"Brazil is actually the one in danger": Global praise for Japan's soccer contrasts sharply with reactions to Hong Myung-bo's team, which faces elimination

*This content was translated by AI.

At the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North, Central America and the Caribbean, global attention toward South Korea and Japan is vastly different.

On the 26th (Korean time), Spanish outlet AS predicted a tight match, stating, "Japan and Brazil will face each other in the 2026 World Cup Round of 32. However, Brazil could be the one in danger. Japan is a team that does not easily lose; in its last 16 international tournament matches, it has lost only once. About a year ago, it came from behind to defeat Brazil."

This reaction came the day before (the 26th) after the Japan-Brazil matchup was confirmed. Under coach Hajime Moriyasu, Japan secured its place in the Round of 32 with one win and two draws (five points), finishing second in Group F after drawing 1-1 with Sweden in the Group F third match at the Dallas Stadium in the United States. As the second-place team in the group behind the Netherlands (seven points), Japan became the first of the nine Asian teams to qualify for the World Cup finals.

Japan's opponent is the world's strongest team, Brazil. Brazil, placed in Group C with Morocco, Scotland, and Haiti, had already secured first place in the group with two wins and one draw. The Japan-Brazil match highlighted by AS refers to the friendly international match held last October at the Ajinomoto Stadium in Tokyo, where Japan came from behind to defeat Brazil 3-2.

At that time, Japan trailed 0-2 at halftime but scored three consecutive goals in the second half through Takumi Minamino, Keito Nakamura, and Ayase Ueda, finally defeating Brazil in their 14th attempt over 13 matches. This result drew significant attention in South Korea as well, coming just four days after Brazil had defeated South Korea 5-0.

Global interest in Japan's soccer, which continues to rise, does not stop here. The British outlet The Guardian introduced the upcoming knockout bracket as "an attractive final tournament draw that should not have progressed this quickly," while highlighting the performances of Japanese players in the Sweden match.

U.S. outlet ESPN remarked, "If Japan dreams of winning the World Cup, the match against Brazil will be the biggest test." It added, "Japanese soccer, influenced by a Brazilian-born coach, has steadily grown since its first appearance in 1998 and has become a strong team with solid capabilities. It is a pity that such an attractive matchup occurred so early in the Round of 32."

This stands in stark contrast to the view directed at South Korean soccer, which is now facing elimination. Under coach Hong Myung-bo, South Korea was placed in Group A with the Czech Republic, Mexico, and South Africa, finishing third in the group with one win, two losses, three points, and a goal difference of -1. Although South Korea defeated the Czech Republic 2-1, it suffered consecutive 0-1 defeats against Mexico and South Africa, putting it in danger of having to pack its bags and return home.

In this tournament, teams finishing third in their groups must rank within the top eight overall to advance. Currently, South Korea sits in seventh place, in a precarious position. With the final group stage matches scheduled for the 28th in Groups L, K, and J in that order, South Korea would have to return home if just two more third-place teams with better records than its own emerge.

Despite being drawn into what has been described as an exceptionally favorable group composition, the result has drawn significant criticism of Hong Myung-bo's team both domestically and internationally. Japanese media outlets are already reporting in real time on South Korea's reactions and possible scenarios due to the threat of elimination. Japanese outlet Sports Hochi reported, "Senegal's 5-goal victory over Iraq pushed South Korea down to seventh place in the battle for third in the group. South Korea could have secured its place in the Round of 32 with at least a draw against South Africa in the group stage's third match, but an unexpected defeat has left it on the brink of elimination."

ESPN also offered harsh criticism, stating, "Coach Hong Myung-bo's decision to exclude Son Heung-min, which bordered on gambling, led to a disastrous outcome. Ultimately, after suffering a shocking defeat to South Africa, South Korea fell to third in the group and must now rely on results from other groups to advance to the Round of 32."

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*This content was translated by AI.