World Cup 2026: South Korea on the brink of elimination after defeat to South Africa
The unexpected defeat against South Africa has left South Korea in sixth place among the third-placed teams. Son Heung-min and his teammates are now holding their breath, hoping for a miracle.
The seismic shock in the final group stage match of the 2026 World Cup has put the South Korean national team in an extremely precarious situation. The defeat against South Africa not only cost the "Taegeuk Warriors" their fate but also turned the waiting period for the results of the remaining groups into a real psychological torture.
A grim scenario for the Asian representatives.
After groups A to F completed their matches, the top-performing third-placed teams gradually emerged. However, instead of being in a safe position, South Korea is facing the risk of an earlier-than-expected exit. With only 3 points and a goal difference of -1, the South Korean team currently sits in sixth place in the provisional standings of this group.
Among the third-placed teams that have completed the group stage, South Korea only has a better record than Scotland (who also have 3 points but a worse goal difference of -3). This precarious situation makes the chances of Son Heung-min and his teammates advancing extremely low, especially since the remaining groups still have potential opponents who could surpass them in both points and goal difference.
The situation regarding the "wildcard" group: 3 teams have advanced.
In contrast to the anxieties of the Koreans, three teams could breathe a sigh of relief as they officially secured their places in the knockout round through the best third-placed teams category. These were Sweden, Ecuador, and Bosnia & Herzegovina. All three teams had accumulated 4 points, a safe enough number to guarantee a position among the top four third-placed teams in the group.
Paraguay also has 4 points, but mathematically, they are not yet 100% certain of advancing like the three teams mentioned above. However, compared to South Korea's position, the South American representative's situation is still much more favorable.
Looking at the statistics, South Korea's self-inflicted defeat against South Africa is a regrettable setback. From a position where they could determine their own fate, they now have to rely on the slip-ups of their rivals in the later groups. If the teams behind them perform well, the scenario of South Korea being pushed down to a lower position and officially eliminated is almost inevitable. The pressure is now weighing heavily on Son Heung-min, who is experiencing the most dramatic moments of his international career.