Korea coach fails to capitalize on 2nd chance
Korean head coach Hong Myung-bo watches his players during a training session at Chivas Valle Verde in Zapopan, Mexico, Saturday (local time). Yonhap
After failing to take Korea past the group stage in his first FIFA World Cup as head coach in 2014, Hong Myung-bo was given another chance at the 2026 tournament.
The 57-year-old tactician, however, couldn't push the squad over the hump this time, either, as Korea took an earlier-than-expected exit at the group stage.
Korea's fate was sealed Saturday, the final day of group play at the tournament co-hosted by Mexico, Canada and the United States.
Korea finished third in Group A with three points from a win and two losses. But they still had a chance to progress to the round of 32 as one of the eight best third-place teams — a new twist to the expanded tournament now featuring 48 nations, up from 32.
When Korea concluded their group stage action Wednesday, they ranked fourth among third-place countries. They needed other results to fall their way over the next few days, but ultimately didn't get enough help to squeak into the knockout round.
When the World Cup draw was completed in December, many pundits said Korea ended up in one of the softest groups in the competition without a traditional heavyweight. In Group A, they would go up against Mexico, South Africa and a European playoff winner that ended up being the Czech Republic. Korea were widely considered the second-best team in the group, behind the co-host Mexico.
Korea put themselves in a good spot by rallying past Czechia 2-1 in their opening match on June 11. Even after losing to Mexico 1-0 on a defensive miscue a week later, not all seemed lost for Hong's side. All Korea needed against 60th-ranked South Africa was a draw, and they would finish in second place behind Mexico and grab an automatic berth in the knockouts.
Yet, Korea suffered a 1-0 loss in a performance that Hong himself acknowledged was the team's worst in the group stage. Hong was heavily criticized for his poor tactical preparation and his repeated offers to take the responsibility for the outcome weren't enough to assuage angry fans.
Hong is the only man to coach Korea at two different World Cup tournaments and reaching the knockouts would have provided a measure of redemption for Hong, who was hired under controversial circumstances in 2024.
The second appointment came 10 years after Hong resigned in the aftermath of a winless performance at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Hong was thrust into charge with only about a year before the 2014 World Cup, and Korea recorded a draw and two losses to finish last in Group H. Hong resigned a few days later, despite receiving a vote of confidence from the Korea Football Association (KFA). His legacy as captain of the 2002 World Cup semifinalist who later coached Korea to their first Olympic medal in 2012 appeared to be tainted beyond repair.
The KFA gave Hong another chance at the helm of the national team but the national governing body came under immediate fire for that hiring. Critics questioned the transparency and fairness of the process, as the KFA passed on a few foreign-born candidates after a rigorous vetting process but gave Hong the job after a senior KFA executive met him briefly.
The controversy blew up to a point where Hong, along with KFA leaders, were forced to answer questions at parliamentary sessions. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism even conducted an extensive probe and demanded the KFA take discipline action on its president Chung Mong-gyu and other senior executives.
Hong was booed mercilessly in his return to the national team in September 2024 at the start of the third round in the Asian World Cup qualification. Even as Korea went on an undefeated run to easily qualify for the World Cup, the public sentiment didn't change in Hong's favor.
Following the qualification, the buildup to the big tournament was hardly encouraging. It included a pair of demoralizing losses — 5-0 to Brazil at home in October 2025 and 4-0 to Ivory Coast in England in March 2026.
Once the World Cup began, Hong enjoyed his first World Cup victory as head coach against Czechia, but the team failed to build on that positive start.
The disappointing run at the World Cup may cost Hong his job. He is signed through the 2027 Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup, set to run from January to February 2027 in Saudi Arabia.