The South Korean national football team's hopes of advancing to the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA North America World Cup have been dashed. The Democratic Republic of Congo's victory over Uzbekistan allowed them to surpass South Korea in the race for third place in their group.
On June 28 at 8:30 a.m. KST, Congo defeated Uzbekistan 3-1 in their final Group K match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. Uzbekistan initially took the lead with an early goal in the first half. However, Congo turned the game around in the second half, with Yoann Wissa equalizing from a penalty kick, followed by two more goals to secure the comeback victory.
With this win, Congo finished the group stage with a record of 1 win, 1 draw, and 1 loss, earning 4 points. After drawing 1-1 with Portugal and losing 1-0 to Colombia, Congo's final match victory positioned them favorably in the race for third place.
This outcome proved detrimental for South Korea.
The tournament expanded to 48 teams, allowing the top two teams from each group, along with the eight best third-place teams, to advance to the knockout stage. South Korea finished third in Group A with a record of 1 win and 2 losses (3 points, goal difference -1) and awaited results from other groups. However, with Congo securing 4 points, it became impossible for South Korea to rank among the top eight third-place teams.
As a result, South Korea's elimination from the group stage is now confirmed.
South Korea began the tournament with a 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic but suffered consecutive losses to Mexico and South Africa, both by a score of 1-0, finishing third in their group. Despite holding out hope for favorable results from other groups until the end, Congo's comeback victory eliminated any remaining possibilities.
In Group K, Portugal finished first, followed by Colombia in second, both advancing to the knockout stage, while Congo secured third place with 4 points. Uzbekistan ended the tournament in last place.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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