Hong Myung-bo's team faces two variables: extreme heat and yellow-card accumulation

Two major variables hang over the South Korea national team ahead of its final Group A match against South Africa, a game that will decide whether it advances to the round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The first is yellow-card accumulation among key players, including star attacker Lee Kang-in of PSG. The second is Monterrey's intense heat, with a feels-like temperature approaching 40 degrees.
South Korea and South Africa will meet in the final Group A match at Monterrey Stadium in Guadalupe, Mexico, at 10 a.m. on the 25th. South Korea needs only a draw to reach the round of 32, while South Africa must win to secure its first-ever place in the knockout stage. The result will determine the fate of both teams.
The first concern is yellow-card accumulation. Lee Kang-in received a yellow card in the previous match against Mexico after stepping on an opposing player. If he is booked again in this game, he will have to miss South Korea's first match in the round of 32. Although yellow cards are reset after the group stage in this tournament, suspensions for accumulating two bookings still carry over. Lee is not the only one at risk. Midfielder Paik Seung-ho of Birmingham City F.C. and defender Lee Ki-hyuk of Gangwon FC each have one yellow card as well, so all three players must be careful.
The second variable is the weather. Monterrey is known as one of Mexico's hottest cities. At kickoff, scheduled for 7 p.m. local time, the temperature will be 28 degrees Celsius, but with humidity at 52%, the feels-like temperature is forecast to range between 34 and 40 degrees. South Korea has already prepared for the heat through an acclimatization program in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, its pre-camp base, where the team combined altitude training with hot and cold baths.
Head coach Hong Myung-bo said, "We knew in advance what the weather would be like in Monterrey for the third match, and we prepared for the altitude as well," adding, "I don't think it will cause any major problems in the game."
South Africa head coach Hugo Broos, by contrast, did not hide his concern. He admitted, "This kind of heat is not something you can adapt to in a day or two. It takes about one to two weeks."