On Monday (July 6), Chung Mong-gyu stepped down as president of the Korea Football Association.
His departure follows harsh criticism from the country’s president and the resignation of coach Hong Myung-bo last week after South Korea’s group-stage exit, which ended with a 1-0 defeat to South Africa.
“There were moments when I lived up to expectations and moments when I left you deeply disappointed,” said Chung, who had held the role since 2013. “All the success is thanks to our players and fans, and all the mistakes are my responsibility.
“I am convinced that Korean football will overcome adversity and reach great heights once again, as it always has.”
South Korea captain Son Heung-min apologised for the team’s performance in a lengthy social media post, saying he was “indescribably hurt” and eager to “win the hearts” of the nation once again.
The day after Hong stood down as South Korea’s coach, Yasser Al-Misehal quit as Saudi Arabia Football Federation president as the team fell at the first hurdle at its seventh appearance.
“The national team’s failure to qualify for the next round of the World Cup is a result that falls short of all our ambitions,” Al-Misehal wrote on social media. “I bear full responsibility for it and apologise to everyone who hoped to see our team in a better position.”
Teams from the Asian Football Confederation managed just three wins in 29 matches at the expanded 48-team World Cup. Of the nine representatives, only Australia and Japan advanced from the group stage. Iran remained unbeaten, but three draws were not enough to secure a place in the knockout stage.
Australia and Japan were both eliminated in the round of 32, the first knockout stage.
The Socceroos, the AFC’s last hope, lost in a penalty shootout to Egypt. Australia head coach Tony Popovic’s job was already safe after he signed a contract extension on the eve of his team’s opening win over Turkey.
Japan was the best performer with a 4-0 win over Tunisia 4-0 and draws with the Netherlands and Sweden to place second in its group. Then after leading Brazil 1-0 at halftime, the Samurai Blue lost to a 96th minute goal from the five-time champion.
“Through the three group-stage matches and the hard-fought game against Brazil, I sensed that what we have built can compete on the world stage,” coach Hajime Moriyasu said. “If we continue this growth steadily, a day will come when we can be the best in the world.”
Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, president of the Asian Football Confederation, said there was still plenty of work to do if the region’s teams were to close the gap with the world’s elite.
“While we celebrate our two qualified teams, we must also look realistically at the overall outcomes,” Salman said after the knockout stage. “Our teams are making strides and displaying great fighting spirit, but the gap at the very top remains narrow, and we must continue working hard to bridge it.”
South Korea’s run to the semi-finals in 2002 remains Asia’s benchmark at the men’s World Cup. Japan has now lost four knockout matches at the tournament, while Australia has yet to win a World Cup knockout game, with a 0-3 record.
Jordan lost all three matches on its World Cup debut and parted ways with coach Jamal Sellami on Sunday. Sellami took charge in 2024 and guided Jordan to its first-ever World Cup qualification in June 2025.
There is also speculation over the futures of the Qatar and Iraq coaches after both teams finished bottom of their respective groups.
Uzbekistan also failed to earn a point in its first World Cup appearance, but coach Fabio Cannavaro is expected to remain in charge.
Uzbekistan’s final defeat came against Congo, one of nine African nations to progress from the group stage.
“All my players realised just how difficult it is to play at this level,” Cannavaro, who captained Italy to the 2006 World Cup title, said. “We gained valuable experience—not just the players, but myself, our staff and the federation as well.
“I hope this experience will give us more motivation for the future.”