Ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Fantasy campaign, we’re taking a closer look at each nation competing at this summer’s tournament – highlighting their recent form, qualifying matches, key players and more.
Korea Republic arrive at the tournament for their 11th successive World Cup appearance. The Taeguk Warriors have struggled to replicate the heights of their historic 2002 run to the semi-finals, though, with their best finish since then being a round-of-16 exit in 2022.
On the plus side, they remain one of the most energetic and aggressive sides in transition. They attack quickly, press relentlessly and rarely stop running throughout matches.
However, they still rely heavily on several of their star names to produce decisive moments in the final third.
SQUAD
*Cho Yu-min has since withdrawn and was replaced by Cho Wi-je.
Manager Hong Myung-bo officially announced his final World Cup squad on May 16, with the expected core of experienced stars making the cut once again.
That means the Taegeuk Warriors head into the tournament with a squad packed full of international experience, but still carrying some uncertainty around defensive balance and depth in certain areas.
Under Hong, Korea Republic have continued to develop an aggressive and energetic style of play. The former national team captain has experimented tactically in recent months, alternating between a back four and a back five depending on the opposition.
THE ROAD TO QUALIFICATION
Korea Republic enjoyed a strong qualifying campaign, going unbeaten across all 16 matches. Unlike some nations that benefited from easier fixtures against non-World Cup sides, the Taegeuk Warriors impressed with victories over fellow World Cup participants Jordan, Iran and Iraq.
During that run, Korea Republic also scored an impressive 40 goals, helped by heavy victories against Singapore, Kuwait and China.
Defensively, they produced nine clean sheets throughout qualification. However, there were still signs of vulnerability after conceding against lower-ranked nations, including Oman, Palestine and Kuwait.
In terms of goals scored, only Japan outperformed Korea Republic during qualification, so the Taegeuk Warriors were certainly not short of attacking threat.
However, when it came to expected goals (xG), Korea Republic ranked behind Iran, Japan and Qatar. That suggests they may have slightly overperformed in front of goal during the qualifying campaign.
Above: How Korea Republic compared to other Asian nations for xG + xG conceded (per 90 mins) in qualification
Nine clean sheets from 16 qualifying matches look impressive on paper.
Korea Republic did concede more goals than five other sides during qualification, which suggests there could still be defensive vulnerabilities despite the strong overall campaign.
However, they were encouragingly ranked second for lowest xG conceded per 90 minutes.
BIGGEST GOAL THREATS IN QUALIFICATION
*the xG figure above is non-penalty
It should come as no surprise to see Son Heung-min ($7.4m) lead the way for goals during qualification. The former Tottenham Hotspur attacker scored an impressive 10 goals, including two penalties, whilst also registering a huge 39 shots.
Meanwhile, Lee Kang-in ($6.1m) may have scored “just” five goals, but his underlying attacking numbers were also encouraging. As well as playing more minutes than most of the teammates pictured, Lee actually edged Son for expected goals (xG) and produced only four fewer shots overall.
Another player worth highlighting is Lee Jae-sung ($6.2m). The Mainz 05 midfielder also scored five goals during qualification, but managed that return with roughly half the number of shots compared to Son and Lee Kang-in, whilst also posting a higher xG than both.
MOST CREATIVE PLAYERS IN QUALIFYING
The players who impressed in front of goal also showed plenty of creativity during qualification. Lee Kang-in not only scored five goals, but also produced six assists during the campaign. He additionally ranked top among his teammates for key passes.
Meanwhile, Son Heung-min registered four assists from 28 key passes. Two of those assists came from set pieces, which could become significant when assessing his Fantasy appeal.
Another player who really caught the eye was Hwang In-beom ($5.8m). No player in the list above played more minutes during qualification, which highlights just how important he is to the side. He also made excellent use of that gametime, producing an impressive 21 key passes throughout the campaign.
SINCE QUALIFYING
| Date | Opposition | Result (Korea’s first) | Goalscorers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 06 September 2025 | v USA | 2-0 | Son, Dong-gyeong |
| 10 September 2025 | v Mexico | 2-2 | Son, Hyeon-gyu |
| 10 October 2025 | v Brazil | 0-5 | – |
| 14 October 2025 | v Paraguay | 2-0 | Ji-sung, Hyeon-gyu |
| 14 November 2025 | v Bolivia | 2-0 | Son, Gue-sung |
| 18 November 2025 | v Ghana | 1-0 | Tae-seok |
| 28 March 2026 | v Ivory Coast | 0-4 | – |
| 31 March 2026 | v Austria | 0-1 | – |
| 31 May 2026 | v Trinidad + Tobago | 5-0 | Son x2, Gue-sung x2, Hee-chan |
Whilst victories over fellow World Cup participants United States, Paraguay and Ghana were impressive, Korea Republic’s heavy 5-0 defeat against Brazil and their March friendly performances do raise some question marks heading into the World Cup.
A trouncing of minnows Trinidad and Tobago doesn’t really cover over any cracks.
WORLD CUP FIXTURES
The bookies, interestingly, place Korea as third-favourites in their group, but Group A is admittedly one of the toughest to call.
On paper, the easiest test comes against South Africa in the final group match – so Son and co might be good pick-ups for Round 3 Wildcarders, when rotation may be striking elsewhere.
TOP FANTASY PICKS
Korea Republic’s attacking performances during qualification, along with some impressive results in friendlies after the campaign, suggest they could be a side worth backing offensively – especially in Round 3.
One player immediately stands out when assessing their attacking options, of course: forward Son Heung-min ($7.4m).
We’ve already discussed his goal threat and creativity during qualification, and he’s contributed plenty of goals in friendlies since.
When adding penalties, corners and free-kicks into the equation, Son becomes the clear standout among Korea Republic’s attacking assets.
Lee Kang-in ($6.1m) should be considered for anyone looking to back a slightly different option.
Firstly, very few of his attacking teammates played more minutes than he did during qualification, which immediately highlights just how important he has become for Korea Republic.
More importantly, though, it is what Lee did with those minutes that really catches the eye. The Paris Saint-Germain attacker displayed both strong goal threat and creativity after scoring five goals and registering six assists during qualification. As we saw earlier, his underlying data was also extremely encouraging.
Listed as a midfielder and cheaper than Son, he’s perhaps easier to accommodate in Fantasy teams.
At the back, Korea Republic kept nine clean sheets during their 16 qualifying matches. They have also produced shutouts in several recent friendlies.
With that in mind, and considering they face so-so opposition, including the Czech Republic, Mexico and South Africa, there could be defensive potential within the Taegeuk Warriors’ backline. Again, probably more so in Round 3.
Many managers may naturally gravitate towards Kim Min-jae ($5.0m) because of his reputation and status as a Bayern Munich centre-back. However, full-back/wing-back Seol Young-woo ($4.2m) has shown more attacking threat in recent times.
In fact, when comparing Korea Republic’s players for expected assists (xA) during qualification, Seol ranked fourth overall with an impressive 1.47 xA.
