South Korea's World Cup hopes dim after Ghana's loss to Croatia

South Korea's chances of reaching the 2026 World Cup finals are hanging by a thread following Ghana's 1-2 defeat to Croatia in their final Group L match. The result eliminated one of the few remaining pathways for the Korean team to secure a place in the expanded 32-team tournament.

Croatia secured second place in Group L with 6 points from two wins and one loss, advancing to the next stage. Ghana, despite their loss, managed to finish third with 4 points, which was enough to qualify for the Round of 32 under the tournament's new format, where the top eight third-placed teams advance.

This outcome has significantly complicated Korea's qualification scenario. Currently, the Korean team ranks eighth among the 12 third-placed teams across all groups. Their advancement now hinges on the results of the remaining matches in Groups K and J, requiring specific outcomes that favor Korea.

Specifically, Korea needs the Group K third-place team, the Democratic Republic of Congo, to draw or lose against Uzbekistan. Additionally, in Group J, Austria must win against Algeria, or Algeria must win by a margin of at least two goals. If Austria loses by a single goal, Korea and Austria would have equal goal difference, forcing a decision based on fair play points, where Korea currently trails Austria.