Group: A — Mexico, South Korea, Czech Republic, South Africa

How they Qualified: South Korea topped AFC third-round Group B and clinched qualification with a 2-0 win at Iraq on June 5, 2025, then closed the campaign with a 4-0 win over Kuwait. It is their 11th straight World Cup qualification and 12th overall appearance.

Best World Cup Finish: Semifinals (2002)

Transfermarkt Roster Value: $164.69 M

FIFA Rank: 25

Odds to Win Group: 3-1

Odds to Advance: -330

Odds to Win Cup: 450-1

Key Players:

  • Son Heung-min — Forward — LAFC (MLS). Son is still the face of the team and the player everything runs through. He is South Korea’s most-capped player with 140 appearances and 54 international goals. Even after his move from the Premier League to MLS, he remains a world class talent and led South Korea with 10 goals in qualification.
  • Kang-in Lee — Attacking Midfielder — Paris Saint-Germain (France). Kang-in is South Korea’s main creative spark between the lines and one of the two most valuable players in the squad at $29m. He gives them a level of technical quality that separates them from a lot of mid-tier teams. Lee led South Korea in assists in qualifying.
  • Kim Min-jae — Center Back — Bayern Munich (Germany). Kim remains the defensive anchor and is tied with Kang-in as South Korea’s highest-valued player at $33m. If South Korea are going to handle the physical side of this group, he is the player who has to set that tone.

Playing Style and Outlook

Under Hong Myung-bo, South Korea has lined up in a 4-2-3-1 against Palestine, Oman, Iraq, and Kuwait, and that shape suits the personnel. With Son off the left, Kang-in as the main creator, and attacking fullbacks supporting, this is a team that wants to play with structure and technical quality rather than simply sit deep and wait.

That said, the qualifying campaign suggested a team that was steadier than spectacular. South Korea went unbeaten in the third round but struggled at home, and the results back that up: they drew 0-0 with Palestine and 1-1 with Oman before finishing strongly. So this is probably not a side that wants chaotic, end-to-end games. They look more comfortable controlling rhythm, combining in the half spaces, and letting their better players decide matches with moments of quality.

That makes Group A pretty interesting. Mexico are deserved favorites because of the home advantage, while the opener against Czech Republic feels huge because it could decide whether South Korea are playing from strength or pressure the rest of the way. South Africa look like the one matchup where Korea should expect to have more of the ball and more of the initiative. The market has South Korea as only the third choice to win the group, but still odds-on to advance, which feels about right: this looks like a solid, balanced team with a real chance to get through, even if it does not quite feel like one of the tournament’s true dark horses.