Scouting intel
compiled 2026-06-21 · SonarSquad value
€139.05m
Coach
Hwang Sun-hong
Form (last 5)
DLDWW
Key players
Son Heung-minLW/SS · Talismanic left-sided creator and finisher€20.00m
Kim Min-jaeCB · Aggressive front-foot defender, aerially dominant€40.00m
Lee Kang-inAM/RW · Left-footed playmaker, elite delivery and vision€22.00m
Hwang Hee-chanLW/CF · Vertical runner, presses hard and attacks space€18.00m
Shape: South Korea primarily use a 4-2-3-1 that can morph into a 4-4-2 without the ball, with an emphasis on structured buildup through the double pivot and quick switches to the flanks. They look to create isolated 1v1s for wide forwards, then crash the box aggressively with late midfield runs and full-back overlaps.
Numbers: Recent qualifiers and early World Cup data show South Korea generating a solid volume of shots but slightly underperforming expected goals, reflecting some wastefulness in penalty-box finishing. Defensively they tend to concede few shots but give up a relatively high share of big chances when their high line is broken.
Key updates
- ▸Final 26-man World Cup roster confirmed with Son Heung-min, Kim Min-jae, Lee Kang-in and Hwang Hee-chan all included and available.[1][8]
- ▸Transfermarkt lists South Korea’s World Cup squad total market value at roughly €139m–142m depending on the specific squad view.[2][3][6]
- ▸South Korea have been drawn in Group A with South Africa, Mexico and Czechia, playing group games in Guadalajara and Monterrey.[7][8]
- ▸Recent form has been mixed, with strong attacking spells but some defensive instability in high-tempo matches against top opposition.[8]
Sources: South Korea – Club profile (market value, squad size) – Transfermarkt · South Korea – Market value analysis – Transfermarkt · South Korea – Detailed squad 2026 – Transfermarkt · South Korea national football team – 2026 World Cup squad and results – Wikipedia · South Korea World Cup 2026 group, venues and schedule – SeatGeek