South Korea arrive at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with their most formidable squad in years, headlined by Son Heung-min at his fourth tournament. Manager Hong Myung-bo has assembled a group that blends Son's vast experience with emerging talent — Lee Kang-in at PSG, Hwang Hee-chan at Wolves, Bae Jun-ho at Stoke — giving the Taeguk Warriors genuine depth across the pitch. South Korea have now appeared at every World Cup since 1986, and their record of reaching the semi-finals on home soil in 2002 remains one of the great tournament stories.
Group A: South Korea · Czech Republic · [Group opponents TBC] Opening match: South Korea vs Czech Republic — 11 June 2026, Guadalajara Stadium
Full Squad
| Player | Position | Club | Previous World Cups |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jo Hyeon-woo | Goalkeeper | Ulsan | 2 |
| Kim Seung-gyu | Goalkeeper | FC Tokyo | 3 |
| Song Bum-keun | Goalkeeper | Jeonbuk | 0 |
| Kim Moon-hwan | Defender | Daejeon | 1 |
| Kim Min-jae | Defender | Bayern Munich | 1 |
| Kim Tae-hyon | Defender | Kashima Antlers | 0 |
| Park Jin-seob | Defender | Zhejiang | 0 |
| Seol Young-woo | Defender | Red Star Belgrade | 0 |
| Jens Castrop | Defender | Borussia Mönchengladbach | 0 |
| Lee Ki-hyuk | Defender | Gangwon | 0 |
| Lee Tae-seok | Defender | Austria Wien | 0 |
| Lee Han-beom | Defender | Midtjylland | 0 |
| Cho Yu-min | Defender | Sharjah | 0 |
| Kim Jin-gyu | Midfielder | Jeonbuk | 0 |
| Bae Jun-ho | Midfielder | Stoke City | 0 |
| Paik Seung-ho | Midfielder | Birmingham | 1 |
| Yang Hyun-jun | Midfielder | Celtic | 0 |
| Eom Ji-sung | Midfielder | Swansea | 0 |
| Lee Kang-in | Midfielder | Paris Saint-Germain | 1 |
| Lee Dong-gyeong | Midfielder | Ulsan | 0 |
| Lee Jae-sung | Midfielder | Mainz | 2 |
| Hwang In-beom | Midfielder | Feyenoord | 1 |
| Hwang Hee-chan | Midfielder | Wolves | 2 |
| Son Heung-min | Forward | LAFC | 3 |
| Oh Hyeon-gyu | Forward | Beşiktaş | 0 |
| Cho Gue-sung | Forward | Midtjylland | 1 |
Key Players to Watch
Son Heung-min at his fourth World Cup is the undisputed leader of this squad — captain, talisman, and the most complete South Korean player in history. Now at LAFC after leaving Tottenham, Son carries the weight of a nation's expectations with the same composure he brings every week at club level. He remains one of the world's elite forwards and will be determined to make a deep run.
Kim Min-jae has established himself as one of Europe's best centre-backs since joining Bayern Munich. Athletic, dominant in the air and composed on the ball, he anchors the South Korean backline and is the single most important defensive player in the squad. His performance against elite forwards will be decisive.
Lee Kang-in at PSG has made the leap to elite European football and is increasingly the creative hub through which South Korea attack. His technical quality, pressing work rate and ability to unlock defences in tight spaces makes him the key to how South Korea play with the ball.
Hwang Hee-chan provides the tireless energy and directness that makes South Korea so difficult to defend against in transitions. The Wolves forward combines pressing intensity with genuine goal threat and is at his best in systems that ask him to run in behind.
Group Stage Outlook
South Korea open against Czech Republic — a beatable opponent on paper, and a game where the Taeguk Warriors will be expected to take maximum points. Beyond that, the group draw will determine how difficult the path to the round of 16 becomes.
Hong Myung-bo's side are built around the Son-Lee Kang-in creative axis in attack and Kim Min-jae's authority at the back. When those pieces are in form, South Korea can trouble any team. Their fitness, pressing intensity and tactical discipline are well established, and the blend of European experience across the squad means they arrive better equipped tactically than at any previous tournament.
Squad Profile
South Korea's squad carries significant World Cup experience at the senior level: Son at three previous tournaments, Kim Seung-gyu at three, Lee Jae-sung and Hwang Hee-chan at two each. The next generation — Lee Kang-in, Bae Jun-ho, Yang Hyun-jun — adds freshness and elite club-level conditioning that the older generation could not provide in previous cycles.
FAQ
Who manages South Korea at the 2026 World Cup?
Hong Myung-bo, a South Korean football legend who played at the 2002 semi-final run and returned to manage the national team ahead of the 2026 qualifying cycle.
How many World Cups has Son Heung-min played in?
The 2026 tournament is Son Heung-min's fourth FIFA World Cup, having appeared at 2014, 2018 and 2022.
Who are South Korea's key players at the 2026 World Cup?
Son Heung-min, Kim Min-jae, Lee Kang-in and Hwang Hee-chan are the standout names. Bae Jun-ho and Yang Hyun-jun are among the emerging talents to watch.
When do South Korea play their first game at the 2026 World Cup?
South Korea open Group A against Czech Republic on 11 June 2026 at Guadalajara Stadium.