South Korea bowed out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the group stage with a 0-1 defeat to South Africa on Sunday. League standing: 3rd in World Cup, 3 pts, 1W-0D-2L from 3 games, recent form LLW. Hours after the loss, U.S. sports bible Sports Illustrated named captain Son Heung-min among the tournament’s top 10 disappointments.
Why Son Heung-min stood out as the biggest letdown
SI’s post-mortem on 14 July highlighted Son’s goal drought as a key reason for Korea’s group-stage exit. The Tottenham Hotspur star had been Korea’s heartbeat for a decade and entered the World Cup just two goals shy of Cha Bum-kun’s all-time A-international record of 58. Yet on the pitch, the sharpshooter never fired.
Opta data shows Son attempted seven shots across Korea’s three games-Poland, Mexico and South Africa-but managed only one on target. His non-penalty xG of 1.05 was the highest among all goalless players, meaning he should statistically have scored at least once. The clinical finisher who routinely converts tough chances in the Premier League vanished in Qatar 2.0.
The fall guy: Hong Myung-bo and the lessons for Korean football
Korea had beaten Poland 2-1 in their opener but then lost 0-1 to Mexico and 0-1 to South Africa, ending their World Cup run. The back-to-back defeats triggered Hong Myung-bo’s resignation. SI noted that “the coach became the scapegoat,” adding that “if Son had delivered his usual lethal finishing, Hong’s fate might have been different.”
SI’s biggest World Cup 2026 disappointments beyond Korea
Beyond Son, SI spotlighted early upsets such as Germany’s shock loss to Paraguay and Portugal’s Round-of-16 exit, plus the struggles of U.S. captain Christian Pulisic, Brazil’s Neymar sidelined by injury, VAR controversies and FIFA governance issues.
For Korean football, the tournament ends with hard questions. League standing: 3rd in World Cup, 3 pts, 1W-0D-2L from 3 games, recent form LLW. Fans now look to Son’s recovery and the next chapter.
