On the morning of the 25th, citizens cheer at Gwanghwamun Square in Jongno-gu, Seoul, ahead of the 2026 North and Central America World Cup group stage finale between the Korea national football team and South Africa. /Courtesy of Kang Jeong-a

On the morning of the 25th at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, the plaza filled with soccer fans in red jerseys ahead of the Korea national soccer team's final group-stage match of the 2026 Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) North and Central America World Cup against South Africa. With the last group-stage match determining whether the team makes the round of 32, citizens' faces showed both expectation and tension.

On the square where the third street cheering event took place, following the game against the Czech Republic on the 12th and Mexico on the 19th, groups of families, friends, and coworkers secured spots early. In front of the giant screen, citizens draped in the Taegeukgi gathered in small groups to check the roster or take photos to capture memories.

On stage, the cheering squad shouted the chant "Dae~hanminguk," lifting the mood, and citizens responded with applause. As the kickoff time drew closer, more people streamed into the square and the cheering section quickly turned red.

An office worker, a person surnamed Kim (36), said, "I was very confident we would win the Czech game, and I thought it would be good if we could take Mexico, but today the nerves are different," adding, "They say a draw is enough for the round of 32, but because it's the last match, I'm even more on edge."

The Red Devils, the official supporters of the national football team, and citizens wait for kickoff and cheer on the Taeguk Warriors at a street cheering event for the 2026 FIFA World Cup North and Central America Group A third group-stage match between Korea and South Africa at Gwanghwamun Square in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 25th. /Courtesy of News1

A college student, a person surnamed Park (22), who came to the venue with friends, said, "Cheering is important today, but I keep paying attention to the results of the other games as well," adding, "I want to see the Korea national soccer team make the round of 32 and face Canada."

As many as more than 20,000 citizens are expected to come to the square for this match. For the Czech game, more than double the expected 6,000 people turned out, and for the Mexico game, 20,000 people filled the square as estimated by fire authorities as of 12 p.m. The crowd again continued to grow as kickoff approached.

According to Seoul city data, as of 9 a.m. that day, 9,500 to 10,000 people were counted at Gwanghwamun Square. That was 63.8% higher than the average at the same hour over the past month. In just an hour, the number increased by more than 4,000.

Oh Se-hoon, the Seoul mayor, visits the Red Devils cheering zone at Gwanghwamun Square on the 25th as a scene of his exchange of national team jerseys with Cindi Mxenge, the South African ambassador to Korea, is shown on the big screen. /Courtesy of Kang Jeong-a

Korea currently stands second in Group A with one win and one loss. Even a draw with South Africa secures second place in the group and a spot in the round of 32. As of the 25th, South Africa is ranked No. 60 in the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) live rankings, 36 places below Korea (No. 24). If Korea locks up second in the group, it will face Canada, second in Group B, in the round of 32.

In the match, Oh Hyeon-gyu (Beşiktaş) led the line. Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton) and Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) started as the left and right forwards, with Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord) and Baek Seung-ho (Birmingham City) patrolling the midfield.

With a three-back defensive line, Lee Ki-hyeok (Gangwon), Kim Min-jae (Munich), and Lee Han-beom (Midtjylland) anchored the rearguard, while Seol Young-woo (Zvezda) and Lee Tae-seok (Vienna) operated as the wingbacks. Kim Seung-gyu (Tokyo) guarded the net.

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