The South Korea national football team lost 0-1 to Mexico in the 2026 World Cup group stage. Hong Myung-bo's team conceded a goal and suffered a disappointing defeat. The match started with a rough beginning. In the 4th minute of the first half, Lee Kang-in received a yellow card for stepping on Luis Romo's foot, putting the Korean bench on edge. The flow of the game then centered around Son Heung-min. In the 10th minute of the first half, Lee Han-beom's long pass found Son Heung-min, who broke through the Mexican defense, but Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa blocked the shot. Six minutes later, Son Heung-min created a similar opportunity, but this time, Alvarez chased him down and cleared the ball. Mexico also posed a threat. In the 20th minute of the first half, Quiñones headed the ball towards the goal, but Kim Seung-gyu made a calm save. Korea continued to try and find space behind the Mexican defense with long passes, but repeatedly got caught offside. Towards the end of the first half, Korea increased its possession. In the 40th minute, Hwang In-beom's pass found Son Heung-min, but the ball was slightly too long, and in the 41st minute, Seol Young-woo's shot went wide. In the 45th minute, Lee Han-beom's cross found Lee Jae-sung, but the ball barely missed his foot, and the first half ended 0-0. The second half started with a crisis for Korea. Lee Ki-hyuk successfully cleared the ball with a tackle, but it bounced off a Mexican player and gave Jesus Gallardo a one-on-one chance. Fortunately, the shot was not accurate, and Korea overcame the crisis. However, the crisis did not last long. In the 5th minute of the second half, Mexico's cross found Kim Seung-gyu, who rushed out to clear the ball but failed to do so. The ball bounced off Lee Ki-hyuk, and Romo took advantage of the mistake, scoring the opening goal. After conceding the goal, Hong Myung-bo's response was quick. In the 12th minute of the second half, he substituted Lee Jae-sung and Son Heung-min with Hwang Hee-chan and Oh Hyeon-gyu, rearranging the attack. As in the match against the Czech Republic, he took a risk early on. In the 21st minute of the second half, Mexico's counterattack threatened again, but Kim Min-jae intercepted Quiñones' pass, preventing another goal. After the hydration break, Hong Myung-bo took another risk. He substituted Seol Young-woo and Kim Moon-hwan with Eom Ji-sung and Yang Hyun-jun, effectively switching to an ultra-attacking formation. Immediately after this change, Korea faced another crisis. Quiñones' cross found Jimenez, who shot from behind the defense, but Kim Seung-gyu made a superb save to prevent another goal. In the 31st minute of the second half, Korea had a crucial opportunity. Yang Hyun-jun's cross found Oh Hyeon-gyu, but the ball barely missed his foot. Hong Myung-bo used his last substitution card in the 32nd minute, replacing Baek Seung-ho with Cho Gyu-sung, showing his determination to score. In the 41st minute, Korea had its best chance. Eom Ji-sung's cross found Cho Gyu-sung, who headed the ball accurately, but Ochoa blocked the shot. Cho Gyu-sung immediately shot again, but Ochoa made another save. In added time, Lee Kang-in's corner kick found Lee Han-beom, who headed the ball, but the Mexican defense's strong pressure disrupted his balance, and he failed to make a proper impact. Korea continued to attack, seeking an equalizer, but could not create any more threatening opportunities and eventually lost the match 0-1 to Mexico. Hong Myung-bo's team had to swallow its disappointment.