South Korea succumbed to a 0–1 defeat to South Africa in their FIFA World Cup Group A match in Monterrey, dropping out of the top two in the group standings.
A second-half goal from Thapelo Maseko proved to be the deciding factor for the African side, who qualified for the knockouts for the first time ever.
Not all is lost for Taegeuk Warriors, who still have a chance to qualify as one of the top third-seeded teams. Korea currently sits fourth among the third-placed teams and will have to wait for the results of the remaining groups to confirm its position in the top eight.
As things stand, Bosnia and Herzegovina (four points) are guaranteed to finish above South Korea. Likewise, Scotland will finish below due to a worse goal difference.
The remaining nine teams are still in the race to finish above the Koreans.
Published on June 25, 2026
