'Was there mass food poisoning?' — Unusual questions greet Hong Myung-bo after South Africa loss

Unusual questions rained down on South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo at the post-match press conference after his side suffered a shocking 0-1 defeat to South Africa in the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

South Korea faced South Africa in the final Group A match at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, Mexico on Thursday, falling to a goal from Tafelo Maseko in the 63rd minute.

A draw would have secured a direct berth in the round of 32, but the team managed not a single shot on target in the first half against FIFA-ranked No. 61 South Africa.

The mood at the post-match press conference was icy. One reporter delivered a pointed question: "Thursday's match seemed like an absolute disaster. The players looked physically sluggish across the board — was there some force majeure factor before the game, like mass food poisoning? Without something like that, the performance is very hard to accept."

Hong acknowledged the poor showing. "The performance was poor, but there was absolutely nothing like that with our team," he said. "I don't want to shift the blame in that direction. On Thursday, we clearly played our worst match of the three World Cup games."

"There are many reasons I could give, but all responsibility lies with the manager," he added. "I made the judgments and the decisions."

The players could not hide their anguish either. In video footage that spread on social media after the final whistle, Lee Kang-in was seen crouching on the pitch, repeatedly pounding the turf and appearing to tear at his jersey. He remained slumped on the field for some time before teammates helped him to his feet.

Park Ji-sung, a JTBC commentator, also criticized the team's approach in his post-match analysis. "We need to ask ourselves whether this was really a team trying to win," he said. "All three group-stage matches looked the same — the focus was on defense with the intention to attack, but there was no visible plan for how to actually get the ball into the box."

With the tournament expanded to 48 nations, the top two teams from each group — 24 in total — advance directly to the round of 32, while the eight best third-place finishers from the 12 groups also earn berths.

Third-place teams are ranked by points, then goal difference, then goals scored, with fair play scores applied in the event of a tie. Under the current standings, South Korea sits fourth among third-place teams.

Among the third-place finishers already confirmed, only Bosnia and Herzegovina (4 points, goal difference -1) rank above South Korea, while Group C's Scotland (3 points, goal difference -3) sits below.

The third-place teams from groups that have played only two matches remain the key variables. Sweden (3 points, goal difference 0) and Croatia (3 points, goal difference -1, 3 goals scored) currently rank ahead of South Korea.

Belgium (2 points) and Cape Verde (2 points) would overtake South Korea with even a draw in their final matches. Algeria (3 points, goal difference -2) and Paraguay (3 points, goal difference -2) could also leapfrog South Korea if they score two or more goals in their final match — even in defeat — improving their goal difference enough to move ahead.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (1 point, goal difference -1) and Ecuador (1 point, goal difference -1) would also pass South Korea with a win, moving to 4 points. Even Senegal (0 points, goal difference -3) enters the equation if it beats Iraq by three or more goals.

If enough of these teams surpass South Korea, it will be eliminated outside the top eight. Should South Korea advance, it would face the Group E winner in Boston on Tuesday or the Group G winner in Seattle on Thursday.