'Including Hong Myung-bo's team,' Asia treated as a 'points vending machine'; only Japan and Australia advance to Round of 32... "Gloomy," foreign media also fiercely criticize

*This content was translated by AI.

Asian football was treated as a 'points vending machine' on the world stage. South Korean football was no exception.

All group stage matches of the 2026 FIFA North, Central America and Caribbean World Cup have concluded. In the previous Qatar tournament with a 32-team format, South Korea reached the Round of 16, but in this expanded 48-team tournament, it failed to advance to the Round of 32.

The South Korean national football team, led by coach Hong Myung-bo, recorded one win and two losses (3 points), two goals scored and three conceded, and a goal difference of -1 in the North, Central America and Caribbean World Cup Group A. After finishing third in Group A, it entered the tiebreaker competition among third-placed teams but ultimately failed to secure a spot in the Round of 32.

This tournament expanded from a 32-team format to a 48-team format. The knockout stage now begins with the Round of 32 instead of the Round of 16. In addition to the top two teams in each group, the eight best-performing third-placed teams among the 12th groups will advance to the Round of 32. However, South Korea finished 10th among the 12 third-placed teams.

The top third-placed teams that advanced to the knockout stage included the Democratic Republic of the Congo in first place, Sweden in second, Ecuador in third, Ghana in fourth, Bosnia and Herzegovina in fifth, Algeria in sixth, Paraguay in seventh, and Senegal in eighth. Teams ranked first through seventh all secured four points and were safely through. Senegal, ranked eighth, managed only one win and two losses (3 points), but defeated Iraq 5-0 in the final group stage match. Senegal recorded eight goals scored and six conceded, with a goal difference of +2, overtaking other teams with three points to take the last spot.

Iran also competed for a third-place finish alongside South Korea but ended up in ninth place. Iran was grouped in Group G with Belgium, Egypt, and New Zealand in this tournament. However, it started uneasily with a 2-2 draw against New Zealand, which was considered a weak team. Later, relying on the goalkeeper's performance, it recorded a 0-0 draw against Belgium, but failed to secure a victory in the final match against Egypt. Ultimately, it finished with three draws (3 points) and fell behind in the third-place competition.

The overall results of Asian teams were also disappointing. A total of nine AFC member nations participated in this North, Central America and Caribbean World Cup. Along with South Korea, Japan, Australia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Uzbekistan stepped onto the main stage. With the expansion to a 48-team format starting this tournament, the number of main stage tickets allocated to Asia also increased to 8.5. In particular, Jordan and Uzbekistan participated in the World Cup main stage for the first time in history.

However, among the nine teams, only Japan and Australia advanced to the Round of 32. South Korea finished third in Group A. Grouped with Mexico, Czech Republic, and South Africa, it was even labeled a 'historically easy group,' but the result was disastrous. Qatar in Group B finished last with one draw and two losses (1 point), and Iran in Group G also failed to advance with three draws. Saudi Arabia in Group H also ended its journey in fourth place in the group with two draws and one loss (2 points).

Iraq in Group I, Jordan in Group J, and Uzbekistan in Group K accepted even more painful results. All three teams lost all three group stage matches. They were truly a 'points vending machine.' Although Asian teams benefited from the expansion of qualification spots, they failed to prove their competitiveness on the main stage.

Foreign media's gaze was also cold. The UK's Guardian, reporting on the situation of Asian teams at the end of the group stage of the North, Central America and Caribbean World Cup, evaluated it as "looking gloomy." It pointed out that only Japan and Australia are likely to advance to the Round of 32, and the actual results were not significantly different. Japanese media Gekisaka also expressed regret, stating, "Although the number of World Cup qualification spots for Asian teams has increased, all teams except Japan are struggling."

At least Australia and Japan passed the group stage, preserving Asia's pride. Australia recorded one win, one draw, and one loss (4 points) in Group D and finished second in the group to advance to the Round of 32. It will face Egypt in the Round of 32 at Dallas Stadium on the 4th of next month (Korea time).

Japan also secured second place in Group F with one win and two draws (5 points). It drew with the Netherlands, thoroughly defeated Tunisia, and drew with Sweden, passing the group stage undefeated. However, its Round of 32 opponent is the 'eternal favorite' Brazil. The Round of 32 match between Japan and Brazil will be held at Houston Stadium on the 30th (Korea time).

Australia also cannot guarantee a victory. Looking at the FIFA rankings alone, Australia is ranked 27th and Egypt 29th, with little difference. Moreover, Egypt has a world-class superstar, Mohamed Salah (Liverpool). It is possible that the sight of Asian teams performing well at the North, Central America and Caribbean World Cup may disappear early.

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*This content was translated by AI.