The South Korea national football team lost to Mexico 0:1 in the 2026 North and Central America World Cup group stage. Hong Myung-bo's team started with a 3-4-3 formation, featuring Lee Ki-hyeok, Kim Min-jae, and Lee Han-beom in the backline, and Son Heung-min, Lee Jae-sung, and Lee Kang-in in the front line. However, the team struggled to cope with Mexico's attacks in the early stages of the game and conceded the winning goal in the 50th minute due to a communication error between goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu and defender Lee Ki-hyeok. Hong Myung-bo made several substitutions, including replacing Son Heung-min and Lee Jae-sung with Oh Hyun-gyu and Hwang Hee-chan, but the team was unable to score against Mexico's solid defense. As a result, South Korea lost 0:1 and remained in second place, while Mexico secured first place with two wins and advanced to the round of 32.