Teams · Group A
Korea Republic
Taegeuk Warriors
South Korea reached the semifinals as co-hosts in 2002 and have qualified for every World Cup since 1986 — a streak unmatched in Asia. They blend disciplined organisation with the individual quality of Europe-based stars.
Korea Republic’s group path
Korea Republic starts in Group A with Mexico, Czechia, South Africa. They enter the group as the #2 team by MatchupSim power rating, which makes the finishing position especially important: first place, second place and a possible third-place route can each send them into a very different round-of-32 matchup.
Key facts
- Confederation
- Asia (AFC)
- Group
- Group A · power-ranked #2 of 4
- World Cup titles
- 0
- Best finish
- Fourth place (2002)
- Qualified via
- AFC qualifying
- Power rating (PWR)
- 75 · Elo 1730
- Manager
- Hong Myung-bo
Players to watch
- Son Heung-min — Captain, forward
- Kim Min-jae — Defender (Bayern Munich)
- Lee Kang-in — Midfield (Paris Saint-Germain)
Group A opponents
Group-stage fixtures
- Fri, Jun 12
CzechiaGuadalajara, Mexico - Fri, Jun 19
MexicoGuadalajara, Mexico - Thu, Jun 25
South AfricaMonterrey, Mexico
2026 outlook
With a talented core, Korea Republic will fancy their chances of escaping Group A and adding to their record as Asia's standard-bearers on the world stage.
Prediction angles to test
Start with a favorites run, then test one aggressive version where Korea Republic wins Group A and one conservative version where they finish lower in the table. Comparing those paths shows whether their best chance comes from group control, a softer runner-up route, or surviving as one of the best third-place teams.
Simulate Korea Republic’s World Cup
Think Korea Republic can go all the way — or crash out early? Set their Group A finish in the simulator and watch the bracket re-wire around your call, or build a full prediction all the way to the final.