South Korea's early elimination from the FIFA World Cup group stage has become a hot topic of discussion in China, with mockery from Chinese fans humiliating South Korean media.

South Korean media outlet Sportal Korea reported on the attitude of Chinese fans under the headline "Chinese Mockery! South Korea's Shameful Exit → China, Which Failed to Qualify for the FIFA World Cup, Mocks South Korea... South Korea, Which Put Its Fate in Others' Hands, Bears Full Responsibility," and cited numerous comments from Chinese social media.

Here is the content of the report:

On December 28, the English edition of China's official media outlet Global Times reported that South Korea's early elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico has sparked various reactions on Chinese social media platforms, noting that public opinion is divided: there is both mockery directed at the lackluster performance of the East Asian rival and sympathy for the elimination of a strong Asian football team.

Previously, South Korea finished their group stage with a record of 1 win and 2 losses (3 points, -1 goal difference) in Group A, failing to advance on their own merit. They could only hope for favorable results in other group matches, calculating various possibilities for qualification.

Initially, after losing 0-1 to South Africa in their final group match, South Korea's probability of advancing to the knockout round was as high as 94%. However, as Ecuador beat Germany 2-1, Sweden and Japan drew 1-1, and Paraguay, with 4 points, made a strong push, South Korea's standing continued to decline. To make matters worse, Senegal thrashed Iraq 5-0, pushing South Korea to the brink. Finally, on December 28 in the final matches of Group G, the Democratic Republic of the Congo defeated Uzbekistan 3-1, officially eliminating South Korea.

As South Korea's hopes of reaching the knockout stage evaporated, a wave of mocking comments emerged in China. According to reports, on Sina Weibo, China's largest social media platform, the topic "South Korea Eliminated from the FIFA World Cup" quickly dominated the trending search list.

One Weibo user sarcastically described the Democratic Republic of the Congo's victory as "a match that caused the simultaneous elimination of two Asian teams," while another netizen referenced South Korea's previous success in reaching the round of 16 at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, joking: "Now South Korea is the first among traditional Asian football powers to book its flight home."

A highly praised Weibo comment noted that South Korea underestimated South Africa in the group stage and squandered a strong position after losing 0-1, directly stating: "This early elimination is entirely South Korea's fault." The user added: "They threw away their own chance to advance to the knockout round, and in the end could only entrust their fate to the results of other countries' matches. This is another reminder that it is better to rely on your own strength than on others'."

Another popular comment joked: "South Korea's team waited and paid for several extra days of accommodation for nothing. Now they can finally book their return flights with peace of mind."

On the other hand, there were also sympathetic voices for South Korea online. Some netizens said: "The FIFA World Cup is so cruel; a team's fate is actually decided by matches it didn't even play," and others commented: "Setting aside rivalry, it's still surprising and regrettable to see South Korea eliminated so early."

One fan analyzed: "With the FIFA World Cup expanding to 48 teams, it was originally thought that traditional Asian powers would easily qualify for the knockout stage. However, the gap in strength between teams is now narrowing, and no one can take qualification for granted anymore."

Furthermore, media outlets severely evaluated South Korea's performance in this tournament: "Although highly anticipated before the competition, the team failed to demonstrate stable competitive form throughout, enduring a very difficult campaign."

Traduit par IA.

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