US media criticizes Hong Myung-bo's South Africa call as Korea's World Cup matches rank near bottom of entertainment list

South Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo clutches his head during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Group A match against South Africa at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, Mexico, on June 24 (local time). [Yonhap]

Two of South Korea's three matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America ranked near the bottom of an entertainment ranking compiled by a major US sports outlet.

Sports Illustrated on Wednesday ranked all 101 matches played at this year's World Cup by entertainment value, taking into account not only the number of goals but also the flow and atmosphere of each game. The lower the ranking — the higher the number — the more tedious the match was deemed.

Two of Korea's three matches landed in the bottom tier of the list.

Goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu collides with Lee Gi-hyeok and drops the ball during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Group A match between South Korea and Mexico at the Guadalajara Stadium in Zapopan, Mexico, on June 18 (local time). [Yonhap]

The 0-1 loss to Mexico ranked 92nd. The outlet said goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu's error led directly to Mexico's winning goal, and added that the boos from the Mexican home crowd at halftime were justified given the low quality of play.

Son Heung-min warms up as a substitute during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Group A match between South Korea and South Africa at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, Mexico, on June 24 (local time). [Yonhap]

The 0-1 defeat to South Africa ranked 87th. The outlet criticized Hong's decision to bench Son Heung-min — a strategy aimed at exploiting South Africa's fatigue in the second half — noting that it was South Africa who scored late in the game while Son managed only a single blocked shot after coming on.

By contrast, Korea's 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic ranked 29th, the highest of the team's three matches. The outlet described it as a contest in which two teams from different continents traded tactical reads throughout, calling it "the essence of the World Cup." Hwang In-beom was singled out for an impressive performance in that match.

The top-ranked match among all 101 games was England's 3-2 win over Mexico.

dbsdn1110@heraldcorp.com