This lineup, this bracket, led to elimination from the "32 of 48 nations"... The "impossible disaster" shown by Hong Myung-bo's team

*This content was translated by AI.

A lineup of historic caliber, a bracket of historic difficulty, and yet, even under the 48th-nation format, they failed to reach the round of 32. South Korea's World Cup journey ended in vain.

The South Korea national football team, led by Coach Hong Myung-bo, recorded one win and two losses (3 points), 2 goals scored and 3 conceded, with a goal difference of -1 in Group A of the 2026 FIFA North America World Cup. Finishing third in Group A, they entered the tiebreaker competition among third-placed teams but ultimately failed to advance to the round of 32.

In a World Cup featuring top global teams, elimination in the group stage can happen at any time. Even championship favorites often fall victim to upsets and bow their heads. The World Cup is not a stage where one can advance based solely on reputation.

However, South Korea's elimination in this tournament was particularly regrettable. First, the lineup was strong. Son Heung-min (LAFC), the English Premier League (EPL) top scorer, anchored the team, while Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), who achieved back-to-back UEFA Champions League (UCL) titles, provided strong support. Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton) was also a threatening attacking resource. There were also midfielders recognized in European leagues, such as Lee Jae-sung (Mainz) and Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord).

The core of the defense was undoubtedly Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich). Kim Min-jae received high praise for his fantastic defensive display against the Czech Republic in the first match. Some foreign media had even labeled South Korea a dark horse before the tournament, citing their possession of famous stars.

The group draw was not unfavorable either. South Korea was drawn into Group A with Mexico, South Africa, and the Czech Republic. Mexico carried the burden of being the host nation, but they were not an opponent South Korea could not overcome. The Czech Republic was a team that barely qualified for the finals after navigating the European regional playoff. South Africa, ranked within the top 60 in the FIFA rankings, was considered the weakest team in the group.

Compared to other groups in the previous World Cup and this North America World Cup, South Korea had a group that was certainly competitive. At the very least, it was not a bracket where reaching the round of 32 seemed impossible.

Most importantly, the threshold for advancing from the group stage in this tournament was lower than in the past. The North America World Cup expanded to a 48-nation format. Not only the top two teams in each group, but also the eight best-performing third-placed teams among the 12th groups advanced to the round of 32. In other words, nearly two-thirds of the 48th participating teams, or 32 teams, advanced to the knockout stage.

However, South Korea did not make it into that group. In Group A, South Korea recorded one win and two losses (3 points), 2 goals scored and 3 conceded, with a goal difference of -1, finishing third. They started well with a 2-1 comeback victory against the Czech Republic in the first match, but lost 0-1 to Mexico in the second match. Even at that point, the situation was not dire. Had they drawn against South Africa in the final third match, they could have finished second in Group A and advanced to the round of 32.

But at the most critical moment, South Korea collapsed. They suffered a shocking 0-1 defeat against South Africa. It was not even a match where a win was required. A draw alone would have allowed them to advance to the round of 32 on their own merit. However, South Korea failed to achieve even the minimum result and was ultimately pushed into a position where they had to wait for results from other groups.

Elimination was not immediately confirmed. South Korea aimed to advance to the round of 32 based on their high standing among third-placed teams. Even when the Group A stage concluded, several scenarios remained possible. If only some of the remaining groups ended favorably for South Korea, a dramatic advance to the round of 32 would have been possible.

However, the subsequent flow was harsh for South Korea. Third-placed teams with better records than South Korea emerged one after another from various groups. Unexpected results also occurred, such as Ecuador defeating Germany. The scenarios South Korea had hoped for disappeared one by one.

Ultimately, the results of the J, K, and L groups held on the 28th determined South Korea's fate. South Korea needed favorable results in two of the remaining groups. However, hopes were dashed starting with Group L. From South Korea's perspective, Ghana needed to defeat Croatia. Only then could the third-placed team in Group L fall below South Korea. But when Croatia defeated Ghana 2-1, this scenario was thwarted.

The worst possible results also emerged in Group K. From South Korea's perspective, Uzbekistan needed to avoid defeat against the Democratic Republic of the Congo. However, Uzbekistan suffered a 1-3 comeback loss. The Democratic Republic of the Congo finished with one win, one draw, and one loss (4 points), securing third place in their group and entering the top tier of third-placed teams to advance to the round of 32.

With this result, South Korea's hopes vanished completely. Elimination from the World Cup was confirmed regardless of the J group results. The British tabloid The Sun also highlighted that "the Democratic Republic of the Congo defeated South Korea in the final match."

Ultimately, it is difficult to view South Korea as a team that was eliminated simply due to bad luck. The very fact that they were pushed to the limit of all possible scenarios was the problem. Had they drawn against South Africa, South Korea would have finished second in the group and advanced to the round of 32. There would have been no need to watch results from other groups.

There was a lineup of historic caliber. There was a bracket that was certainly worth competing in. The tournament format was expanded to 48 nations, widening the door to the knockout stage. Yet, South Korea failed to reach the round of 32. The conclusion that Hong Myung-bo's team faced was not a simple failure but a shocking group stage elimination.

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*This content was translated by AI.