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Players of the South Korean national football team, including Son Heung-min, train at Chivas Valle Verde in Zapopan near Guadalajara, Mexico, on the morning of June 27 (local time), keeping alive their hopes of advancing to the round of 32 as a wild card during the 2026 FIFA World Cup North and Central America, before ultimately being eliminated in the group stage. / Courtesy of Yonhap News

Following a poor performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup North and Central America, the South Korean national football team has plummeted out of the top 30 in the FIFA rankings for the first time in roughly 1,660 days. South Korea, which had consistently maintained a position in the 20s, fell to 32nd place after its group stage exit.

Having delivered a disappointing performance at the World Cup, South Korean football has now taken a direct hit in the FIFA rankings as well, dropping to its lowest position in 4 years and 7 months.

According to the July world rankings released by FIFA on July 20 (local time), South Korea ranked 32nd. Ranked 25th before the tournament, South Korea failed to reach the round of 32 after posting a record of 1 win and 2 losses, suffering a shocking drop of seven places at once.

This marks the first time South Korea has fallen outside the top 30 since December 2021, when it ranked 33rd. Although the team had steadily maintained its place in the mid-to-upper 20s while competing at the top level in Asia, its standing was severely shaken by the World Cup setback.

Its standing within Asia has also declined. Japan, despite ending its run in the round of 32, climbed one spot to 17th to retain its position as Asia's top-ranked team, while Iran (22nd) and Australia (28th) also maintained higher rankings than South Korea. Slipping to 4th in Asia, South Korea lost its edge in continental competition.

Analysts note that this decline was an expected outcome. Throughout the tournament, South Korea struggled with build-up play and a lack of clinical finishing, repeatedly delivering frustrating performances where it failed to control the match. Cohesion was lacking amid an ongoing generational transition, while a lack of tactical flexibility and overreliance on key players were also highlighted as major limitations.

FIFA rankings serve as a crucial metric, directly influencing seedings for World Cup and continental qualification draws as well as major international tournaments. As a lower ranking increases the likelihood of being drawn into the same group with top-tier teams in future major competitions, restoring competitiveness has emerged as an urgent priority.

Setting out on a fresh start, South Korean football must rebuild its ranking ahead of the Asian Cup next January. Only by establishing stable national team management, fostering the growth of young players, and enhancing tactical completeness to consistently collect points in international matches can it reclaim its lost standing.

Meanwhile, Spain, which lifted the trophy at the North and Central America World Cup, claimed the No. 1 spot in the world rankings. Overtaking Argentina for the first time in six months since January, Spain reclaimed the top ranking, while Argentina dropped to 2nd. France and England held on to 3rd and 4th place, respectively, while Norway, which created a sensation by reaching the World Cup quarterfinals, surged 12 places from 31st to 19th.

At the very top of the rankings, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Morocco, Portugal, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Mexico rounded out the top 10. Mexico, which was in the same World Cup group as South Korea, jumped four places to break into the top 10.

Uruguay, which was eliminated from the group stage alongside South Korea and faced chaos including the cancellation of its chartered flight home, dropped to 20th. Traditional powerhouses like Germany (12th) and Croatia (13th) also saw their rankings decline following underwhelming World Cup campaigns.

                                                                                                        Cheon Hyun-bin