South Korea lost 1-0 to South Africa in a 2026 World Cup group stage match on June 21 or 22, putting their chances of advancing at risk [1, 2, 3]. The team started the tournament with a 2-1 win over the Czech Republic but then suffered back-to-back 0-1 defeats to Mexico and South Africa without scoring in the last two matches [1, 2, 3, 4].

Park Ji-sung, 43, a key player in South Korea’s 2002 World Cup semi-final run, offered sharp criticism of the team’s recent form and preparations. Speaking before the South Africa match, Park said, "We need to reflect on whether this was overall a game we tried to win." He pointed to the absence of clear tactical attacking plans, saying, "There was no visible plan for how to attack. This problem has been the same throughout this World Cup. It seems there were clearly some areas that were neglected during the preparation process" [1].

Park also warned that the current troubles resembled the failures at the 2014 World Cup, when South Korea exited at the group stage. "We had plenty of time to reflect on what went wrong at the 2014 World Cup. But this time again, the preparation process and the results look like a repeat of that time," he said [1].

He expressed low confidence in the squad’s ability to perform in the knockout stages if they advance. "Even if the possibility of reaching the round of 32 still remains, I am not confident that we can show a good performance on that stage with the current level of play," Park said [1].

In a public statement on June 25, Park directly blamed the Korea Football Association (KFA) for repeating 2014 mistakes and called the organization "most responsible" for the current situation [4]. His comments have sparked debate about South Korea’s football leadership and the KFA’s long-term management plans [4].

The South Korean squad notably started captain Son Heung-min on the bench during their loss to South Africa [1, 2, 3]. Despite the disappointing results, South Korea retains a chance of advancing as one of the best third-placed teams in their group [1, 2, 3, 4].

South Korea’s next match deadline will determine whether they can secure enough points to progress beyond the group stage.