South Korea ranked 25th ahead of World Cup opener against 40th-ranked Czech Republic

South Korea's national football team will enter the 2026 World Cup maintaining its FIFA ranking of 25th. The team is set to play its first match against the Czech Republic, which is ranked 40th in the world.

According to the latest FIFA rankings updated on June 12 (KST) for the World Cup's opening, South Korea holds 1591.63 points. The team has been preparing with two recent friendly matches, defeating Trinidad and Tobago 5-0 and El Salvador 1-0.

Under coach Hong Myung-bo, South Korea is scheduled to play their first Group A match against the Czech Republic on June 12 at the Guadalajara Stadium in Zapopan, near Guadalajara, Mexico. The Czech Republic, which rose one spot from its April ranking, has also been in good form, winning recent friendlies against Kosovo (2-1) and Guatemala (3-1).

South Korea's second group stage opponent, co-host Mexico, is ranked 13th, making them the highest-ranked team in Group A. Mexico secured a victory in the tournament's opening match with goals from Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez.