Is this about Hong Myung-bo's team? "If the odds are the only hope, a team without qualification shouldn't make it to the Round of 32"... Scottish legend's scathing remarks

*This content was translated by AI.

"If a team without qualification advances, the value of the World Cup will diminish."

Similar to Hong Myung-bo's team, Scotland, which is hoping to reach the Round of 32 based on "odds," faced harsh criticism from its own legends.

Reuters reported on the 26th (Korea time) that "legends have pointed out that if Scotland qualifies for the 2026 FIFA North, Central America and Caribbean World Cup Round of 32, it would be a 'reward for mediocrity'."

In this tournament, Scotland was drawn in Group C alongside Brazil, Morocco, and Haiti. It was a difficult group requiring competition against strong teams like Brazil and Morocco. Scotland boosted its hopes of reaching the Round of 32 by defeating Haiti 1-0 in its first group stage match. However, it subsequently lost to both Morocco and Brazil. Ultimately, it finished third in the group with one win and two losses (three points), and a goal difference of -3.

Nevertheless, elimination is not yet fully confirmed. In this tournament, not only the top two teams from each group, but also the eight best-performing third-placed teams among the 12th groups will advance to the Round of 32. Scotland, too, must wait for results from other groups.

The South Korean national football team, led by coach Hong Myung-bo, is in a similar situation. South Korea recorded one win and two losses (three points), two goals scored and three conceded, and a goal difference of -1, finishing third in Group A. Competing against host nation Mexico, Czechia, and South Africa, South Korea could have advanced to the Round of 32 as the second-placed team in Group A with just a draw in the final third-round match against South Africa, but it lost 0-1. Ultimately, South Korea also finds itself in a position where it must monitor the ranking competition among third-placed teams.

Neither team is in a favorable situation. The likelihood of elimination is greater than that of advancing to the Round of 32. In the ranking of third-placed teams in the North, Central America and Caribbean World Cup, South Korea is in eighth place. Scotland's situation is even more desperate, currently sitting in 10th place. Only if all remaining matches in Groups J, K, and L turn out favorably can Scotland make a dramatic appearance on the tournament stage. Statistical specialist Opta has calculated Scotland's probability of reaching the Round of 32 at 0.07%.

Nevertheless, from Scotland's perspective, there is still a situation where they can hope for a miraculous set of odds. However, the gaze of Scottish legends was cold. According to reports, Craig Bell, who played as captain of the Scottish national team, said, "I have no problem with Scotland being eliminated. Sorry, but we are trying to get rewarded for complete mediocrity here. Honestly, they do not have the qualification to advance."

He continued, "I think Scotland will not advance unless luck is on their side. If they do advance, it will only continue to show a shocking display of what kind of team Scotland is," strongly criticizing the situation.

He added, "The players are lacking. If they advance, that's fine. But we should not celebrate them as the first Scottish team to pass the group stage. In fact, they are advancing thanks to the changed World Cup system," he mocked.

Scotland returned to the world stage for the first time in a long time through this tournament. After breaking through fierce European qualifiers, it stepped onto the final stage for the first time since the 1998 France World Cup, 28 years later. However, Scotland has never passed the group stage in its eight previous World Cup appearances. It also bears the dishonor of being the team with the most group-stage eliminations in World Cup history.

Another Scottish legend, Steve Nicol, expressed the same opinion. He said, "Considering the quality shown by the players, whether it is Scotland or anyone else, they should not go beyond the World Cup."

Nicol criticized not only Scotland but also other teams showing similar levels of performance and results that hope to reach the Round of 32.

Nicol stated, "The World Cup should be a stage for elites. No matter which country they play for, it is a stage where all players want to win more than any other tournament. However, if some teams without qualification advance to the tournament, the value of the World Cup will diminish."

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*This content was translated by AI.