South Korea ranked 15th in World Cup power rankings, ahead of Mexico and Japan

South Korea, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, has been ranked 15th in the power rankings for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.

The Athletic, a US sports media outlet, published its power rankings for all 48 nations competing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Saturday (Korean Standard Time).

The outlet said it had revised the rankings since finalizing the list of qualifiers in April, incorporating factors such as coaching changes, key player injuries and recent form.

South Korea came in at 15th overall — one spot higher than the 16th-place ranking The Athletic assigned in April, and notably above the team's FIFA ranking of 25th. A 15th-place finish in the power rankings effectively signals that The Athletic views South Korea as a round-of-16 contender. The Athletic is a subsidiary of The New York Times.

The outlet noted that the picture heading into the tournament is not entirely rosy for South Korea. "Some players are heading into the World Cup out of form, carrying injuries or lacking playing time at their clubs," it said. Son Heung-min of LAFC has managed just two goals in 21 official appearances this season, key midfielder Hwang In-beom of Feyenoord is still feeling the effects of an injury, and Lee Kang-in of Paris Saint-Germain did not play a single minute in PSG's final four UEFA Champions League matches.

The Athletic also highlighted South Korea's upward momentum in pre-tournament friendlies and a relatively favorable group draw. The outlet noted that South Korea thrashed Trinidad and Tobago 5-0 last week, with Son — despite his club struggles — scoring twice and Hwang making his return from injury. It added that South Korea drew a favorable Group A lineup featuring Mexico, South Africa and the Czech Republic, which it described as one of Europe's weakest qualifiers.

A notable aspect of the rankings is that South Korea placed above both Belgium and Mexico. Belgium, despite boasting world-class players such as Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku — both of Napoli — was limited to 16th place, with the outlet citing the fitness of the two stars as a key variable.

Host nation Mexico came in at 19th. While Mexico is considered a frontrunner to top Group A with the advantage of playing at home, the injury concerns surrounding captain Edson Alvarez of Fenerbahce were flagged as a source of uncertainty. On the positive side, the outlet pointed to Raul Jimenez of Fulham, young prospect Gilberto Mora of Club Tijuana and the support of home fans as strengths.

Japan was ranked 23rd. The Athletic viewed the injury absence of Kaoru Mitoma of Brighton as a blow to Japan's World Cup outlook, but assessed positively the growing depth of Europe-based players, including Wataru Endo of Liverpool, Daichi Kamada of Crystal Palace, Ao Tanaka of Leeds United and Daizen Maeda of Celtic. Japan is making its eighth consecutive World Cup appearance but has yet to advance past the round of 16.

Spain topped the overall power rankings for the second consecutive time, retaining the No. 1 spot it held in April. France and Argentina swapped places, with France moving up to second. Brazil, England, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Colombia and Croatia rounded out the top 10 in that order. England climbed two spots from sixth to fourth, and Germany rose two places from eighth to sixth, while the Netherlands and Portugal both fell in the rankings.

South Korea will play its Group A matches in the following order: against the Czech Republic on Friday at 11 a.m., against Mexico on June 19 at 10 a.m. — both in Guadalajara, Mexico — and against South Africa on June 25 at 10 a.m. in Monterrey, Mexico. All times are Korean Standard Time.

‘퇴근 넥타이부대 합세’ 저녁 밥까지 걸렀다…나흘 밤 넘는 올림픽공원 집회 [세상&]

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