South Korea's soccer team has faced the grim reality of elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage. The combination of administrative controversies within the Korea Football Association and tactical limitations under head coach Hong Myung-bo has resulted in the team's worst-ever performance in the tournament's expanded format.
As of June 28, 2026, the group stage matches concluded, confirming South Korea's final ranking. With one win and two losses (3 points, goal difference -1), South Korea finished third in Group A and ranked 10th among the 12 third-placed teams. In this tournament, the top eight third-placed teams advance to the knockout stage, but South Korea fell short of this threshold.
This marks the first time since the 2018 World Cup in Russia that South Korea has failed to progress past the group stage, and it is the ninth time in history that the team has exited at this stage (previously in 1954, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2006, 2014, and 2018).
South Korea's final ranking in this tournament is particularly disappointing, as it placed 34th out of 48 teams. Compared to the previous format with 32 teams, this performance is akin to not qualifying for the tournament at all, marking the lowest achievement in the nation's World Cup history.
The root cause of this failure lies in the administrative shortcomings of the Korea Football Association. The irrational process of appointing a head coach has been identified as a critical flaw. In July 2024, after the dismissal of former coach Jurgen Klinsmann, the association struggled for five months to find a successor before abruptly appointing Hong Myung-bo. The verification system established by the Strengthening Committee failed to function effectively, as foreign candidates faced stringent tactical presentations and in-depth interviews, while Hong was appointed with little procedural justification.
A specific audit by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism revealed these administrative issues. Lee Eui-sang, who lacked the authority to recommend a coach, conducted interviews with the final three candidates and ranked them. These interviews were held without pre-set questions or observers, and Lee conducted a solo interview at Hong's residence late at night, offering him the position. Prior to this, Jeong Mong-kyu, the former Strengthening Committee chair, had also listed Hong as the top candidate without conducting any interviews.
Despite requests from some board members for a formal board meeting to discuss the appointment, the decision was pushed through, citing a lack of quorum. This opaque decision-making process mirrors the earlier missteps during Klinsmann's appointment, where the association bypassed established procedures, leading to significant penalties and wasted administrative resources.
The association's response to the fallout has also been criticized. When the appointment process was questioned, the association issued a statement claiming that Lee had received consent from committee members during an emergency meeting. However, this was later disproven during the ministry's audit, prompting the association to backtrack and acknowledge that there was no regulatory basis for such consent.
Due to the controversies surrounding the coaching appointment and opaque administration, public expectations were low ahead of the tournament. Nevertheless, Hong's team aimed for a historic quarterfinal appearance. Grouped with South Africa, considered a weaker African team, and the Czech Republic, which barely qualified through the European playoffs, the group was seen as favorable. At the time, South Korea was ranked around 20th by FIFA, while the Czech Republic and South Africa were ranked 40th and 60th, respectively, indicating a clear advantage.
However, after winning the opening match against the Czech Republic (2-1), South Korea suffered consecutive losses to Mexico (0-1) and South Africa (0-1). The match against South Africa, where a draw would have sufficed for advancement, highlighted the absence of tactical direction from Hong. The team relied on simplistic and flat attacking patterns rather than intricate passing plays or set tactics. This mirrored the failures of Hong's first tenure in the 2014 World Cup, where the team also exited in the group stage with one draw and two losses.
In the match against South Africa, where scoring was urgent, South Korea failed to show any significant tactical changes in the second half and continued to pass the ball within their own half. Hong faced criticism for his passive management, as he sat on the bench for 20 minutes without issuing tactical instructions. In the post-match press conference, he struggled to identify clear reasons for the defeat, stating, "I made poor judgments and decisions, leading to unfavorable outcomes," and admitted he could not easily pinpoint why the team's performance was lacking.
With a disappointing performance, the national team prepares to return home quietly. The Korea Football Association announced that the team, led by coach Hong, is scheduled to arrive at Incheon International Airport on June 30. They will leave Guadalajara, Mexico, and transit through the United States before returning to Korea.
On June 28, Hong and eight players, including Jo Hyun-woo, Kim Min-jae, Hwang In-beom, Hwang Hee-chan, Baek Seung-ho, Kim Moon-hwan, Lee Kang-in, and Seol Young-woo, will depart from Guadalajara. Other players, including Son Heung-min, will return separately. The association stated, "The remaining players will return to Korea in groups by July 1."
Notably, there will be no welcome ceremony upon their return. The Korea Football Association confirmed, "There will be no separate return event." This marks the first time since the 2002 World Cup that a South Korean team has returned from a World Cup without a welcoming ceremony. Even during the disappointing 2014 World Cup, there was a welcome event, despite the team's poor performance.
During that tournament, Hong was also the head coach, and fans infamously threw snacks at him and the players as they entered the airport.