'Iran Surpassed' South Korea Regains Asian No. 2 Spot in FIFA Rankings, 10-Place Top Tier Within Reach for First Time in 22 Years

*This content was translated by AI.

South Korea's FIFA real-time (live) ranking for the 2026 FIFA World Cup CONCACAF qualifiers has risen to 21st place. In Asia, South Korea has reclaimed the No. 2 spot by overtaking Iran.

According to the FIFA real-time ranking updated by FIFA on the 16th, South Korea recorded 1,612.55 FIFA ranking points, jumping four spots to 21st place from the June ranking announced on the 11th. South Korea accumulated a remarkable 20.92 points with a victory over Czech Republic in the Group A opener of the World Cup group stage. The fluctuation in FIFA ranking points based on World Cup match results is the largest across all tournaments, including A-match friendlies, World Cup qualifiers, and the AFC Asian Cup finals.

While South Korea significantly improved its ranking, Iran's ranking underwent a dramatic shift after drawing 0-0 against New Zealand on the 16th, losing a remarkable 14.46 points. FIFA ranking points can be gained or lost even with a draw, depending on the opponent's ranking. New Zealand, ranked 85th as of the 11th of last month, gained the same points from the draw, whereas Iran suffered a point loss of over 14 points solely from the draw.

With Iran's ranking dropping to 23rd, the real-time Asian ranking as of today has been reorganized as follows: Japan (17th), South Korea (21st), Australia (22nd), Iran (23rd), and Qatar (49th). Japan gained 4.37 points from a draw against the Netherlands, moving up one spot. Australia added 26.26 points with a victory over Turkey, instantly rising to 22nd overall and 3rd in Asia.

South Korea now has the opportunity to enter the FIFA ranking top 10 for the first time in 22 years through this tournament. Since reaching 19th place on the 19th, 2004, South Korea has consistently remained outside the top 20. The highest ranking in South Korean football history was 17th in 1998. The gap in FIFA ranking points between South Korea and Switzerland, the 19th-ranked team at the threshold of the top 10, is 28.37 points.

Moreover, although Japan has also improved its ranking, the gap with Japan, the "Asian No. 1" team, which was over 71 points in April, has narrowed to just 53.39 points. Just as South Korea gained over 20 points with a single victory against Czech Republic, it is also possible for South Korea to claim the Asian No. 1 spot based solely on the results of one or two World Cup matches. For instance, if South Korea wins its Group A second match against Mexico on the 19th at 10 a.m., it could gain over 29 points immediately.

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*This content was translated by AI.