After dinner today, I checked the internet and it seems that soccer fans in both the U.S. and Korea are feeling pretty down. Haha.

Now it's just whatever happens, happens. Many are saying it would be better to end the false hope and just fall out.

It feels like watching a bingo board explode after the final group stage match... I'm not feeling great about it myself.

I thought this time would be different with the number of participating countries increased to 48 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America.

Even if we finish third in our group, as long as we rank among the top 8 teams out of 12 groups, we could join the Round of 32 tournament as a wild card, which is an unprecedentedly lenient structure.

However, Coach Hong Myung-bo's South Korean team ended the group stage with a disappointing record of 1 win and 2 losses (3 points, goal difference -1) after consecutive losses to South Africa and Mexico following a victory against the Czech Republic.

The price of missing the chance to advance on our own is harsh.

The results of other teams have worked against South Korea like a domino effect, pushing us into a survival competition that feels like 'breathless'.

Probability of Advancing to Round of 32 Plummets from 87% to 36% in Three Days

Just three days ago, on June 25, the soccer statistics outlet 'Opta' predicted South Korea's chances of advancing to the Round of 32 at a whopping 87.6%.

It was a figure that suggested we would likely advance. However, the next day, on the 26th, the results from groups D, E, and F all turned against South Korea, cutting the probability in half to 54.45%, and by the 27th (Korean time), after Senegal crushed Iraq 5-0, it fell to 36.04%.

In the race for third place, South Korea has slipped from a comfortable ranking to the brink of the cut line, now sitting in 7th or 8th place.

We need to perform better than at least four other third-place teams, but the teams in the earlier groups have already secured 4 points or more, surpassing South Korea.

The Brutal Endgame of Other Groups That Shattered South Korea's Hopes

The scenarios we desperately hoped for went completely awry.

Group E: We hoped Germany would defeat Ecuador, but Ecuador beat Germany 2-1, securing 4 points and pushing South Korea out.

Group F: We wanted Japan to win against Sweden by at least two goals to reduce Sweden's goal difference, but the two teams drew, leaving Japan in second and Sweden comfortably in third.

Group D: The match between Paraguay and Australia also ended in a draw, with both teams securing 4 points and leaving South Korea far behind.

Group I (the final blow): We prayed for Senegal and Iraq to either draw or have a small score difference, but Senegal achieved a massive 5-goal victory, easily surpassing South Korea with 4 points (goal difference +2).

In the end, out of the 9 possible scenarios South Korea could have hoped for, a staggering 4 have vanished into thin air, leaving only 5 remaining scenarios. At least 3 of these 5 must miraculously come true for South Korea to open the door to the Round of 32. According to the bracket, if South Korea dramatically secures a wild card for third place and advances to the Round of 32, they will face the 'Machine Army' Germany, the first place team in Group E, avoiding the first place team in Group G, and will have more time to recover. Of course, now it has become a hope that is close to a miracle.

Now, there is nothing left for Coach Hong's team to do.

All that remains is to gather in their hotel room and watch the remaining matches of the groups that have not yet concluded, cheering for other countries in a 'farming football' style.

In a system with 48 countries, South Korean soccer has fallen into a swamp of possibilities; will we find the last miracle smile on the night of the 27th?