What was as hot as the content of the game were the phenomena outside of the game. First of all, the incident in which indiscriminate malicious comments were poured into the SNS of actor Lee Ki-hyuk, the same person with the same name, immediately after defender Lee Ki-hyuk made a mistake, revealed the true face of immature fandom culture. This suggests that criticism of players has crossed the line and reached the level of infringing on individual privacy, and served as an opportunity to call for self-reflection on a healthy cheering culture. On the other hand, the real-time broadcast through Chijijik recorded an astonishing number of concurrent users of 4.78 million, proving the public's interest in Korean soccer. In addition, the cheering match on the streets of Yeouido attracted a crowd that exceeded the organizers' expectations, and the chicken industry also enjoyed the World Cup special by starting operations early in the morning, taking advantage of the success of the previous match against the Czech Republic.

The impact of this defeat was clearly visible in the numbers. Due to the loss to Mexico, Korea lost 20.8 FIFA ranking points and received a painful report card, with its real-time ranking falling two places from 22nd to 24th. Due to the nature of the World Cup, wins and losses are heavily weighted, so the impact of this mistake on ranking points was very critical. Nevertheless, in terms of viewership ratings, KBS 2TV ranked first among terrestrial programs, recording 10.9%, paradoxically showing a rise in public immersion in the game. This means that the public is excited about every move the national team makes, beyond wins and losses, and is not letting down their nerves heading into the final match against South Africa.

There is also strong criticism of coach Hong Myung-bo's tactical management. Soccer player Lee Gyeong-gyu strongly criticized the replacement of Son Heung-min too early on his YouTube channel and the tactical decision to use him as a lone striker to block his ability to penetrate space, which was his advantage. Even though the opposing team was already fully aware of Korea's attack pattern, their failure to respond flexibly or change their formation is considered the biggest defeat of this game. The prevailing assessment is that there was a lack of a systematic response strategy that could crush the opponent's tactical pressure, rather than relying on the capabilities of each player. These points remain as issues that Hong Myung-bo must resolve in the remaining games.

However, there is also an analysis that the current situation of being defeated in first place in the group may actually be positive for advancing to the tournament. This is because it may be advantageous in terms of performance to avoid the high altitude of Mexico City and hold the round of 32 in Los Angeles, USA, where the team can enjoy the enthusiastic support of the Korean community. The opponent in the round of 32 is also likely to be Canada or Switzerland, which are relatively easier to evaluate strength than if they advance to first place in the group, which opens up a strategic opportunity for the national team. In the end, if Korea achieves a draw or better in the game against South Africa on the 26th, Korea will advance to the round of 32 on its own. Now is the time to overcome past mistakes and make cool-headed preparations to achieve the realistic goal of second place in the group.