"We are desperate and earnest about advancing to the Round of 32."

Lee Ki-hyuk (Gangwon FC), a defender for the South Korean national football team who suffered a humiliating defeat against South Africa in the final match of Group A in the 2026 North and Central America World Cup, expressed his desperate desire to reach the Round of 32.

Speaking to reporters in the mixed zone after the final Group A match held at Monterrey Stadium in Guadalupe, Mexico, on June 25 (KST), Lee said, "We tried to cope well with South Africa's counterattacks. The game didn't go as planned due to our own mistakes in the middle of the first half." He added, "After we conceded, we became impatient, which prevented us from playing a smoother game."

Lee started in all three group stage matches alongside Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) and Lee Han-beom (FC Midtjylland), and he played the full match again today.

He emphasized, "We could have advanced to the Round of 32 on our own if we had won or even drawn, and we focused on the match to seize that opportunity, so it is very disappointing that the result did not turn out well."

Lee said, "If we advance to the Round of 32 as the third-place team in the group, the players must approach the games with even more desperation," adding, "As such opportunities do not come often, if we make it to the Round of 32, all the players will unite as one and prepare well for the matches."

(Photo: Getty Images)