The South Korea national football team must win against South Africa in the 2026 World Cup group stage to advance to the round of 32. Currently, the team is in second place in Group A, behind Mexico and ahead of the Czech Republic and South Africa. South Korea won 2-1 against the Czech Republic but lost 0-1 to Mexico. If they win against South Africa, they will have 6 points and advance to the round of 32 as the second-place team in the group. If they draw against South Africa, they will have 4 points and advance to the round of 32 as the second-place team in the group. Since South Korea won against the Czech Republic, if they have the same number of points as the Czech Republic, they will advance to the round of 32. If they lose to South Africa and the Czech Republic loses to or draws with Mexico, they can still advance to the round of 32 as a wild card. The match against South Africa is a crucial one for the South Korea national football team, as they must win to advance to the round of 32. The team has recorded 1 win and 1 loss so far. In the previous match in the same group, the Czech Republic and South Africa drew 1-1. South Korea has 3 points and is in second place in the group, behind Mexico. The World Cup has been expanded from 32 teams to 48 teams, starting from the 2026 tournament in North and Central America. The teams are divided into 12 groups of 4 teams each, and the top 2 teams in each group, as well as the top 8 teams among the third-place teams in each group, will advance to the round of 32.