The race for the best third-place teams went down to the wire with Iran and South Korea joining Scotland and Uruguay in missing out

The South Africa National Team beat the South Korea National Team meet in the 2026 World Cup to finish second in the Group Stage.

South Korea coach Hong Myung-Bo had jaws dropping when he chose to leave out captain Son Heung-Min from his first XI for Wednesday's Group A decider against South Africa -- the first time since 2010 Son had not started a World Cup game.

South Korea's World Cup squad skipped interviews with domestic press after reporters made disparaging remarks about captain Son Heung-min, but an image circulating on social media purportedly showing the team announcing the boycott is AI-generated.

SportsLine's Jon Eimer reveals his Mexico vs. South Korea best bets for their FIFA World Cup 2026 match on Thursday

Mexican military forces intercepted and brought down a drone that flew near the South Korean national soccer team’s training camp ahead of its World Cup match against Mexico, a federal official told The Associated Press on Wednesday.