South Korea at the World Cup 2026
South Korea arrive at the 2026 World Cup for an 11th consecutive tournament — a streak stretching back to Mexico 1986 that is unmatched by any other AFC nation. The defining narrative is Son Heung-min's fourth and final World Cup. The captain, 33, left Tottenham in summer 2025 after a decade in the Premier League to join LAFC in Major League Soccer.
Hong Myung-bo — the 2002 World Cup defender and former Olympic coach — has been head coach since July 2024 (replacing Jurgen Klinsmann after the controversial AFCON 2024 semi-final exit to Jordan plus the fracas between Son and Lee Kang-in on the eve of the match). His tactical setup is a 4-2-3-1 with Son operating as the left-of-front-three, allowing Lee Kang-in (PSG) freedom in the No. 10 role.
Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) is the defensive cornerstone — one of the world's most-respected centre-backs after his 2023 move from Napoli. Hwang Hee-chan (Wolves) leads the right-sided attack; Bae Jun-ho (Stoke City) plays the central forward role. Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord, struggling with an ankle injury) is the deep-lying playmaker.
Group A contains Mexico (host), Czechia and South Africa. South Korea are second favourites behind Mexico to top the group at consensus 2.30. The realistic ceiling is a Round of 16 result (matching the Qatar 2022 baseline); the credible bottom is a group-stage exit. Outright tournament price 67.0.
Outright odds — South Korea to win World Cup 2026
Group A fixtures
All three group-stage matches for South Korea at World Cup 2026 with current odds from our partner books.
Squad & predicted XI
Jo · Kim Tae-hyeon, Kim Min-jae, Cho Yu-min, Seol · Hwang In-beom, Lee Jae-sung · Lee Kang-in, Bae Jun-ho, Hwang Hee-chan · Son (c)
Formation: 4-2-3-1 · Coach: Hong Myung-bo
| Player | Position | Club | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jo Hyeon-woo | GK | Ulsan HD | 30 | 0 |
| Kim Min-jae | DF | Bayern Munich | 70 | 4 |
| Cho Yu-min | DF | Charlotte FC | 24 | 1 |
| Seol Young-woo | DF | Ulsan HD | 14 | 0 |
| Kim Tae-hyeon | DF | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 6 | 0 |
| Hwang In-beom | MF | Feyenoord | 65 | 6 |
| Lee Jae-sung | MF | Mainz | 90 | 14 |
| Lee Kang-in | MF | PSG | 40 | 8 |
| Son Heung-min (c) | FW | LAFC | 130 | 51 |
| Hwang Hee-chan | FW | Wolves | 60 | 13 |
How South Korea qualified for World Cup 2026
South Korea qualified from AFC Round 3 Group B with a perfect 6 wins and 4 draws across 10 matches — unbeaten, 16 points clear of third place. Sealed qualification in June 2025 with a 2-0 win over Iraq in Basra. The campaign featured 25 goals scored and only 4 conceded.
Son Heung-min finished as the squad's leading qualifying scorer with 6 goals despite his Tottenham/LAFC club transition through the campaign. Lee Kang-in added 4. Hwang Hee-chan contributed 3. The defensive structure under Hong Myung-bo's 4-2-3-1 was the campaign's reference feature.
The pre-tournament friendly window in March 2026 produced mixed results — a 1-0 friendly win over Ivory Coast in Milton Keynes (England) and a 0-0 draw with Senegal in Le Havre (France). Hong used both matches to confirm the spine of his World Cup XI.
World Cup history
South Korea have appeared at 11 previous World Cups since their debut at Switzerland 1954. Best finish: fourth place at the co-hosted Korea/Japan 2002 tournament — beating Italy and Spain en route to the semi-finals before losing to Germany 1-0 and then Turkey 3-2 in the third-place playoff. Round of 16 at Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022. They are the most-successful Asian nation in World Cup history by knockout-round count.
| Year | Host | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1954 | Switzerland | Group stage |
| 1986 | Mexico | Group stage |
| 1990 | Italy | Group stage |
| 1994 | USA | Group stage |
| 1998 | France | Group stage |
| 2002 | Korea/Japan | Fourth place |
| 2006 | Germany | Group stage |
| 2010 | South Africa | Round of 16 |
| 2014 | Brazil | Group stage |
| 2018 | Russia | Group stage |
| 2022 | Qatar | Round of 16 |
| Player | Position | Club | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cha Bum-kun | FW | retired | 121 | 58 |
| Son Heung-min | FW | LAFC | 130 | 51 |
| Hwang Sun-hong | FW | retired | 103 | 50 |
| Park Lee-chun | FW | retired | 56 | 23 |
| Kim Do-hoon | FW | retired | 72 | 30 |
| Cha Du-ri | DF | retired | 76 | 4 |
FAQ
Who is South Korea's coach at World Cup 2026?
Hong Myung-bo, head coach since July 2024. The 2002 World Cup centre-back and former Olympic coach took over after Jurgen Klinsmann's dismissal in the wake of the AFCON 2024 semi-final exit and the team-disciplinary fracas between Son and Lee Kang-in. He led the side to a perfect 6W/4D AFC qualifying campaign.
Is Son Heung-min in South Korea's 2026 squad?
Yes — as captain. Son, 33, is heading to his fourth and final World Cup. He left Tottenham in summer 2025 after 10 years in the Premier League and joined LAFC in Major League Soccer. He sits second on South Korea's all-time scoring list (51 goals) behind Cha Bum-kun (58).
Has South Korea ever reached the World Cup semi-finals?
Yes — at Korea/Japan 2002, when they finished fourth as co-hosts. They beat Italy 2-1 in the Round of 16 (Ahn Jung-hwan's golden goal) and Spain on penalties in the quarter-finals before losing to Germany 1-0 in the semi-final and Turkey 3-2 in the third-place playoff. It remains the only Asian semi-final appearance in World Cup history.
Who is South Korea's all-time top scorer?
Cha Bum-kun with 58 goals from 121 caps. Cha (now 72) was the most-successful Korean footballer of his era, playing club football in the Bundesliga for Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayer Leverkusen. Son Heung-min sits second on 51 goals and has the realistic prospect of breaking the record at the 2026 World Cup.
What group is South Korea in at World Cup 2026?
Group A alongside Mexico, Czechia and South Africa. Mexico are favourites at 1.70; South Korea second favourites at 2.30. South Korea open against Czechia on 12 June, face Mexico on 18 June in Guadalajara (MD2), and conclude against South Africa.