Nation dossier · Group A · Out in the group stage

South Korea

Republic of Korea

Group AAFCEliminated

Latest South Africa 1–0 South Korea · Group A

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Title probability

0.0%

as of 2026-07-20

Overview

South Korea arrive at the 2026 World Cup as one of Asia's standard-bearers, blending European-based stars with hardened K-League veterans. Captain Son Heung-min remains the emotional and technical heartbeat, while the emergence of Lee Kang-in and the world-class presence of Kim Min-jae give the Taeguk Warriors genuine quality across the spine.

Under a possession-minded approach, Korea have qualified comfortably from AFC and carry confidence after consecutive Round-of-16 appearances. The ambition is clear: go beyond the last 16 and recapture some of the magic of 2002.

The squad's challenge is balancing an aging core with younger legs, but the depth in midfield and attack offers real flexibility.

Capital

Seoul

Population

51,700,000

Confederation

AFC

FIFA code

KOR

World

Region

From Wikipedia

South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and the Sea of Japan to the east. South Korea claims to be the sole legitimate…

Source: Wikipedia →

Squad

Goalkeepers3

1
Seung-Gyu Kim
FC Tokyo · Veteran first-choice goalkeeper
87caps
12
Bum-keun Song
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
3caps
21
Hyeon-woo Jo
Ulsan HD · 2018 World Cup standout keeper
48caps

Defenders9

2
Han-bum Lee
Midtjylland
8caps
3
Gi-hyuk Lee
Gangwon FC
3caps
4
Min-Jae Kim
Bayern Munich · Bayern Munich centre-back
79caps
5
Tae-hyeon Kim
Kashima Antlers
7caps
13
Tae-seok Lee
Austria Wien
15caps
14
Cho Wi-Je
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
1caps
15
Moon-hwan Kim
Daejeon Hana Citizen
35caps
16
Jin-seob Park
Zhejiang Professional
14caps
22
Young-woo Seol
Red Star Belgrade
34caps

Midfielders8

6
In-beom Hwang
Feyenoord · Midfield playmaker
73caps
8
Seung-Ho Paik
Birmingham City
27caps
10
Jae-sung Lee
Mainz 05 · Centurion Bundesliga midfielder
105caps
17
Joon-ho Bae
Stoke City
13caps
19
Kang-in Lee
Paris Saint-Germain · Paris Saint-Germain playmaker
47caps
23
Jens Castrop
Borussia Mönchengladbach · German-born midfielder
7caps
24
Jin-Gyu Kim
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
22caps
26
Dong-gyeong Lee
Ulsan HD
18caps

Forwards6

7
Heung-min Son
Los Angeles FC · Captain and all-time top scorer
144caps
9
Gue-Sung Cho
Midtjylland · Scored twice at 2022 World Cup
44caps
11
Hwang Heechan
Wolverhampton Wanderers · Premier League forward
79caps
18
Hyun-Gyu Oh
Beşiktaş
27caps
20
Hyun-jun Yang
Celtic
9caps
25
Ji-sung Eom
Swansea City
9caps

Model

as of 2026-07-20

Champion0.0%

Reach final0.0%

Semi-final0.0%

Quarter-final0.0%

Round of 160.0%

Advance from group0.0%

Exp. points

3.00

Proj. finish

40.5

Seed Elo

1740

Title-probability trajectory

Champion chance across the last 14 snapshots

Matches

Results

Estadio BBVA, Monterrey

Estadio Akron, Guadalajara

Estadio Akron, Guadalajara

History

2002
Fourth place
2010
Round of 16
2022
Round of 16

Culture

Football culture

Football and baseball compete for hearts, but the national team commands unrivaled passion during major tournaments. The Red Devils supporters' group creates spectacular coordinated displays, and the 2002 run remains a cultural touchstone for an entire generation.

Did you know

Co-hosted the 2002 World Cup with Japan, finishing a historic fourth.
Son Heung-min is among the most prolific Asian scorers in Premier League history.
The 'Red Devils' are one of football's most organized fan movements.
South Korea has qualified for more World Cups than any other Asian nation.
Beat Germany 2-0 in 2018, knocking out the defending champions.