South Korea World Cup 2026: Son shouldering responsibility as Taeguk Warriors eye knockouts

South Korea have made it to their 11th consecutive FIFA World Cup after going unbeaten in qualifying, and they've been drawn in Group A alongside Mexico, South Africa and the Czech Republic.

Below are my South Korea World Cup 2026 predictions, including an assessment of their squad and chances of going far at the tournament.

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Goalkeepers: Jo Hyeon-woo (Ulsan), Kim Seung-gyu (FC Tokyo), Song Bum-keun (Jeonbuk).

Defenders: Kim Moon-hwan (Daejeon), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), Kim Tae-hyon (Kashima Antlers), Park Jin-seob (Zhejiang), Seol Young-woo (Red Star Belgrade), Jens Castrop (Borussia Monchengladbach), Lee Ki-hyuk (Gangwon), Lee Tae-seok (Austria Wien), Lee Han-beom (Midtjylland), Cho Wi-je (Jeonbuk).

Midfielders: Kim Jin-gyu (Jeonbuk), Bae Jun-ho (Stoke City), Paik Seung-ho (Birmingham), Yang Hyun-jun (Celtic), Eom Ji-sung (Swansea), Lee Kang-in (Paris St-Germain), Lee Dong-gyeong (Ulsan), Lee Jae-sung (Mainz), Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolves).

Forwards: Son Heung-min (LAFC), Oh Hyeon-gyu (Besitkas), Cho Gue-sung (Midtjylland).

Former Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min is the standout name in Hong Myung-bo's squad, but don't forget about PSG playmaker Lee Kang-in, who will be expected to provide the creativity in midfield, or Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae.

The biggest concern is the forward line, with Oh Hyeon-gyu and Cho Gue-sung hardly prolific at international level, while the goals have dried up for Son in Major League Soccer this year.

World Cup Odds

South Korea topped their qualifying group, finishing six points clear of second-placed Jordan, but they were fortunate to miss out some of the other big names in Asia, with Japan, Australia and Saudi Arabia all together in one of the other two groups, for example.

Friendly results over the past year have been mixed, with a 5-0 thrashing by Brazil last October followed by three straight wins to close out 2025 before they began the current year with back-to-back defeats against the Ivory Coast (0-4) and Austria (0-1).

Group A Fixtures:

11 June 8pm local (12 June 3am BST) - vs Czech Republic (Guadalajara)

19 June 7pm local (19 June 2am BST) - vs Mexico (Guadalajara)

25 June 7pm local (26 June 2am BST) - vs South Africa (Monterrey)

Player to watch: Son Heung-min

Son is South Korea's most-capped player of all time, and in his 143rd appearance last Sunday, he bagged a brace in a 5-0 victory over Trinidad & Tobago to take his goal tally to 56 as he closes in on record marksman Cha Bum-kun (58).

No goals in 13 MLS games this year is a concern, but he's provided eight assists in the competition, and in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, he scored twice in eight appearances, laying on six goals for his teammates, too.

The 33-year-old is the Taegeuk Warriors' joint-highest scorer at World Cups, tied with Park Ji-sung and Ahn Jung-hwan on three goals, so he will be desperate to make himself the outright leader in North America.

Football Odds

Prediction: Round of 32

South Korea have a great chance of progressing to the knockout phase, most likely as runner-up in Group A or as one of the best third-placed sides, but I think they might come a cropper in the round of 32 as their limitations in attack are laid bare.

Their two most talented attackers, Son and Lee, have endured their own struggles of sorts this season, with the former failing to score a league goal, and the latter failing to get consistent starts in a star-studded PSG team, which doesn't inspire confidence in the Taeguk Warriors when they have to face some of the best sides in the world.