The South Korea national football team failed to secure an early qualification for the 2026 North and Central America World Cup by drawing 1-1 against Jordan on the 25th.
The Korean team, led by coach Hong Myung-bo, managed to draw 1-1 against Jordan in the eighth home match of the 2026 North and Central America World Cup Asian third qualifying round Group B, held at Suwon World Cup Stadium on the 25th.
They could not hold onto the lead given by Lee Jae-sung (Mainz) just five minutes into the match.
With a record of 4 wins and 4 draws, South Korea maintained their position at the top of the group (16 points), but failed to extend the gap with the lower-ranked teams. The final two matches of the third qualifying round, to be held during the June A-match period, will determine their bid for qualification. South Korea will face Iraq away on June 5 and play Kuwait at home in the tenth match five days later on the 10th.
Jordan is in second place with 13 points, while Iraq, having played one less match, is in third with 12 points.
The top two teams from each group in the third qualifying round will earn direct tickets to North and Central America, while the third and fourth place teams will need to compete in the fourth qualifying round to attempt a second chance at qualification.