[Reuters]
[Reuters]

South Korea's national football team has been eliminated from the round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America.

The Democratic Republic of Congo sealed South Korea's fate Saturday (Korean Standard Time) by defeating Uzbekistan 3-1 in the Group K finale. South Korea needed Uzbekistan to beat Congo by fewer than five goals, or draw, to keep alive any chance of advancing.

Uzbekistan took the lead with a goal in the ninth minute but conceded an equalizer early in the second half, then gave up a go-ahead goal in the 78th minute and a fourth in the 91st to lose.

South Korea finished third in Group A with one win and two losses — three points and a goal difference of minus-one. The team needed to place among the top eight third-place finishers across all groups to advance, but nearly every scenario required failed to materialize.

Despite fielding what many considered a historic squad — featuring Son Heung-min, Kim Min-jae, Lee Kang-in and Hwang In-beom, all seasoned at the highest levels of European football — the result was a bitter disappointment.

[Yonhap]
[Yonhap]

Speaking at a post-match press conference after the group stage concluded, coach Hong Myung-bo said the outcome was entirely his responsibility. "On a stage this big, the results are all on the manager," he said. "In the end, every judgment and every decision was mine." Shortly after the match against South Africa, a petition calling for Hong's immediate dismissal was filed on the National Assembly's public consent petition website.

Hong's contract runs through the Asian Cup in January 2027 — not just the World Cup — meaning elimination does not automatically trigger his resignation. The Korea Football Association's performance enhancement committee is scheduled to hold a review meeting, but controversy over Hong's future is unlikely to die down.


dbsdn1110@heraldcorp.com