South Korea eliminated from World Cup
South Korea’s veteran skipper Son Heung-min, 33, may now have played his last World Cup.
South Korea’s Son Heung-min looks dejected after losing to South Africa. (File photo: REUTERS/Raquel Cunha)
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ARLINGTON, Texas: South Korea’s turbulent World Cup campaign ended in the group phase on Saturday (Jun 27) when results went against them to squeeze them out of contention for the knockout rounds.
Veteran skipper Son Heung-min, 33, may now have played his last World Cup.
Hong Myung-bo’s side had the last 32 within their grasp only to suffer a shock 1-0 loss to lower-ranked South Africa on Wednesday.
They finished third in Group A behind the co-hosts Mexico and South Africa, having also lost 1-0 to Mexico.
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They beat the Czech Republic 2-1 to start their World Cup, but that was as good as it got for the much-maligned Hong and their fading talisman Son.
South Korea were hoping to edge into the knockout rounds as one of the best eight third-placed finishers.
But results in other groups went against them on Saturday to condemn them to a premature exit.
South Korea’s tournament was overshadowed by a row between the squad and local media, while a drone also buzzed a crucial training session before the Mexico defeat.
The 2026 tournament was their 11th consecutive appearance at the World Cup.
Their best performance remains their fourth-place finish when they co-hosted the tournament with Japan in 2002.
Subscribe to the FIFA World Cup 2026™ and catch all 104 matches live on mewatch. Visit mewatch.sg/fifaworldcup for more details.
Source: Reuters/gr
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