Are South Korea eliminated from FIFA World Cup 2026? Qualification status explained
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The Taegeuk Warriors could still qualify for the round of 32.
South Korea lost 0-1 to South Africa in their FIFA World Cup Group A match in Monterrey. They are dropping out of the top two in the standings. Securing a spot in the round of 32 is uncertain.
Thapelo Maseko’s second-half goal was the deciding factor for the African team. Bafana Bafana advanced to the knockout stage for the first time despite being third previously, after the first two games of group matches.
Also read: Are Czechia eliminated from FIFA World Cup 2026?
How could South Korea still reach the round of 32?
No, South Korea have not been eliminated. The team is now ranked as one of the eight best sides among 12 third-place teams, with three points and a goal difference of -1. The new format will see the best third-placed eight teams advance to the Round of 32.
Also read: FIFA World Cup 2026: Ranking best third-place teams so far
Bosnia and Herzegovina have an almost 100 per cent chance of progressing after defeating Qatar 3-1 on Monday to finish third in Group B. The European side will most likely meet the United States in the Round of 32.
Hence, South Korea’s fate of reaching the round of 32 hangs on other nations’ outcomes. They will only learn the result after the end of the group stage.
Being one of the major sides in the group, it was believed that they would at least finish second. The team saw a 2-1 win over Czechia in their opening World Cup 2026 group match. But they failed to live up to that performance in the next group matches.
Their performance faltered in the second game. They failed to recover in the last group match that saw them suffer a heartbreaking defeat against South Africa.
Where did South Korea finish in the group?
They finished third in group A.
Can they still qualify for the round of 32?
Yes, depends on other teams’ outcomes.
How many group games did they win?
Only once. They lost the other two games.
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After earning a bachelor's degree in mass media, Rajarshi began his career as a sports writer in 2019, driven by his passion for sports journalism. He has been working in the field for over six years. A devoted fan of Lionel Messi and Barcelona, Rajarshi has been involved in sports since childhood. Before turning his focus to journalism, he even represented his college at the state level. Along with covering football, he enjoys playing the game, watching movies, and experimenting with new recipes in his spare time, as cooking is one of his favorite hobbies.