South Korea lost the match and saw its pride trampled. After falling 0-1 to South Africa in the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, failing to secure direct passage to the round of 32, foreign media unleashed a wave of criticism and ridicule.
In the third match of Group A in the 2026 World Cup group stage, held in Monterrey, Mexico, on Sunday, South Korea lost 0-1 to South Africa, dropping to one win and two losses and third place in the group. Despite holding 61% possession in the first half, the team managed only one shot on target, and head coach Hong Myung-bo's tactics in leaving ace Son Heung-min out of the starting lineup also came under scrutiny.
Hong eventually made a gamble in the second half, bringing on Son and others all at once, but after conceding the opening goal to South Africa, the team lost following a listless performance. South Korea must now anxiously await the results of other group matches.
Japan's reaction was nothing short of shock. On the Nikkan Sports website, South Korea-related articles occupied the top three spots in the real-time popularity ranking of football stories that afternoon. Japanese football fans poured out harsh comments such as "South Africa looked more desperate than South Korea" and "Coach Hong Myung-bo's choices are incomprehensible."
The reaction from China, which failed to qualify for this World Cup, was even more scathing. China's The Paper said, "In the ideal situation where even a draw would have been enough to advance to the round of 32, they were caught out by South Africa," adding the jab, "At this rate, South Korea will end up like Chinese football."
Regarding Son Heung-min's exclusion from the starting lineup, it pointed out, "This is the first time South Korea has fielded a starting lineup without Son Heung-min at a World Cup since the 2010 tournament." Outlets such as Titan Sports and Jiemian News also reported in detail on South Korea's predicament of having to rely on other results.
In Britain, suspicions of a deliberate loss even surfaced. In the comment section of the BBC's live coverage, one reader said, "Is it just me? I got the sense that South Korea did almost nothing to save this game," and numerous readers echoed the comment.
Given that this tournament's format allows third-place teams to advance to the round of 32 depending on their record, the suspicion is that South Korea may have deliberately accepted a one-goal defeat by playing defensively throughout, aiming only to avoid a heavy loss.
