After Japan’s elimination at the hands of Brazil, all Asian teams are out of the FIFA World Cup. Australia are the only remaining team from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) — but they are not an Asian nation.
Asia sent its largest-ever contingent to the tournament — nine teams. Now, only one remains, and they don’t belong to the continent. It is the continent’s smallest knockout presence since the expansion.
The numbers are damning. Iraq conceded 12 goals, scoring just once. Uzbekistan conceded 11, scoring twice. Qatar conceded 10, scoring twice. Jordan conceded eight, scoring three. Saudi Arabia conceded five, scored one. South Korea scored two and conceded three. Iran, the only team among the seven to avoid defeat, conceded three and scored three.
Together, the seven eliminated Asian teams won just one match, drew six and lost fourteen. They scored 14 goals and conceded 52.
Four teams finished with one point or less. Three teams finished with zero. Qatar, the two-time defending Asian champions, managed just one point from a draw with Switzerland. Uzbekistan, Jordan and Iraq finished with nothing.
For all the talk of Asia’s rise, the expanded format was supposed to be its moment. Instead, it exposed a continent that has not progressed as quickly as its quota suggests.
The first round of matches offered a glimpse of hope. South Korea beat the Czech Republic. Japan drew with the Netherlands. Saudi Arabia drew with Uruguay. Iran drew with Belgium and Egypt. It felt, for a moment, like Asia had arrived.
Then the tournament settled into its rhythm. The big teams found their form. The Asian sides, one by one, were picked off.
South Korea finished third in their group. They had been in pole position to finish second behind Mexico following their win over Czech Republic. Then came a 1-0 loss to South Africa — a result that sent them crashing out as one of the worst third-placed teams.
The fallout was immediate. Coach Hong Myung-bo resigned , apologising to the nation.
“I would like to sincerely apologise to the citizens who have loved Korean football and always supported the national team. I failed to deliver the results the public expected. The responsibility lies entirely with me.”
Saudi Arabia, a nation that had beaten Argentina in 2022, could not replicate that magic and finished with just two points. Their decision to sack Herve Renard for Georgios Donis in April failed to bear fruit.
Iran, undefeated with three draws, missed out on goal difference in the cruellest fashion.
They were eliminated after the final match of the group stage when Austria equalised against Algeria with the last kick of the match.
They had a stoppage-time winner against Egypt ruled offside, and their captain Mehdi Taremi labelled the tournament a “disaster” while coach Amir Ghalenoei said the team had been “the most oppressed” at the World Cup due to visa restrictions that forced them to base themselves in Mexico.
In their dressing room after the final match, Iran left behind a handwritten note.
“From the ancient Persia of thousands of years ago to the civilised Iran of today, the spirit of Iran remains alive and steadfast,” it read. “We came to Los Angeles with pride, competed with honour, and leave with dignity. May peace, respect, and friendship prevail among all nations.”
Japan, the continent’s only true heavyweight, were eliminated in heartbreaking fashion once again.
They led Brazil 1-0 until the 56th minute, only to lose 2-1 on a stoppage-time winner. It was a familiar script. In 2018, they led Belgium 2-0 before conceding a stoppage-time winner. In 2022, they lost to Croatia on penalties. Three World Cups, three knockout-stage exits, and a painful pattern that refuses to change.
The contrast with Africa is impossible to ignore. Ten African teams entered the tournament. Nine advanced to the knockout stage. A 90 per cent success rate.
Cape Verde, the smallest nation to ever reach the knockout round, held Saudi Arabia to a draw and finished second in the group of death. DR Congo, playing in their first World Cup in 52 years, qualified. Morocco, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Ghana, Algeria and Egypt all made it through.
Jordan’s coach, Jamal Sellami, offered a telling observation.
“The most important thing for Jordanian football, if it is to have a greater chance of achieving results, is to have players competing in stronger and more competitive leagues.”
Africa’s success suggests he is right. Its players are scattered across European leagues. Asia’s best, for the most part, play at home.
The reckoning has already begun. Saudi Arabia’s federation chief Yasser Al-Misehal resigned after the country’s early exit.
South Korea’s president called for a complete review of the national team program. Iraq has launched an official inquiry into their winless campaign.
Uzbekistan’s coach, Fabio Cannavaro, offered a blunt assessment.
“Where we need to improve is in Asian football as a whole. Other than Japan, Australia and maybe Iran … every team needs to improve.”
Before the tournament, AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa had urged Asian teams to “seize this moment in North America and ensure we establish a new, record-breaking benchmark of achievement outside of Asia”. Instead, they set a different kind of record.
The AFC president acknowledged the failure.
“Having two representatives advance highlights the incredibly high level of global competition. It shows that while our teams are making strides and displaying great fighting spirit, the gap at the absolute top tier remains tight, and we must continue to work hard to bridge it.”
But for a confederation that has been “working hard” for decades, the progress is painfully slow.
South Korean media were scathing in their criticism.
The Chosun newspaper called the campaign a “disappointment” and said the team had left behind an “embarrassing result.”
One fan’s banner at Incheon Airport put it more bluntly: “South Korean football is dead.”
Until Asia can produce a team that can consistently compete beyond the group stage, the numbers will continue to tell the same story. Nine teams. One survivor. And a long list of questions.
