"The World’s First Coach to Be Eliminated Twice in the Group Stage"... Hong Myung-bo Makes an Embarrassing Exit [2026 World Cup]

[Financial News] South Korea’s run at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America ended with a group-stage exit, and head coach Hong Myung-bo, 57, left the tournament having added another mark to an already painful record rather than restoring his reputation. He became the first coach to be eliminated twice in the World Cup group stage while leading the same national team.
Hong’s team finished third in Group A with one win and two losses in the 2026 World Cup in North and Central America. After a 1-0 loss to South Africa in the final group match, automatic qualification was no longer possible. The last remaining hope was a place in the round of 32, awarded to the top eight third-place teams across 12 groups. That chance disappeared completely on the final day of the group stage, on the 28th, confirming South Korea’s elimination.
For Hong, this tournament was his seventh World Cup appearance in total, counting both his playing and coaching careers. As a player, he appeared in four consecutive World Cups from the 1990 Italy tournament through the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup. He also took part in the 2006 Germany tournament as a coach on Dick Advocaat’s staff.
He first took charge of the national team at the 2014 Brazil World Cup, and 12 years later he was appointed head coach again for this year’s tournament in North and Central America. Among the South Korea coaches who have led the team to two World Cups, Hong is the only one to have done so twice.
Until now, South Korea’s national team coaches had never even had a second chance. Not only coaches who had already experienced failure like Hong, but also Guus Hiddink, who created the team’s semifinal miracle, Heo Jung-moo, who reached the round of 16 overseas, and Paulo Bento were never given another opportunity.
Hong had previously been eliminated in the group stage at the 2014 Brazil World Cup amid controversy over his so-called loyalty-first selections, finishing with one draw and two losses. His return to the national team for another World Cup after that failure sparked controversy from the start. The dispute over his appointment in July 2024 caused deep damage to Korean football.
Despite the cold public reaction, a 2-1 comeback win over the Czech Republic in the opening match briefly seemed to turn things around. But South Korea then lost the next two matches in a row, failing to recover its reputation. In particular, the team’s poor 1-0 loss to South Africa, widely regarded as the weakest side in the group, drove public opinion against Hong to its lowest point. His record of being eliminated twice in the World Cup group stage as coach of the same national team will remain a rare and striking mark in world football history.
bng@fnnews.com Kim Hee-sun Reporter