South Korea's Path to Round of 32 Grows Uncertain: Senegal Wins Big, Spain Advances

South Korea's chances of advancing to the Round of 32 in the 2026 North and Central America World Cup have significantly diminished following Senegal's five-goal victory over Iraq.

Senegal secured a dominant 5-0 win against Iraq in their final Group I match of the group stage, held today (June 27, KST) at Toronto Stadium in Canada.

With this victory, their first after two losses, Senegal earned 3 points and maintained their position at third place in the group.

In the competition among third-placed teams, Senegal climbed to fifth place.

South Korea, tied with Senegal on points, dropped to seventh place due to a lower goal difference.

Senegal's landslide victory has eliminated one of the scenarios in other group matches that would have helped South Korea advance to the Round of 32.

In this tournament, the top two teams from each of the 12 groups, along with the eight best third-placed teams, qualify for the Round of 32.

The best-case scenario for South Korea would have been a draw between the two teams, a one-goal victory for Senegal, or an Iraq victory by four goals or fewer. However, the match unfolded unexpectedly from the start.

Senegal took an early lead just four minutes into the first half with a header by Abdoulaye Seck following a corner kick.

The match turned further in Senegal's favor in the 13th minute when Iraq's Rebin Sulaka received a red card. With a numerical advantage, Senegal dominated the second half.

Senegal extended their lead with a goal by Ismaila Sarr in the 11th minute of the second half, followed by consecutive goals from Pape Gueye in the 14th and 26th minutes, bringing the score to 4-0.

Iliman Ndiaye added a final goal in the 37th minute of the second half to complete the 5-0 victory.

Meanwhile, Spain's victory over Uruguay means South Korea remains in seventh place in the race among third-placed teams for the Round of 32.

Spain defeated Uruguay 1-0 in their final Group H match held on the same day at Guadalajara Stadium in Mexico.

With this win, Spain finished with 2 wins and 1 draw, securing 7 points and advancing to the Round of 32 as the group winner, while Uruguay was eliminated with 2 draws and 1 loss, totaling 2 points.

Following this result, the number of scenarios in other group matches required for South Korea to reach the Round of 32 has been reduced to two.

If South Korea advances to the Round of 32, they will face the winner of Group G in Seattle, USA.

Reported by An Hyemin | Video by Na Hong-hee | Graphics by Lee Jung-ju | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.