Team Overview

The South Korea national football team represents South Korea in men's international football and competes under AFC. The squad is preparing for the 2026 World Cup and is part of Group C.

South Korea has qualified for the FIFA World Cup 11 times. Their best World Cup finish is Fourth place. On this page, South Korea is listed at 22nd in the FIFA Men's World Ranking, with a highest-ever ranking of 17th.

South Korea Standings & Ranking Snapshot

2026 World Cup Qualification Qualified
World Cup Group Group C (Confirmed)
Major Honors Best World Cup result: Fourth place; confederation: AFC
Current FIFA Men's Ranking 22nd
Highest-Ever FIFA Ranking 17th
Group C Schedule

South Korea Fixtures & Results

June 12 • 02:00 UTC Group A
South KoreaSouth Korea
0 - 0
Playoff Winner D
June 19 • 01:00 UTC Group A
MexicoMexico
0 - 0
South KoreaSouth Korea
June 25 • 01:00 UTC Group A
South AfricaSouth Africa
0 - 0
South KoreaSouth Korea
Current Squad

South Korea 2026 Squad List

Goalkeepers
Kim Seung-gyu player card
1 GK #1

Kim Seung-gyu

South Korea flag South Korea
Age35
Caps84
Goals0
ClubFC Tokyo
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Song Bum-keun player card
1 GK #12

Song Bum-keun

South Korea flag South Korea
Age28
Caps2
Goals0
ClubJeonbuk Hyundai Motors
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Jo Hyeon-woo player card
1 GK #21

Jo Hyeon-woo

South Korea flag South Korea
Age34
Caps46
Goals0
ClubUlsan HD
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Defenders
Lee Myung-jae player card
2 DF #2

Lee Myung-jae

South Korea flag South Korea
Age32
Caps10
Goals0
ClubDaejeon Hana Citizen
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Lee Han-beom player card
2 DF #3

Lee Han-beom

South Korea flag South Korea
Age23
Caps4
Goals0
ClubMidtjylland
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Kim Min-jae player card
2 DF #4

Kim Min-jae

South Korea flag South Korea
Age29
Caps75
Goals4
ClubBayern Munich
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Lee Tae-seok player card
2 DF #13

Lee Tae-seok

South Korea flag South Korea
Age23
Caps13
Goals1
ClubAustria Wien
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Cho Yu-min player card
2 DF #14

Cho Yu-min

South Korea flag South Korea
Age29
Caps17
Goals0
ClubSharjah
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Kim Moon-hwan player card
2 DF #15

Kim Moon-hwan

South Korea flag South Korea
Age30
Caps33
Goals0
ClubDaejeon Hana Citizen
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Park Jin-seob player card
2 DF #16

Park Jin-seob

South Korea flag South Korea
Age30
Caps11
Goals1
ClubZhejiang FC
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Seol Young-woo player card
2 DF #22

Seol Young-woo

South Korea flag South Korea
Age27
Caps30
Goals0
ClubRed Star Belgrade
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Kim Tae-hyeon player card
2 DF #26

Kim Tae-hyeon

South Korea flag South Korea
Age25
Caps5
Goals0
ClubKashima Antlers
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Midfielders
Won Du-jae player card
3 MF #5

Won Du-jae

South Korea flag South Korea
Age28
Caps11
Goals0
ClubKhor Fakkan
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Seo Min-woo player card
3 MF #8

Seo Min-woo

South Korea flag South Korea
Age27
Caps4
Goals0
ClubGangwon FC
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Lee Jae-sung player card
3 MF #10

Lee Jae-sung

South Korea flag South Korea
Age33
Caps102
Goals15
ClubMainz 05
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Hwang Hee-chan player card
3 MF #11

Hwang Hee-chan

South Korea flag South Korea
Age30
Caps75
Goals16
ClubWolverhampton Wanderers
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Eom Ji-sung player card
3 MF #17

Eom Ji-sung

South Korea flag South Korea
Age23
Caps6
Goals2
ClubSwansea City
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Lee Kang-in player card
3 MF #19

Lee Kang-in

South Korea flag South Korea
Age25
Caps44
Goals11
ClubParis Saint-Germain
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Bae Jun-ho player card
3 MF #20

Bae Jun-ho

South Korea flag South Korea
Age22
Caps11
Goals2
ClubStoke City
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Jens Castrop player card
3 MF #23

Jens Castrop

South Korea flag South Korea
Age22
Caps5
Goals0
ClubBorussia Mönchengladbach
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Kim Jin-gyu player card
3 MF #24

Kim Jin-gyu

South Korea flag South Korea
Age29
Caps18
Goals3
ClubJeonbuk Hyundai Motors
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Kwon Hyeok-kyu player card
3 MF #25

Kwon Hyeok-kyu

South Korea flag South Korea
Age24
Caps1
Goals0
ClubKarlsruher SC
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Yang Min-hyeok player card
3 MF #27

Yang Min-hyeok

South Korea flag South Korea
Age19
Caps2
Goals0
ClubCoventry City
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Forwards
Son Heung-min player card
4 FW #7

Son Heung-min

South Korea flag South Korea
Age33
Caps140
Goals54
ClubLos Angeles FC
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Cho Gue-sung player card
4 FW #9

Cho Gue-sung

South Korea flag South Korea
Age28
Caps41
Goals10
ClubMidtjylland
View Profile
Oh Hyeon-gyu player card
4 FW #18

Oh Hyeon-gyu

South Korea flag South Korea
Age24
Caps24
Goals6
ClubBeşiktaş
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Head Coach
Hong Myung-bo head coach card
HC#HC

Hong Myung-bo

South Korea flagSouth Korea
RoleHead Coach
StatusCurrent
TeamSouth Korea
View Tactics

South Korea Squad Outlook & Tactics

Under head coach Hong Myung-bo, South Korea sets up with a balanced game plan for tournament football. The side focuses on compact defending, controlled midfield phases, and quick transitions after recoveries.

Playing Style

South Korea usually builds with structure, presses in key moments, and looks for direct attacks through the flanks and half-spaces. The front line supports pressing and makes runs behind the defense when transition chances appear.

Head Coach: Hong Myung-bo

Team Facts

  • Group C for the 2026 World Cup
  • World Cup appearances: 11
  • Best World Cup result: Fourth place

South Korea Probable Lineup (4-3-3)

South Korea is expected to use a 4-3-3 shape, with one holding midfielder and two support midfielders behind a front three. This setup keeps defensive balance while allowing quick counter-attacks and wide progression.

Position Likely Option
GK Kim Seung-gyu
Defenders Lee Myung-jae, Lee Han-beom, Kim Min-jae, Lee Tae-seok
Midfielders Won Du-jae, Seo Min-woo, Lee Jae-sung
Attackers Son Heung-min, Cho Gue-sung, Oh Hyeon-gyu

South Korea Team Kits (2026 Cycle)

South Korea's 2026 kit set keeps the national identity clear with match-ready details across all versions. The current supplier is Nike. The cards below show the Home, Away, Third, and Goalkeeper kits.

Kit Design Details

  • Home Kit: A clean match-day look built around South Korea's core football colors.
  • Away Kit: An alternate design for clear visual contrast in tournament fixtures.
  • Third Kit: A modern extra option used in selected matches across the cycle.
  • Goalkeeper Kit: A high-visibility design to support command and quick reactions.
South Korea Home Kit preview

Home Kit

South Korea Away Kit preview

Away Kit

South Korea Third Kit preview

Third Kit

South Korea Goalkeeper Kit preview

Goalkeeper Kit

South Korea 2026 Style, Strengths, and Tournament Outlook

Current cycle context: South Korea competes under AFC and is currently mapped to Group C for the 2026.

Likely 2026 squad outlook: Core selection is expected to come from the active national-team pool shown on this page, with final selection confirmed by official squad announcements.

Playing style and strengths: This team profile emphasizes structure, role balance, transition control, and game-phase discipline, while tactical details can vary by opponent and availability.

Recent tournament context: Current ranking reference is 22nd and major-honors summary is Best World Cup result: Fourth place; confederation: AFC.

Top search topics: South Korea national football team 2026, South Korea world cup 2026 squad, South Korea team profile, South Korea fixtures and standings, South Korea tactical style, South Korea probable lineup 2026, South Korea strengths and weaknesses, South Korea recent tournament context.

Editorial note: This page is informational. Match-day XI, injuries, and official roster decisions should be verified through federation and FIFA communications.

Got Questions?

Frequently Asked Questions

South Korea has qualified for the 2026 World Cup and is listed in Group C on this page. Group fixtures shown here include matches against Playoff Winner D, Mexico, and South Africa.

Hong Myung-bo is listed as the head coach of South Korea for the 2026. The tactical focus is on organization, transitions, and clear role balance across the squad.

On this page, South Korea is shown at 22nd in the FIFA Men's World Ranking, with a highest-ever ranking of 17th.