Lowest ranking in 4 years and 6 months

South Korean players react with disappointment after finishing third in Group A following their loss to South Africa in the third group-stage match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, Mexico, on June 24 (local time). [Yonhap]
South Korean players react with disappointment after finishing third in Group A following their loss to South Africa in the third group-stage match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, Mexico, on June 24 (local time). [Yonhap]

South Korea's FIFA ranking has fallen to 32nd after the national team failed to advance past the group stage at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America — the country's lowest ranking since December 2021, when it stood at 33rd.

In the updated men's world rankings released Sunday (Korean Standard Time), South Korea recorded 1,558.72 ranking points to sit at 32nd. FIFA updates its rankings and points in real time to reflect international match results.

South Korea had consistently held a place in the top 20 since climbing to 29th in the rankings published in February 2022. The team was ranked 22nd when the draw for this World Cup was held last December, and 25th just before the tournament began.

A group-stage campaign that yielded one win and two losses left South Korea outside the round of 32, pushing the team down into the 30s.

Canada, which beat South Africa 1-0 in the round of 32 on Sunday, rose to 30th. South Korea's ranking could slip further depending on results involving other round-of-32 qualifiers, including Sweden (36th), Paraguay (37th) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (41st).

South Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo announced his resignation Sunday morning (Korean Standard Time), meeting with reporters at Chivas Verde Valle in Zapopan, Mexico — the national team's base camp — the day after the squad's group-stage elimination was confirmed.


yeongdai@heraldcorp.com