Korea Republic have officially qualified for their 11th consecutive FIFA World Cup, extending one of the longest active qualification streaks in international football.
The FIFA World Cup 2026™ will mark the Taeguk Warriors’ 12th appearance overall and another opportunity to build on their proud football history.
After reaching the Round of 16 at Qatar 2022, Korea Republic now head to North America hoping to make another deep tournament run.
Hong Myungbo returned as Korea Republic head coach in July 2024, exactly ten years after his previous spell in charge ended following the 2014 World Cup.
Few coaches understand Korean football better than Hong. As a player, assistant coach and manager, he has experienced the World Cup from every angle.
He captained Korea Republic during their historic 2002 FIFA World Cup run and later guided the nation to a bronze medal at the London 2012 Olympics.
Before returning to the national team, Hong also enjoyed major success with Ulsan HD, winning back-to-back K League 1 titles in 2022 and 2023.
Korea Republic cruised through AFC qualifying unbeaten despite changing head coaches twice after Qatar 2022.
In the second round, they dominated a group containing China PR, Thailand and Singapore, winning every match except a 1-1 draw against Thailand.
The Taeguk Warriors continued their strong form in the final qualifying round by topping Group B ahead of Jordan, Iraq, Oman, Palestine and Kuwait.
With six wins and four draws, Korea Republic became the only Asian team to qualify without suffering a single defeat.
Korea Republic’s greatest football achievement came at the 2002 FIFA World Cup on home soil.
After defeating Poland and Portugal during the group stage, the Taeguk Warriors shocked Italy in the Round of 16 thanks to Ahn Junghwan’s famous golden goal.
They then eliminated Spain on penalties before eventually finishing fourth after losses to Germany and Türkiye.
That historic run remains the best FIFA World Cup finish ever achieved by an Asian nation.
At Qatar 2022, Korea Republic returned to the knockout stage for the first time since 2010.
After drawing with Uruguay and losing narrowly to Ghana, the Koreans produced a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over Portugal to secure qualification for the Round of 16.
However, their tournament journey ended against tournament favourites Brazil in a 4-1 defeat.
Korea Republic first appeared at the FIFA World Cup in Switzerland 1954 under extremely difficult conditions following the Korean War.
Travel challenges and exhaustion heavily affected the squad, who suffered heavy defeats against Hungary and Türkiye.
Despite the difficult debut, that first participation laid the foundation for Korea Republic’s future football growth.
Ahn Junghwan and Son Heungmin jointly hold Korea Republic’s World Cup scoring record with three goals each.
Ahn became a national hero after scoring the famous golden goal against Italy in 2002.
Meanwhile, Son’s unforgettable strike against Germany at Russia 2018 helped eliminate the defending world champions in one of the tournament’s biggest shocks.
Current head coach Hong Myungbo remains Korea Republic’s all-time World Cup appearance leader with 16 matches played across four tournaments.
Park Jisung follows with 14 appearances, while Son Heungmin could potentially break the record if Korea Republic make another deep run in 2026.
Korea Republic’s first-ever World Cup victory came in 2002 when they defeated Poland 2-0 in Seoul.
That result sparked one of the greatest underdog stories in World Cup history as millions of Korean supporters filled the streets in celebration during the team’s historic semi-final run.
Another unforgettable moment arrived at Russia 2018 when Korea Republic stunned defending champions Germany 2-0 through late goals from Kim Younggwon and Son Heungmin.
The dramatic result eliminated Germany at the group stage and became one of the greatest upsets in FIFA World Cup history.
Korea Republic’s biggest FIFA World Cup victories have all come by a two-goal margin.
Their most famous victories include the 2-0 triumph over Poland in 2002, the 2-0 win against Greece in 2010, and the unforgettable 2-0 upset against Germany at Russia 2018.
With a talented generation led by Son Heungmin and guided by legendary captain Hong Myungbo, Korea Republic arrive at FIFA World Cup 2026™ carrying high expectations once again.
The Taeguk Warriors now hope to create another unforgettable chapter in Asian football history.
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