South Africa 1–0 Korea Republic: World Cup 2026 Group A Match Report
Group Stage · Group A · Matchday 3
South Africa
1 – 0
Korea Republic
FINAL
South Africa claimed all three points by a narrow one-goal margin, a result that was something of a surprise given the pre-match ELO ratings. South Africa entered this fixture as underdogs.
Pre-match win probabilities based on ELO ratings gave South Africa a 15% chance of winning versus 85% for Korea Republic.
Today's Matches & Predictions
ELO Rating Impact
This result has updated both teams' ELO ratings, which feed directly into the win probability model for future matches.
| Team | Pre-Match | Change | New ELO | Global Rank | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 1560 | ▲ +53 | 1613 | #39 | 1.7% |
| Korea Republic | 1860 | ▼ -58 | 1802 | #22 | 2.1% |
ELO ratings updated using FIFA K-factor 60 with goal-difference multiplier. Changes reflect match result vs pre-match expectation.
Group A Standings
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mexico ✓ | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | +5 | 9 |
| 2 | South Africa ✓ | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | -1 | 4 |
| 3 | Korea Republic | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -1 | 3 |
| 4 | Czechia | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | -3 | 1 |
✓ = currently qualifying for Round of 32
Follow all remaining matches live with real-time ELO rankings on FootUps.