World Cup Pulse 2026

South Africa vs South Korea

Final score, fixture details, facts, and World Cup 2026 team news.

This is an archive of our World Cup 2026 coverage. The tournament is over, and these pages are no longer updated.

Wednesday, June 24, 19:00 Monterrey (Guadalupe) Group A

🇿🇦 South Africa vs 🇰🇷 South Korea

1-0 Final

Match facts

Team South Korea

The World Cup team that made K‑pop levels of stamina? 🇰🇷

South Korea’s 2002 run to the semi‑finals was powered by a squad famous for relentless pressing and fitness — they out‑ran and out‑worked opponents when tactics alone wouldn’t do.

Co‑hosted Korea/Japan 2002, reached semi‑finals — their best ever.
Coach Guus Hiddink rewired training and mental routines.
Korean players gained a rep for chasing every loose ball.

They didn’t just surprise teams — they tired them out until the scoreboard followed.

FIFA tournament records & contemporary reporting South Korea reached the 2002 World Cup semi‑finals (FIFA tournament records); contemporary match reports and profiles (2002) highlight Hiddink’s training methods and the team’s high‑intensity pressing (see major outlets…

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