As the group stage in the biggest World Cup football came to an end on Saturday (June 27), 16 teams were knocked out while 32 advanced to the knock-out stage. For those who could not make it, the repercussions varied. All of them and their fans were disappointed, but some of these countries saw serious fallouts, even political ones.
Also read: FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 set to kick off: Full match schedules in IST
South Korea is one of them. Widely predicted to make it to the knock-out round and the hopes went up after they beat Czechia 2-1 in their opening fixture, the Asian side lost their next two games against Mexico and South Africa and finished as one of the unlucky third-placed sides.
South Korea president calls for probe
The country’s president was fuming and called for an investigation into the early exit and accountability. Lee Jae Myung said he felt “utter bewilderment” at the footballers’ performance and lashed out at head coach Hong Myung-bo, who also resigned the same day and apologised to the supporters.
The former coach also came under criticism for not playing captain Son Heung-min from start in the crucial clash against South Africa. He cited a tactical gamble to use the player later in the game so that he could exploit the opponents’ tiring defence. But the plan did not work out, and the Asians were shown the door.
The president alleged that favouritism and cronyism were responsible for the debacle.
In a long post on X, President Lee, who himself has been an honorary professional soccer club manager previously, thanked Sports Minister Choi Hui-young and other public officials and said,
“I feel not just confusion but utter bewilderment at this unexpected outcome. In the end, it’s proven once again that personnel is everything. When favoritism and cronyism take precedence over competence in selecting a commander, the result is as predictable as fire burning paper.
Also read: Portugal coach backs Ronaldo fitness, rubbishes comparison with Messi, Haaland
“The fact that such haphazard appointments—failing to distinguish public from private and prioritizing personal gain over public interest—are possible stems from the inability or difficulty in monitoring, checking, and holding personnel decision-makers accountable.
‘A failure of organization and personnel’
“This failure to qualify for the World Cup finals, which has left the public feeling empty, appears to be a failure of organization and personnel. Given that significant national taxpayer funds and state support resources are invested even in World Cup participation, I ask that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism meticulously address the precise circumstances of this incident, analyze its causes, and develop thorough measures for preventing recurrence and improvement.”
Strong domestic repercussions following South Korea’s early exit from the World Cup are not new. Angry reactions were seen at home after the team’s poor show in the 1998, 2014 and 2018 editions. In 2018, the supporters were not convinced even after South Korea beat the then defending champions Germany 2-0.
Uruguay football body cancels players’ chartered flight
The Uruguay national team also earned the country’s football authorities’ ire after getting knocked out in the group stage. The federation was so upset that it cancelled the two-time world champions’ scheduled chartered flight back home from their training base in Mexico, the Uruguayan media reported. The players were left to take commercial flights to fly back home.
Also read: Messi bags 6th in World Cup 2026 albeit late start vs Jordan, maintains Golden Boot lead
Uruguay, who were ranked No.16 by FIFA ahead of the World Cup, finished third in their group after failing to win a single game, including that against debutants Cape Verde who advanced to the next stage. They could not beat Saudi Arabia either and lost to Spain 0-1 in the final outing.
Captain Jose Maria Gimenez, who remained on the bench for all matches, apologised to the Uruguayan people. But the federation was not convinced.
Iraqi leader calls for football reforms
In Iraq, a Shiite cleric called for immediate and decisive reforms to the management and coaching of the national football team after the Asian side faltered, saying the failure should not be ignored.
According to Iraqi news outlet 964 media, Muqtada al-Sadr, leader of the National Shiite Movement political party, said he was not ready to remain silent about the country’s poor show in the tournament.
“I believe it is appropriate to make immediate and decisive changes away from sectarianism, ethnicity and partisanship,” he was quoted as saying.
Also read: Liberals for Messi, conservatives for Ronaldo? Political views might decide loyalty, says study
He even said that not only should the players be changed but also “everyone involved in managing the national team, its coaching, and related matters”. Al-Sadr also alleged corruption, politicisation and hidden conflicts led to the team’s downfall.
Iraq conceded 12 goals in three matches in the tournament and could score only one, against Norway. They lost 0-3 against France and 0-5 against Senegal.
The Iraqi football federation, however, did not seek an immediate replacement of the coach, Graham Arnold. The body’s president said they were rather working to extend the Australian’s contract.
Iranian fans not happy with Algeria-Austria thriller
Iran was another side which was left utterly frustrated with its early exit. Alleging the team was made to face inconvenience during the tournament due to political reasons, fans of the West Asian side felt the game between Algeria and Austria in Group J was fixed so as to deny Iran a place in the knock-outs as a third-placed side.
Iran, which did not lose a game despite a gruelling itinerary, finished as the ninth-best third-placed team, while the top eight qualified. The match between Algeria and Austria ended 3-3 in a thrilling contest, and both sides went to the Round of 32.
Comments are closed.