South Korea national team head coach Hong Myung-bo. [Yonhap]
South Korea national team head coach Hong Myung-bo. [Yonhap]

South Korea's national football team has been eliminated from the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage. The Democratic Republic of Congo sealed South Korea's fate Sunday, defeating Uzbekistan 3-1 in the final Group K match at Atlanta Stadium in Georgia to end any remaining hope of a round-of-32 berth.

South Korea finished Group A with one win and two losses — three points and a goal difference of minus-one — ending in third place. To advance, the team needed to rank among the top eight third-place finishers across all groups.

After the group stage concluded, South Korea sat fourth among all third-place teams and needed at least three of nine possible scenarios to go their way — but only one materialized across the eight remaining matches.

Results in Groups D, E, F, G and I all went against South Korea. Spain's victory in Group H kept a faint hope alive briefly, but there was no late twist in Group K.

[Yonhap]
[Yonhap]

The dismal result has turned attention to the future of national team head coach Hong Myung-bo.

Hong's contract is understood to run through the Asian Cup in January next year. Throughout all three group-stage matches, the team stuck to the same tactics and patterns of play — an approach that Mexico and South Africa read with ease.

South Korea scored just two goals across the group stage, including a scoreless run in the second and third matches. That tally matches the two goals the team managed at the 1998 World Cup in France, when their group opponents were Mexico, the Netherlands and Belgium.

Criticism of the coaching staff has peaked given that the team was drawn into what many called the best possible group — seeded in Pot 2 and placed alongside Czech Republic and South Africa — yet still failed to advance.

The coaches of both Mexico and South Africa had publicly stated before their respective matches that they had already worked out how to play against South Korea.

[Yonhap]
[Yonhap]

At a post-match press conference following the South Africa defeat, Hong said he was unsure why the team had lost, suggesting conditions may have played a role. "After playing two matches in the relatively mild climate of Guadalajara, moving to the heat of Monterrey seems to have made it difficult for the players to adapt," he said.

He added that while he accepted full responsibility, he found it hard to explain why the players looked so slow on the pitch.

Park Ji-sung, a JTBC commentator who called Sunday's Group K match, said the outcome may have been foreseeable for years. "It is time to move forward with a different future, starting now," he said. JTBC anchor Bae Seong-jae said Korean football had suffered many painful moments since the turn of the century, and this tournament had left yet another deep scar.

Commentator Kim Hwan said the team must overhaul itself to avoid repeating the same mistakes. "We are a team that does not live up to our FIFA ranking," he said. "I hope those in charge make choices for the good of football, not for personal gain."


dbsdn1110@heraldcorp.com