The South Korea national football team achieved a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory against the Czech Republic in the first match of the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This win has propelled South Korea to 21st place in the FIFA rankings, making it the second highest-ranked team in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) after Japan. According to FIFA on the 16th, South Korea has risen four places from 25th just before the World Cup began. With this victory, South Korea added 20.92 points to its total, reaching 1612.55 points. On the same day, Iran dropped in the rankings after a draw with New Zealand, allowing South Korea to climb one spot. South Korea will face the host nation Mexico in the second match of Group A on the 19th at 10 AM at the Guadalajara Stadium. Mexico, ranked 13th in FIFA, won its first match against South Africa 2-0. The outcome of this second match is expected to determine the group leader.