South Korea
🌍 World Cup Story
South Korea are the most successful Asian nation in World Cup history. In 2002, as joint-hosts with Japan, they produced one of the greatest shocks in the tournament's history — eliminating Spain and Germany to reach the semifinals, where they fell to Germany. They finished fourth, a record for any Asian team. Since then they have qualified for every tournament, reaching the Round of 16 in 2010 (losing to Uruguay) and 2022. Son Heung-min, one of the world's elite forwards, captains a squad heavily based in Europe's top leagues. At 11 consecutive appearances, only Brazil, Germany, Argentina, Italy and Spain have a longer unbroken run.
📌 2026 Context
Asia's most consistent qualifiers, at their 11th consecutive World Cup with Son Heung-min leading the charge.
⭐ Stars to Watch
👕 Squad
🧤 Goalkeepers
Kim Seung-gyu
Al-Shabab
Cho Hyun-woo
Ulsan
Song Bum-keun
Jeonbuk
🛡️ Defenders
Kim Moon-hwan
Jeonbuk
Kim Min-jae⭐
Bayern Munich
Park Yong-woo
Seongnam
Kwon Kyung-won
Girona
Kim Jin-su
Al-Qadsiah
Lee Tae-young
Al-Ettifaq
⚙️ Midfielders
Paik Seung-ho
Jeonbuk
Lee Kang-in⭐
Paris Saint-Germain
Hwang In-beom
Vancouver Whitecaps
Jung Woo-young
Al-Ittihad
Oh Hyeon-gyu
Celtic
⚡ Forwards
Son Heung-min⭐
Tottenham Hotspur
Cho Gue-sung
Miyagi
Hwang Ui-jo
Nottingham Forest
Hwang Hee-chan
Wolverhampton