South Korea’s Failure to Reach the Round of 32 Confirmed — Both Ghana and Congo Matches Miss, Final Group J Result Irrelevant
South Korea’s possible path to the Round of 32 has finally closed. Earlier, Spain beat Uruguay 1:0 in Group H, producing the first successful result, but the later 1:1 draw between Egypt and Iran in Group G was recorded as a miss. On top of that, both matches played on the 28th, Ghana vs Croatia in Group L and Congo vs Uzbekistan in Group K, also ended with unfavorable results for South Korea, leaving the team unable to satisfy the necessary conditions. Even if the remaining Group J result goes South Korea’s way, it will not be enough to reach the Round of 32. (All times KST, sorted chronologically)
| Section | Key summary |
|---|---|
| Introduction | South Korea’s possible path to the Round of 32 has finally closed |
| Conclusion — South Korea eliminated regardless of the remaining Group J result | But with Groups L and K both turning into misses, only one match remains in Group J |
| Final scenario summary | Short key point |
Conclusion — South Korea Eliminated Regardless of the Remaining Group J Result
Under the previous calculation, after securing one successful result in Group H, South Korea needed two more favorable outcomes from the remaining three matches in Groups L, K, and J. But with Groups L and K both turning into misses, only one match remains in Group J. No matter how favorable the Group J result is for South Korea, it can provide only one additional successful outcome, so the required condition of “two more” cannot be met.
Final Scenario Summary
| Group | Match | Condition South Korea needed / Result | Broadcast time (KST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group E | Ecuador vs Germany | Germany win (miss) | 6/26(Fri) 05:00 |
| Group D | Australia vs Paraguay | Australia win (miss) | 6/26(Fri) 11:00 |
| Group F | Japan vs Sweden | Japan win (miss) | 6/26(Fri) 28:00 |
| Group I | Senegal vs Iraq | Senegal 5-0 win (miss) | 6/27(Sat) 04:00 |
| Group H | Spain vs Uruguay | Spain 1:0 win (successful result) | 6/27(Sat) 09:00 |
| Group G | Egypt vs Iran | Egypt win needed → 1:1 draw (miss) | 6/27(Sat) 12:00 |
| Group L | Ghana vs Croatia | Ghana win needed → condition not met (miss) | 6/28(Sun) 06:00 |
| Group K | Congo vs Uzbekistan | Draw / Uzbekistan within 6 goals needed → condition not met (miss) | 6/28(Sun) 08:30 |
| Group J | Austria vs Algeria | Result irrelevant — failure to reach the Round of 32 already confirmed | 6/28(Sun) 11:00 |
The key condition was “two of the remaining three matches.” The moment both Groups L and K went the wrong way, the single remaining Group J match was no longer enough. Therefore, even if a favorable result such as an Austria win or an Algeria win by 2 or more goals occurs in Group J, the conclusion that South Korea has failed to reach the Round of 32 will not change.
※ Update: In the table, a red strikethrough indicates a match that ended unfavorably for South Korea (miss), while blue indicates a match that ended favorably for South Korea (successful result). All times are Korea Standard Time (KST), sorted chronologically. (Graphic source: clavix.kr)