South Korea lands at 38th in The Athletic's ranking

South Korea finished the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage and was placed 38th out of 48 by the British outlet The Athletic in its power ranking. The lower spot compared with the actual 34th finish reflects a deeper look at match quality and tactics. Currently the team sits 3rd with 3 points (1W‑0D‑2L) and a recent LLW form.

Why the rating is lower than the final standing?

The Athletic weighed offensive and defensive cohesion, competitiveness against opponents, not just win‑loss. Korea started strong, beating the Czech Republic, but then fell 0‑1 to Mexico and South Africa. A meager 2 goals scored and 3 conceded (‑1 goal difference) hurt the assessment. This contributes to being 6 points behind leaders Mexico despite the overall standing.

Why below New Zealand?

Some overseas outlets placed New Zealand, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia and Turkey ahead of Korea. Their criteria included pace of attack, finishing, set‑piece use. Korea failed to find the net in two matches, and even Son Heung‑min could not shift the momentum as expected. The critique points to tactical rigidity and lack of organization.

What lies ahead?

In the last five games (WWWLD, most recent first) Korea posted 3 wins‑1 draw‑1 loss, riding a three‑game winning streak. The most recent victory was South Korea 1‑0 Ghana on 2025‑11‑18. Building on that win, adding creativity to the attack and tightening defensive shape could lift the next tournament rating. Fans hope for tactical variety centered around Son Heung‑min.

Open questions remain

The Athletic’s 38th place is a content‑driven assessment, not just a rank. What weaknesses did Korea expose at the World Cup, and how can they be fixed? The answer may come in the upcoming matches.