South Korea was defeated 1-0 by South Africa on June 24 in Monterrey during the last group stage match of Group A at the 2026 World Cup [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]. The only goal came in the 63rd minute, scored by South Africa's Thapelo Maseko, assisted by Tshepang Moremi [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8].
South Korea's head coach Hong Myung-bo made a tactical decision to start without team captain and star forward Son Heung-min, 33, leaving him on the bench initially [9, 10, 11, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. Son came on as a substitute in the second half but could not break through South Africa's defense [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. Despite having greater ball possession, South Korea failed to score and break down their opponent's defense [4, 5, 6].
Hong Myung-bo took full responsibility for the loss, saying, "球員們已經傾盡全力，但率先丟球確實令人沮喪。對於這樣令人遺憾的結果，所有的責任都在我這個總教練身上" and later added, "歸根結底，責任在我身上。我想我做出錯誤的決定，而這就是我們輸球的原因" [4, 6]. He explained his decision to play Son Heung-min only in the second half was based on judgment about the opponent's stamina and match conditions [7].
South Africa's head coach Hugo Broos praised his team's tactical discipline, saying, "這種感覺難以言喻，這是一次奇妙的經驗。我們在戰術上做得非常好，完全沒讓南韓找到他們想要的空間" [4]. Goal scorer Thapelo Maseko described the moment as surreal, "這簡直不敢置信，感覺就像在做夢。謝謝所有傾盡全力支持我們的球迷" [4].
South Korea finished third in Group A with one win and two losses, failing to secure direct advancement to the round of 32 [6, 7]. South Africa and Mexico ended first and second respectively and advanced to the knockout stage. The result marked South Africa's first-ever qualification to a World Cup knockout round [4, 5, 6, 8].
Although out of direct qualification, South Korea still has a chance to qualify as one of the best third-place teams in the tournament [1, 2, 3, 6, 7]. Fans hope that a result in another Group F match, where Japan plays Sweden, will improve South Korea's chances [12].
