Korea's World Cup elimination intensifies scrutiny of tactics, criticism of KFA

Korea’s national football team head coach Hong Myung-bo wears a somber expression during the team's 2026 FIFA World Cup Group A match against South Africa at Estadio de Monterrey, Mexico, Wednesday (local time). Yonhap

By Lee Hae-rin

• Published Jun 28, 2026 4:05 PM KST
• Updated Jun 28, 2026 6:24 PM KST

Fans, experts decry 'worst performance in football history'

Korea’s failure to reach the round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup has unleashed a wave of fury back home. Fans and experts say the result was not a sudden collapse but the inevitable outcome of years of mismanagement, elitism and controversy surrounding the Korea Football Association (KFA).

The team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, finished third in Group A on Wednesday (local time) despite what many saw as the “easiest” World Cup draw in the country’s modern football history. The team then slipped to ninth among all group runners-up, missing out on the expanded knockout stage, which allowed the top eight third-placed teams to go through.

The final blow came Saturday (local time) when the Democratic Republic of Congo beat Uzbekistan 3-1 in their last Group K match, a result that mathematically confirmed Korea’s elimination.

The manner of exit has sharpened criticism of Hong’s tactical approach and the KFA’s governance.

“Maybe we’ve been expecting this for years,” former national team captain and commentator Park Ji-sung said in JTBC’s broadcast after the game. “It is miserable that we’ve come to this moment where we have to look back and ask why we ended up here. From now on, it’s time to move forward for a different future.”

Former defender and KBS commentator Lee Young-pyo called the game against South Africa “the worst match by a Korean football team in the 21st century,” adding, “There was no structure, no objective and it was hard to understand why the players were even running. In more than 10 years of commentary, it was the hardest game to explain.”

Football analyst Ahn Min-ho described the three days Korea spent waiting on other group results as “false hope” for both players and fans, calling this “the most grotesque World Cup Korea has ever experienced, from Hong Myung-bo’s controversial appointment to the team’s final collapse.”

Over the period, public sentiment swung from uneasy hope to outrage, with fans glued to broadcasts of other groups’ matches only to watch Korea’s fate finally being sealed. This sparked calls on social media to “blow up the KFA,” “remove Hong” and “start all over” amid what many describe as the most humiliating World Cup in the country’s football history.

Public anger rose further when a behind-the-scenes clip of the national team’s tactical meeting went viral. In the video, recorded before Korea's friendly game against Ghana on Nov. 18, 2025, Hong stands in front of a slide bearing a single word in English: “FIGHT.”

He tells the players, “Fight. You know the word, fight. Go out there and fight. Getting sent off is absolutely unacceptable. That’s what I want to see from you today.”

Team captain Son Heung-min sits scratching the back of his head as his teammates stare ahead with stiff expressions.

Fans reacted with disbelief, saying they saw only appeals to “spirit” but no concrete instructions, and questioned whether the squad could trust a manager who spoke almost exclusively in slogans at a critical moment.

Hong’s team arrived at the tournament with a goal of entering the round of 16 for a third time on foreign soil, following runs in South Africa in 2010 and Qatar in 2022.

With prolific LAFC forward Son, creative midfielder Lee Kang-in and defenders playing in top European leagues, the 2026 roster was widely described by commentators as a “golden squad” capable of matching or surpassing previous generations.

Instead, the team produced a 2-1 comeback win over the Czech Republic, a 1-0 defeat to host nation Mexico and a disastrous 1-0 loss to South Africa, where a draw would have been enough to secure second place in the group.

The elimination follows years of scandals facing the KFA linked to opaque coaching appointments and allegations of cartel-style favoritism linked to specific universities and regions.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s audits have flagged dozens of improper practices, including irregular payments to board members and questionable use of public funds.

Criticism extended far beyond the pitch.

President Lee Jae Myung targeted the controversial appointment of Hong, saying the elimination seems to have resulted from a failure in KFA's organizational management and personnel affairs.

"If the leader is selected based not on ability, the outcome is predictable," Lee wrote in a message posted to social media. "And this failure was possible because there were no effective oversight, checks or accountability for those who made the personnel decision."

Lee said the sports ministry would scrutinize the cause of the poor performance and set up countermeasures, adding that taxpayers' money and government support have been used for the country's World Cup participation.

Rep. Song Young-gil of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea labeled the KFA “the greatest enemy of Korean football” in a social media post, arguing that years of opaque coach appointments, cartel-like elitism and a lack of accountability have made systemic collapse inevitable.

The players are set to return to their respective clubs on separate flights, and no official welcome ceremony is planned at the airport, according to the KFA. It is a highly unusual departure from tradition, reflecting the extent of public disappointment and anger.