Park Ji-sung says Japan is ahead of South Korea in football

Former South Korea national team player Park Ji-sung, now a JTBC commentator, said Japan is currently ahead of South Korea in football.

Park was on commentary duty Saturday at Monterrey Stadium in Monterrey, Mexico, for Japan's second 2026 FIFA World Cup Group F match against Tunisia. Japan won 4-0 in a dominant display.

After the match, Park said Japan had looked so composed that the occasion barely felt like a World Cup. "It didn't feel like a World Cup stage at all — they were so relaxed it was more like a friendly," he said.

He added that each Japanese player had a clear understanding of his role and carried it out effectively. "You could clearly see what each individual was supposed to do, and watching them execute it was quite impressive," Park said.

Park said Japan had maintained a consistently high level while South Korea had been more erratic. "Japan has already shown what they can do and has kept it up, whereas Korea has had a lot of ups and downs — that will definitely make a difference depending on how the remaining matches go," he said.

"Korea has good players, but they haven't been able to sustain a consistent level of performance, and that's a shame," he said. "That's why we need to see the rest of the games before making any judgment — but looking at things right now, Japan is ahead, that much is true."

On Japan drawing 2-2 with the Netherlands in their opening match before beating Tunisia 4-0, Park said the result proved why Japan could go far in the tournament. "It was a match that showed exactly why Japan can do well in this competition, and honestly, I'm a little envious," he said.

Still, Park expressed hope for South Korea, saying Japan's rise should serve as an example. "The fact that Japan has grown steadily to reach where they are now means, conversely, that we can do the same," he said.

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