Is South Korea out of the World Cup? Third

Is South Korea out of the World Cup? Third-place standings reveal final place for Korean squad originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

South Korea entered the final day of World Cup group stage matches with a chance.

They had won once and lost twice in their own games, but if results fell their way, they could seize a spot as one of the eight-best third-place teams.

Results did not go the way of the Koreans, though.

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Yes, South Korea has been eliminated from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

They needed two or three things to go their way on Saturday night, and they got none of them.

The Koreans finish as the 10th-best third-place team.

They had 3 points, and it was always going to be tough to advance on 3 points.

Senegal was the only team to do so. They, like the Koreans, had one win and two losses. But they won big, giving them a goal differential of plus-2.

Iran was the ninth-best third-place team, with three draws.

It was a brutally disappointing tournament. It began promisingly enough, a 2-1 come-from-behind win over Czechia.

Losing to Mexico wasn't a total shock, but then a 1-0 defeat to South Africa was.

South Korea didn't even start Son Heung-min in the final group stage match, and their urgency didn't seem up to the level it needed to be.

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