, in the same group, defeated Uruguay 1-0 and retained 1st place in Group H. As a result, Spain and Cape Verde secured 1st and 2nd place respectively in the group, both earning tickets to the round of 32.

With Cape Verde securing a draw and adding one point to their tally to confirm 2nd place in the group, South Korea, which is competing for the 3rd-place wild card, let out a sigh of relief.

As Cape Verde, which was in the 3rd-place group, moved up, South Korea (3 points, goal difference -1) finished 7th among the 12th teams vying for 3rd place. A total of 48 countries are participating in the 2026 North American World Cup, and the top 8 teams among the 12th 3rd-place teams will qualify for the round of 32.

Currently, South Korea is barely holding on to 7th place, just above the cut line. Its qualification for the round of 32 tournament will be finalized depending on the results of the final matches in other groups.

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*This content was translated by AI.