South Korea will have to wait to see whether they’ve done enough to make the 2026 World Cup as one of the best third-place teams.
They got off to a great start, with a 2-1 victory over Czech Republic. They were unable to follow that up with another positive result, though, losing 1-0 to Mexico to keep their qualification hopes in the balance.
Things only got further muddied by their 1-0 defeat to South Africa on match day 3, leaving their knockout hopes hanging in the balance.
Get all the latest South Korea stats as the tournament unfolds plus the latest squad, manager and fixture information for the Asian side here.
South Korea World Cup 2026 route to the final
Should South Korea make it through as one of the eight best third-place teams, they will be thrown into a tough matchup against a dominant group winner. In the Round of 32, they would likely face either the Netherlands or Japan (Group F winner) or Germany (Group E winner).
From the Round of 16 onwards, they would be thrust into the deeper side of the bracket, likely setting up future dates with Argentina or Portugal.
READ MORE: Get the latest South Korea World Cup 2026 outright odds here
South Korea key players for World Cup 2026
South Korea top World Cup Golden Boot contender: Heung-min Son
- Key stat: Son Heung-min is South Korea’s top all-time appearance maker and all-time top goalscorer with 54 strikes in his 141 appearances.
Son Heung-min left Tottenham Hotspur as a legend in the summer of 2025 and although it’s fair to say his influence was waning on the Premier League stage, he started brilliantly in Major League Soccer.
Son has scored nine goals in 15 MLS games for Los Angeles FC so far. He remains the talisman for this South Korea outfit, scoring 10 times in qualifying to help power the team to a confident, unbeaten campaign.
South Korea primary playmaker: Lee Kang-in
- Key stat: PSG attacker Lee Kang-in assisted six of South Korea’s goals in qualifying and he also provided one for Hwang In-beom’s equaliser against Czech Republic.
Once Heung-min Son’s international race is run, Lee Kang-in will no doubt be seen as South Korea’s shining light.
The PSG forward already has 44 caps and 11 goals aged just 24 and he was their main creative force in qualifying, with six assists. He’s been limited to mostly substitute appearances for les Parisiens this season, but ended the 2024-25 campaign with six goals and six assists from 19 starts.
South Korea card magnets & top tacklers: Lee Tae-seok
- Key stat: Lee Tae-seok won 15 tackles for South Korea in qualifying, more than any other player in the Taeguk Warriors squad
Austria Wien full-back Lee Tae-seok appears to have made the South Korea left wing-back role his own. The 23-year-old will be tasked with keeping some talented attackers in check this summer.
He made 15 tackles during qualifying. Before moving to Europe, he also picked up four yellow cards in his final K-League season with Pohang Steelers.
Despite having recorded just one against the Czechs, only one Korean managed to tackle multiple times: substitute Eom Ji-sung. The left-back also didn’t get dribbled past a single time and kept Vladimir Coufal quiet from open play.
South Korea rising star: Bae Jun-ho
There’s a handful of EFL players in this South Korea squad and 22 year old Bae Jun-ho is among them. The Stoke City midfielder has made 13 appearances for his country, scoring two goals and has the vision and passing range to make a difference at this tournament albeit largely from the bench.
STAND-OUT STAT: South Korea have competed in the World Cup more often than any other Asian nation. This will be their 12th appearance.
South Korea set-piece specialists
- Penalties: Son Heung-min
- Free kicks: Lee Kang-in, Son Heung-min
- Corners: Lee Kang-in, Son Heung-min
South Korea tactical analysis and formation
South Korea are one of many international teams that have adopted a back three formation in recent years.
The flexibility of this shape allows teams to sit in a mid or low block when required, but also allows the Taeguk Warriors to adopt a more attacking and fluid approach. Given that they’ve entered quite a well-matched group, this could serve them well as games could change quickly in Group A.
The experienced Kim Seung-gyu seems to have beat Jo Hyeon-woo to the number one spot. He made three saves – including two big ones down the stretch to guarantee all three points for his country in their opener against Czech Republic. The shot-stopper also seemed confident and under control in possession inside his own box.
The front three of Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in and Lee Jae-sung offers skill, intelligence, experience – and, above all, mobility.
Their constant movement was key to dragging Czech defenders out of position and manipulating the opposition’s man-marking to create and exploit space.
Get the latest South Korea World Cup goals, assists, shots, passes and tackle stats here
South Korea manager analysis
One of South Korea’s most capped players, Hong Myung-bo returned for a second spell as head coach in 2024. He will hope for more success this time. His previous World Cup campaign ended with zero wins and a group-stage exit in 2014.
Since that 2014 spell, he has won two titles with Ulsan HD. His reputation has improved significantly. He was a popular player in his career. His current team form has raised expectations among South Korean fans.
He is a defence-first coach. His approach suits a side with attacking talent but needing defensive structure. The team should be hard to break down. With Lee Kang-in and Son Heung-min, they also have players who can change any game.
| Coach | Team | P | W | D | L | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hong Myung-bo | South Korea | 38 | 18 | 9 | 12 | 47.36 |
Though it must be said that, after a shy and pragmatic start against Czech Republic, he adjusted to a more dominant approach in the second half. They took more risks and brought the game to the Europeans and persevered after conceding first to come from behind and get the win.
South Korea World Cup FAQs
Have South Korea ever won the World Cup?
No, South Korea have never won the World Cup. This will be their 12th appearance at the finals with their best ever finish being fourth place in 2002 when they were co-hosts alongside Japan.
Where did South Korea finish in the last World Cup?
South Korea made it to the knock-out stages in Qatar four years ago. After a draw with Uruguay and a defeat to Ghana, a shock victory over Portugal secured second place in Group H. However, they were then beaten 4-1 by Brazil in the Round of 16.
Who will be South Korea captain at the World Cup?
Unsurprisingly, Son Heung-min is the current South Korea captain. He was appointed first-team captain officially in 2019 ahead of the AFC Asian Cup.
Who is South Korea’s top scorer at World Cups?
Three players have scored three times at World Cups for South Korea. Ahn Jung-hwan, Park-Ji Sung and Son Heung-min. The South Korea captain could pull ahead with a goal at this tournament – his previous three have come across three different tournaments in 2014, 2018 and 2022.
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