The South Korean national football team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, has ultimately failed to advance to the Round of 32 at the 2026 North and Central America World Cup. In the final Group K match—the last puzzle piece that would determine South Korea's Round of 32 fate—the Democratic Republic of the Congo defeated Uzbekistan 3-1, pushing South Korea out of the race for the best third-placed teams.

This tournament is being held under a 48-nation format. Not only the top two teams from each group, but also the eight best-performing third-placed teams among the 12 groups are granted spots in the Round of 32. South Korea had narrowly kept its qualification scenarios alive after completing all group stage matches and awaiting results from other groups, but the final variable—the Group K result—worked against them, confirming their elimination.

Earlier, South Korea failed to secure the desired outcomes from Groups D, E, F, G, and I. Fortunately, Spain's victory in Group H kept a glimmer of hope alive, but the Democratic Republic of the Congo's comeback win over Uzbekistan in Group K extinguished South Korea's last remaining hope of advancement. As a result, South Korea was edged out in the rankings among third-placed teams, bringing their tournament campaign to a close at the group stage.

Hong Myung-bo's squad secured a victory over the Czech Republic in this group stage, but suffered consecutive defeats against Mexico and South Africa, struggling to earn additional points. This left them unable to clinch advancement on their own, forcing them to depend on results from other groups. Ultimately, their last remaining scenario failed to materialize, and they were eliminated from the Round of 32.

[This article was written with AI assistance. Please verify match results and official standings based on FIFA's official announcements.]