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Asian Football Stumbles: World Cup Hopes Dashed
6 Jul
Summary
- Asian teams won only three of 29 World Cup matches.
- South Korea and Saudi Arabia football presidents resigned.
- Australia and Japan advanced but were eliminated early.
Asian football faces significant fallout after an underwhelming showing at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
South Korea's Football Association president, Chung Mong-gyu, stepped down on July 6, 2026, following criticism and the earlier resignation of coach Hong Myung-bo. Star player Son Heung-min also apologized for the team's performance.
Similarly, Yasser Al-Misehal resigned as Saudi Arabia Football Federation president after their early exit. Across the continent, only Australia and Japan progressed past the group stage, securing three wins out of 29 matches.
Both Australia and Japan were eliminated in the round of 32. Japan, despite a strong group stage, lost narrowly to Brazil. Coach Hajime Moriyasu expressed belief in the team's potential to compete globally with continued growth.
Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa acknowledged the need for significant work to close the gap with top-tier footballing nations. Jordan also parted ways with coach Jamal Sellami after a winless debut. Coaches in Qatar and Iraq face uncertain futures, though Uzbekistan's coach Fabio Cannavaro is set to stay.
