The odds of the Korea men's national soccer team advancing to the round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America have fallen. Ecuador's win over Germany affected the race, as it is competing to advance as a third-place team in its group.
Ecuador came from behind to beat Germany 2-1 in the Group E finale held at New York New Jersey Stadium in New Jersey, United States, on the 26th (Korea time). With one win, one draw and one loss for 4 points, Ecuador finished the group stage in third place.
Korea is third in Group A after losing to South Africa the day before. According to the Athletic, a U.S. online sports outlet, and its "third-place tracker," the chance of reaching the round of 32 was 94% as of the previous day, but fell to 86% with Ecuador's victory.
Korea's chances of making the round of 32 could change further depending on the result of the Group F match between Japan and Sweden, which starts at 8 a.m. today.
Sweden is currently third in Group F with one win and one loss. It has scored 6 and conceded 6, for a goal difference of 0. Given the goals-scored tiebreaker, Japan needs to beat Sweden by at least two goals for Korea to benefit.