{"id":214834,"date":"2026-06-25T11:10:40","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T11:10:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/south-africa-beat-south-korea-to-reach-world-cup-knockouts-for-first-time-after-maseko-winner-live-updates-and-reaction-the-new-york-times\/"},"modified":"2026-06-25T11:10:40","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T11:10:40","slug":"south-africa-beat-south-korea-to-reach-world-cup-knockouts-for-first-time-after-maseko-winner-live-updates-and-reaction-the-new-york-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/south-africa-beat-south-korea-to-reach-world-cup-knockouts-for-first-time-after-maseko-winner-live-updates-and-reaction-the-new-york-times\/","title":{"rendered":"South Africa beat South Korea to reach World Cup knockouts for first time after Maseko winner: Live updates and reaction &#8211; The New York Times"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>World Cup<br \/>FIFA World<br \/>Cup 2026<br \/>Advertisement<br \/>live<br \/>Updated <time datetime=\"2026-06-25T04:40:45.963Z\">6h ago<\/time><br \/><strong>South Africa have beaten South Korea 1-0 to book their place in the 2026 World Cup knockout stage.<\/strong><br \/>Thapelo Maseko scored the winner for the South Africans who will play in the knockouts for the first time in their history.<br \/>They finished second in Group A behind co-hosts Mexico and will face Canada at SoFi Stadium in the round of 32 on Sunday.<br \/>South Korea should have done enough to progress as one of the eight best third-place teams but a place in the next round is not guaranteed.<br \/>GO FURTHER<br \/>South Africa\u2019s stirring upset books Canada showdown, South Korea bench Son Heung-min and left stunned<br \/>We have six stellar games on the agenda tomorrow, as follows:<br \/>It is hard to emphasise just how unexpected this result was for South Africa.<br \/>They arrived at the stadium dancing, as they tend to do \u2014 but that also seemed to reflect something deeper here. A first qualification to the World Cup knockouts would be a huge bonus against a talented South Korea side. For South Korea, finishing second and reaching the Round of 32 was an obligation.<br \/>The pressure was off Broos\u2019 side, but they could have scored a couple in the first half. Maseko\u2019s effort was just reward for a performance that had put the South Koreans under pressure from the off.<br \/>So now Canada will face South Africa in the first knockout stage in Los Angeles, and it\u2019s fair to say South Africa is an unknown quantity. They struggled in the Estadio Azteca opener against Mexico and rescued a late point against the Czech Republic, but this was their best performance yet.<br \/>They were disciplined and determined and posed a significant threat on the counter. They will also be helped by having their talismanic midfielder, Teboho Mokoena, back for that game at SoFi Stadium following his yellow-card suspension, a player who could dictate the tempo if allowed.<br \/>The truth is, Jesse Marsch\u2019s side won\u2019t know what to expect, as few saw this coming from South Africa. But they had a plan and stuck to it rigidly to topple South Korea. The tournament co-hosts are unlikely to faze them.<br \/>As with Scotland earlier tonight, South Korea will now face a bit of a wait to see if they will qualify for the round of 32 as one of the best third-placed teams.<br \/>South Africa, shockingly through to the knockout rounds, will face Canada in the Round of 32 on June 28 in Los Angeles.<br \/>You are unlikely to see many World Cup goals scored in stranger circumstances.<br \/>When news filtered through of Mexico\u2019s opening goal in Mexico City, the fans inside Estadio Monterrey went wild. Huge pockets of locals wearing <em>El Tri <\/em>shirts jumped up and down and the South Koreans celebrated, too \u2014 not only is there a special friendship between the countries stretching back to the 2018 World Cup, but it also made their task of qualifying in second easier. A replay of Mateo Chavez\u2019s finish was even shown on the big screen after an airport-style announcement noise.<br \/>The second goal in the Mexican capital, complete with that sound effect, led to more scenes of celebration among the home faithful and South Koreans. But in that delirium, Maseko took full advantage. His touch to bring the ball onto his left foot and fire past Kim Seung-gyu stunned South Korea and sparked joy among Maseko and his team-mates by the corner flag. Chants of \u201cMexico, Mexico\u201d became \u201cKorea, Korea\u201d from the Mexicans in attendance and then \u201cSi se puede\u201d (yes, we can).<br \/>It would be a stretch to say South Korea conceding was influenced in some way by those unusual scenes, but it certainly didn\u2019t seem to help. Suddenly, they were third in the table and in need of a goal to secure second place.<br \/>It arrived as a shock before kick-off.<br \/>Such is the ever-present Son for South Korea; at first, it looked like a mistake on the teamsheet. The 33-year-old is his country\u2019s all-time top appearance maker with 146 caps, their second top scorer (just two off Cha Bum-kum\u2019s 58), captain and by far their most recognisable name. \u2018Heung-min 7\u2019 was by far the most visible shirt around the concourses and outside Estadio Monterrey in the hours leading up to the game.<br \/>But Hong Myung-bo really had benched Son, apparently by tactical decision (he had shown no signs of injury in the previous game and came out to warm up to huge cheers).<br \/>It was a bold call to make, given South Korea still had much to play for on Group A\u2019s final night. The LAFC forward has not had an easy time of it this calendar year \u2014 he has yet to score this Major League Soccer (MLS) season in 13 appearances and his last World Cup goal came in 2018. There have been suggestions he is being played out of position at centre-forward when he would thrive more at left-wing or in attacking midfield.<br \/>Perhaps Hong intended to give his team a jolt and try something different after a narrow win against the Czech Republic and a drab loss to Mexico. Either way, it raised the stakes even higher for his side.<br \/>So after the first day of the final matchweek, we have 12 of the 32 knockout-round spots occupied.<br \/>They include&#8230;<br \/>It was a tough evening for Son. He was left out of South Korea&#x27;s starting XI and then had little influence on the game when he was introduced at half-time.<br \/>Maseko, meanwhile, had the best day of his career. He caused South Korea problems throughout and scored one of the biggest goals in his nation&#x27;s history.<br \/>South Africa are the second African nation to clinch qualification into the Round of 32 at this World Cup, joining 2022 semi-finalists Morocco.<br \/>The two sides could face each other in the Round of 16 if South Africa defeat Canada and Morocco defeat the Group F winner (likely the Netherlands).<br \/>It seems unlikely \u2014 but stranger things have happened.<br \/>Spare a thought for the massive Korean population in the Los Angeles metro area, over 300,000 strong \u2014 the largest diaspora in the world outside of the Korean peninsula. <br \/>Many of them are strong football supporters, even more so since the captain of their national team Son Heung-min arrived in the city last year to play his club football at MLS side LAFC.<br \/>It seemed almost a given that South Korea would get a result tonight and be through to the Round of 32 as the Group A runner-up, where they would have faced Group B runner-up Canada&#8230; at SoFi Stadium just outside of Los Angeles.<br \/>The crowd there would have surely been overwhelmingly behind South Korea in that case.<br \/>If there\u2019s a consolation prize, it\u2019s that <strong><em>The Athletic\u2019s<\/em><\/strong> current forecasted bracket <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/interactive\/fifa-mens-world-cup-2026-tracker\/group-knockout-bracket-projection\/#country=south-korea\" target=_self>gives South Korea an 89 per cent chance<\/a> of advancing to play a Round of 32 match in Seattle, which also has a sizable Korean population.<br \/>Tonight is one of the greatest nights in South African soccer history. It also set a different type of World Cup record.<br \/>South Africa maintained 31.5 per cent of the possession in tonight\u2019s match, their lowest possession percentage in any World Cup match. Meanwhile, South Korea\u2019s 68.5 per cent possession was its highest on record in a World Cup match \u2014 and yet, it spelled disaster.<br \/>It\u2019s not how much possession you accumulate, but what you do with it&#8230;<br \/>Cyprus\u2019s national football team may have never reached the World Cup, but there is reason to celebrate on the Mediterranean island tonight.<br \/>Thapelo Maseko\u2019s 63rd-minute winner for South Africa tonight was the first FIFA World Cup goal ever scored by a player who plays for a club team in Cyprus.<br \/>Maseko technically plays for his home-nation Mamelodi Sundowns but was on loan to AEL Limassol in Cyprus for the second half of this past club season.<br \/>South Africa, as we have said previously, have qualified for the World Cup knockout stages for the first time. They are the seventh African nation to do so in World Cup history.<br \/>South Africa also continue their streak of never losing a World Cup match in which they have led at any point, now at three wins and two draws in such cases.<br \/>Thanks to our friends at Opta for those, and much more fun facts on the way.<br \/>The South African celebrations will continue for hours to come, though maybe not for the players who will now need to prepare for Sunday&#x27;s round-of-32 clash against Canada.<br \/>They were keen to get the party started on the pitch with their fans at full time, though!<br \/>In a game largely devoid of real quality in the final third, Maseko was the man to provide the magic touch.<br \/>His left-footed strike wrong-footed South Korea goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu and is the reason South Africa are heading for their first World Cup knockout game.<br \/>Maseko had more shots than anyone else on the pitch <em>and<\/em> more touches in the opposition box \u2014 a real thorn in the South Korean side.<br \/>Those South African celebrations are fantastic to see \u2014 a football-mad nation which, 16 years after the hosting the World Cup, has made it through to the knockout stage at last.<br \/>Another aspect of South Africa\u2019s victory is that it spells bad news for Scotland. South Korea unexpectedly end up third in Group A and, like Bosnia and Herzegovina earlier, they have a better third-placed record than Scotland.<br \/>Steve Clarke\u2019s team have to wait and hope other results go their way, but today really couldn&#x27;t have done much worse for them \u2014 not just their own 3-0 defeat by Brazil but the wins for South Africa in Group A and Bosnia and Herzegovina in Group B.<br \/>South Africa\u2019s Hugo Broos spoke to Fox on making World Cup history tonight:<br \/>&#x1f4ac; <strong><em>\u201cI know how it feels, but it\u2019s very difficult to explain. It\u2019s a fantastic experience. It was so tough today, but we played a very good game. We had chances, and tactically, I think we made it very good. It was very difficult for South Korea to find space.<\/em><\/strong><br \/><strong><em>\u201cWe defended good, and in transitions, we were dangerous. That\u2019s what we wanted to do today. We scored that goal, and then it was 20 minutes of heart beating and hoping that the game would be over as soon as possible. <\/em><\/strong><br \/><strong><em>\u201cSo, yes, we are in the second round. It\u2019s historic. But for the guys, I\u2019m very happy for the guys. I\u2019ve worked with them for five years, and what we did in those five years is amazing.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><br \/>If South Korea do not progress from the group as a best third-placed team, have we seen the last of Son Heung-min?<br \/>There has been some speculation that this could be his final tournament with his country after a stellar international career.<br \/>Huge celebrations for Maseko\u2019s goal from South African players \u2014 it\u2019s no wonder as they go through to the knock-outs for the first time in their history.<br \/>Team Stats<br \/>RSA<br \/>KOR<br \/>Game Details<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/rss\/articles\/CBMi1wFBVV95cUxOd0xfekMyeGFuaUtoUnBxelBYYWxzQTd3VDRXbWkxTHI4REhyLVJhSVBDbTdlNURqdkVzYXhVRWRJNXlOUEk3ZWZ1bXJpT2gxa0d0dVRldldlcUdvWG5VRkRROWRpcTIwcWd2VWJsN0lqbDhQTmFzSUpVUkE4YTAtVENaSDUta2huallaRnVpWDRncXhjR0VZWlR0NWhMRWJodW52YWN0NWZzdEF6cnFWUXVwZm5RWDdTVlRSb0VTM3lEWlcwRXl5RzhMWTJMSFBkeE5xdDRjbw?oc=5\">source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>World CupFIFA WorldCup 2026AdvertisementliveUpdated 6h agoSouth Africa have beaten South Korea 1-0 to book their place in the 2026 World Cup knockout stage.Thapelo Maseko scored the winner for the South Africans who will play in the knockouts for the first time in their history.They finished second in Group A behind co-hosts Mexico and will face [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":214835,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-214834","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world","8":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/214834","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=214834"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/214834\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/214835"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=214834"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=214834"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=214834"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}