"Hong Myung-bo's team ranked 44th among 48 nations" — Humiliation. UK media criticizes "Son Heung-min's aging + forced three-back system"... Japan also puzzled: "He's a regular starter in the big leagues"

*This content was translated by AI.

As South Korea settled for 44th place in the 2026 FIFA North American World Cup power ranking, Japanese media also took notice.

On the 1st (Korean time), the UK's "The Guardian" ranked South Korea 44th among the 48th nations qualified for the North American World Cup. It further pointed out that "under Hong Myung-bo, defenders who primarily play in a back four at their clubs were forced into a three-back system, creating defensive instability, and even the skills of captain and ace Son Heung-min have declined."

Japan's "Football Zone" also cited the report, stating, "Although the South Korean national team was the only one to pass the Asian qualifiers undefeated, only four nations — Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Haiti, and Curaçao — ranked lower than South Korea."

Recent friendly match results also fueled such concerns. South Korea suffered consecutive defeats in friendlies against Côte d'Ivoire (0-4 loss) in March and Austria (0-1 loss) in April. Football Zone reported, "Son Heung-min also failed to capitalize on decisive scoring opportunities and remained silent in both matches."

However, "Football Zone" highly praised South Korea's explosive potential. It evaluated, "If all the starting members who are active in major European leagues, such as Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), and Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton), take the field, South Korea will become a threat to any team."

But it noted that a thin player pool is a hindrance. Football Zone explained, "With the number of participating nations increasing to 48 and the number of matches to be played rising, the performance of bench resources is essential for advancing to the upper ranks. Ultimately, the physical management and condition control skills of coach Hong Myung-bo and the coaching staff are being put to the test."

It further added, "South Korea's schedule of playing all three group stage matches in Mexico could work in their favor for advancing to the knockout stage. Whether they can secure three points in the first group stage match against Czechia will determine the fate of the entire tournament."

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*This content was translated by AI.