World Cup 26: Korea holds its breath as Round of 32 hangs in balance SEOUL, June 25 (AJP) - Thousands of football fans packed central Seoul's Gwanghwamun from early Thursday morning, filling public viewing areas and gathering around giant screens hours before South Korea's decisive 10 a.m. (Korea time) World Cup kickoff, while millions more across the country glued themselves to televisions and smartphones for the make-or-break clash with South Africa. The entire nation would come to a standstill for 90 minutes as South Korea faced Sout June 25, 2026

World Cup 26: More than a sporting event when identities are at stake  SEOUL, June 24 (AJP) - From Norway's Viking Row to South Korea's AI anthem, the 2026 World Cup shows how nations perform identity — and how those performances now travel far beyond the stadium. Seconds after Norway secured a 3-2 win over Senegal at MetLife Stadium, Erling Haaland walked toward the stands. As Martin Ødegaard pounded a drum, the striker began pulling both arms back in unison — rowing, in the style of a Viking longship. The crowd followed u June 24, 2026

World Cup 26: Ronaldo returns as Colombia advance, England held by Ghana SEOUL, June 24 (AJP) - Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice to revive Portugal’s World Cup campaign, Colombia secured a place in the knockout stage and England were held by Ghana as Groups K and L moved closer to their final-round showdowns on Tuesday local time. Croatia also beat Panama 1-0 to stay alive in Group L, eliminating the Central American side after two straight defeats. Portugal produced the statement performance of the day, beating Uzbekistan 5-0 in a Group K match i June 24, 2026

World Cup 26: Messi breaks record as Argentina, France, Norway advance SEOUL, June 23 (AJP) - Lionel Messi became the most prolific scorer in men's World Cup history, France overcame a long weather delay and Norway survived a late Senegal fightback as Argentina, France and Norway all advanced to the knockout stage on Monday local time. Jordan were eliminated after another comeback defeat in Group J, joining Turkiye and Haiti among the teams already out, while Senegal and Iraq were left with only a narrow third-place route in Group I. In Group J June 23, 2026

FIFA sends hidden message to South Korea before final group match SEOUL, June 22 (AJP) - FIFA has sent a playful message of support to South Korea ahead of their final group match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The world football governing body posted a series of photos of South Korean players on its official Instagram account Monday in Korea, along with the message, “Fighting for the final group match,” written in Korean. The post featured Cho Gue-sung, Eom Ji-sung, Lee Han-beom, Lee Kang-in, Hwang Hee-chan and Hwang In-beom. Eac June 22, 2026

World Cup 26: Japan makes history, Egypt fetches first win SEOUL, June 22 (AJP) - The 2026 FIFA World Cup produced a weekend of milestones across the group stage, from Egypt’s long-awaited first victory to historic wins for the United States and Japan. Japan marked the 1,000th match in World Cup history by becoming the first Asian team to win a tournament match with four goals, while the United States won back-to-back World Cup games for the first time in 96 years. Egypt beat New Zealand for the country’s first World Cup win, June 22, 2026

World Cup 26: Korea's World Cup ritual finds a new home SEOUL, June 19 (AJP) - Gwanghwamun Square may remain South Korea's spiritual home of World Cup cheering, but on a sweltering Friday morning with temperatures already topping 32 degrees Celsius, many fans chose a different way to experience the national team's second World Cup outing. Some took the day off. Others watched discreetly from office desks. Families gathered at movie theaters, friends met over daylight beers, and football fans headed to Seongsu and Gangna June 19, 2026

World Cup 26: Home magic as Mexico makes knockouts, Canada first win SEOUL, June 19 (AJP) - The second round of group matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup began to sharpen the picture in Groups A and B on Thursday local time, or Friday in Korea. Mexico became the first of the tournament’s 48 teams to secure a place in the knockout stage, while Canada earned the first World Cup win in its history and Switzerland also surged in Group B. South Korea, meanwhile, lost 1-0 to Mexico and pushed their knockout-stage fate to the final group match again June 19, 2026

World Cup 26: Korea's fate hinges on match with South Africa SEOUL, June 19 (AJP) - South Korea's 1-0 defeat to Mexico was not fatal. But it exposed a weakness that Hong Myung-bo's side must fix quickly: when opponents shut down Lee Kang-in and Hwang In-beom, Korea struggles to build attacks and loses its identity. That makes next week's match against South Africa a de facto knockout game. South Korea fell 1-0 to Mexico in their second Group A match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday morning (Korea time) after Luis Romo capit June 19, 2026

World Cup 26: Korea falls to Mexico after second-half error SEOUL, June 19 (AJP) - South Korea lost 1-0 to Mexico in their second Group A match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday morning in Korea, leaving their knockout-stage fate to the final group match against South Africa. Mexico scored the only goal early in the second half, when Luis Romo reacted first after goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu failed to hold the ball inside the box. South Korea must beat South Africa in their final group match to guarantee a top-two finish in Group A, while June 19, 2026