Son Heung-min in Los Angeles — the tournament near home for the nation's biggest star for the first time. South Korea had the most successful qualification in a generation: unbeaten. Coach Hong Myung-bo is trying to extend the wave from Doha.
Group stage confirmed, playoffs — date range and potential venues. Playoff schedule to be finalized after Round of 16 draw.
South Korea's captain in 2002 (1/2 final at the home World Cup). Second stint as A-team coach (1st — 2013-2014). Between them — Olympic bronze in 2012 and K-League championship with Ulsan HD in 2022 and 2023. The goal — to repeat the 2002 success with Son Heung-min in the lead role.
National team captain. Played for Hamburg, Bayer, Tottenham; moved to LAFC in summer 2025. Winner of the 2024/25 Europa League with Tottenham.
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PSG midfielder — winners of the 2024/25 Champions League. Valencia academy product, made his La Liga debut at 17.
FileBayern Munich centre-back. Played for Jeonbuk, Beijing Guoan, Fenerbahçe, Napoli. Serie A champion 2022/23 — first time since the Maradona era.
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Pacy winger for Wolverhampton. Played for Salzburg, Leipzig, Hoffenheim.
File11 tournaments. Best finish — 4th place at home World Cup 2002 (lost 0:1 to Germany in the semifinal, lost 2:3 to Turkey in the third-place match). 10 consecutive World Cup appearances (since 1986).
Experienced goalkeeper at Tokyo in the J-League. One of the squad's oldest players.
Long-time squad member.
Tall goalkeeper at Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in the K-League.
Reserve goalkeeper.
Goalkeeper at Ulsan Hyundai in the K-League. World Cup 2018 participant.
World Cup 2018, World Cup 2022 participant.
Right back at Daejeon Hana Citizen in the K-League.
Regular starter.
Tall centre-back at Midtjylland in the Danish Superliga.
Young squad addition.
Centre back at Sharjah in the UAE Pro League.
Regular starter.
Defender for Austria Vienna in the Austrian Bundesliga.
Young squad addition.
Centre-back at Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the J-League.
Regular call-up to the squad.
Defender at Crvena Zvezda in the Serbian Super League.
Regular starter.
Defender for Kashima Antlers in the J-League.
Young squad addition.
Defensive midfielder at Feyenoord in the Eredivisie. One of the most expensive players in the squad.
World Cup 2022 participant.
Barcelona academy graduate (La Masia). After years in Spain, returned to K-League via Jeonbuk, now at Birmingham in the Championship.
World Cup 2022 participant.
Experienced midfielder for Mainz 05 in the Bundesliga. Multiple participant in international tournaments.
Team veteran; World Cup 2018, World Cup 2022 participant.
Tall defensive midfielder for Karlsruhe in the 2. Bundesliga.
Young squad addition.
Midfielder for Zhejiang in the Chinese Super League.
Regular call-up to the squad.
Attacking midfielder for Stoke City in the Championship.
Young squad addition.
Midfielder for Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in the K-League.
Regular call-up to the squad.
Tall centre-forward at Midtjylland in Denmark. Previously at Norwich.
World Cup 2022 participant.
Centre-forward at Beşiktaş in the Turkish Super Lig. Previously at Celtic and Genoa.
Regular call-up to the squad.
Young forward for Swansea in the Championship.
Young squad addition.
Pacey right winger for Celtic, Scottish champions.
Young squad addition.
Attacking midfielder at Gent in the Belgian Jupiler Pro League.
Regular call-up to the squad.
National team captain. Played for Hamburg (2010-2013), Bayer Leverkusen (2013-2015), Tottenham (2015-2025). Transferred to LAFC in summer 2025.
Captain since 2018. World Cup 2014, World Cup 2018, World Cup 2022 participant.
On May 21, 2022, Son became the first Asian winner of the Premier League Golden Boot — he finished the season with 23 goals, sharing the top scorer title with Mohamed Salah of Liverpool. In May 2025, he won the Europa League with Tottenham (1:0 vs Manchester United in the final) — the club's first European trophy since 1984.
Attacking midfielder, Paris Saint-Germain. Valencia academy product — moved to Spain at age 10. At PSG since 2023.
Debut in 2019. AFC Asian Cup 2023 participant.
31 May 2025, Allianz Arena (Munich): Champions League final PSG vs Inter, 5:0. PSG won their first-ever Champions Cup; Lee became the first South Korean to lift the trophy with a senior squad. Ligue 1, Coupe de France, Trophée des Champions — the club treble of the 2024/25 season.
Centre-back, Bayern Munich. Previously at Jeonbuk, Beijing Guoan, Fenerbahçe, Napoli.
Debut in 2017. Participant in World Cup 2018, World Cup 2022.
2022/23 season in Serie A: Napoli won the Scudetto for the first time since 1989/90 — the first championship title since the Diego Maradona era. Kim was the starting centre-back; in March 2023 he won the Serie A Defender of the Year award according to Lega Serie A. In summer 2023 he transferred to Bayern Munich.
Pacy winger for Wolverhampton. Played for Salzburg (2015-2020), Leipzig, Hoffenheim.
Debut in 2016. World Cup 2018, World Cup 2022 participant.
December 2, 2022, Education City Stadium (Doha): South Korea — Portugal (2:1) at World Cup 2022. In the 91st minute, Hwang scored the winning goal after a pass from Son Heung-min. Korea advanced from Group H on goal difference — their first World Cup knockout appearance since 2010.
Real fan chants for the national team — original, phonetic in Russian, translation and context.
The main chant of the Red Devils since the 2002 World Cup. First four syllables, then a rhythmic pattern CLAP-CLAP-CLAP-CLAP-CLAP.