S. Korea's fate left hanging after defeat to S. Africa

South Korea must wait as group stage continues, with eight of 12 third-place teams advancing to knockout stage

Son Heung-min reacts after South Korea's 1-0 loss to South Africa on Wednesday. (Reuters-Yonhap)

South Korea’s hopes of reaching the Round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup are no longer in their own hands after a costly 1-0 defeat to South Africa left the Taegeuk Warriors third in Group A on Wednesday.

The team conceded a goal in the 63rd minute, with Thapelo Maseko scoring for the African nation.

Currently sitting at No. 25, South Korea finished third at this stage with three points from one win and two defeats. The team opened the tournament with a 2-1 win over the Czech Republic before suffering back-to-back losses to Mexico and South Africa.

While Wednesday’s defeat has dashed Korea’s hopes of automatically qualifying for the knockout stage, their World Cup campaign is still not over.

Under the tournament’s expanded 48-team format, the eight best third-place teams can advance to the Round of 32 alongside the top two finishers from each group.

South Korean players react after their game against South Africa on Wednesday. (Reuters-Yonhap)

Third-place teams are ranked first by points, then by goal difference, goals scored, fair play points and, if necessary, FIFA ranking.

With the group stage set to conclude Sunday, the race for the eight third-place qualification spots remains ongoing. South Korea currently sits fourth among the 12 third-placed teams, though its standing is expected to change as the remaining matches are played.

For now, Bosnia and Herzegovina sit ahead of Korea in the third-place standings with four points.

Other teams also have an edge over South Korea.

Sweden has three points from two matches with a goal difference of zero, while Croatia also has three points and is above Korea on goals scored. Algeria and Paraguay each have three points, while Cape Verde and Belgium have each picked up two draws and currently hold superior goal differences.

Lee Kang-in reacts after South Korea's match against South Africa on Wednesday. (Reuters-Yonhap)

That leaves only a handful of third-place teams currently below South Korea, including Senegal, Ecuador and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

But no lead is safe at this stage.

Senegal, currently at the bottom of the third-place standings after two defeats, could still overtake South Korea. With three goals scored despite a goal difference of minus three, a win over Iraq in their final Group I match could be enough to move Senegal ahead.

South Korea is currently projected to rank seventh to ninth among the 12 third-place teams, putting them right on the qualification line.

Even if South Korea becomes one of the tournament’s eight best third-place teams, they are unlikely to avoid a tough matchup.

Based on the current standings, Korea would face either four-time world champions Germany from Group E or Group G leader Egypt, with each having won both of their matches.