South Korea stunned by South Africa defeat

It was a nightmare outing for South Korean soccer. The Taegeuk Warriors trudged off the field with heads down after a crushing defeat.

South Korea suffered a 1-0 loss to South Africa in its final Group A match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday at Monterrey Stadium in Mexico. South Africa, widely viewed as the weakest team in the group, entered the match ranked 61st in the FIFA standings, 37 spots behind 24th-ranked South Korea.

South Korea went into the match with a 1-1 record and needed only a draw to secure second place in the group and a berth in the Round of 32. Instead, a flat and uninspired performance left the team in third place with three points from one win and two losses, denying it automatic qualification. South Korea must now finish among the top eight third-place teams across the tournament's 12 groups when group-stage play concludes on June 28 to reach the knockout round.

Even if South Korea advances as a third-place team, a difficult path awaits, with a potential matchup against Group E winner Germany or the eventual winner of Group G. Monterrey Stadium, which had been expected to witness celebrations of a second consecutive appearance in the knockout stage, instead became the backdrop to one of the team's most bitter disappointments.


Bae-Jung Kim wanted@donga.com