'South Korea 13th, Japan 20th' U.S. World Cup Power Ranking Released; 'Shocking' Spain Plummets to 5th

*This content was translated by AI.

The U.S. media outlet's World Cup power ranking, which evaluates the strength of all teams participating in the 2026 FIFA North, Central America and Caribbean World Cup, has been updated. South Korea is ranked 13th overall and is assessed as a team capable of reaching the round of 16.

According to the North, Central America and Caribbean World Cup power ranking updated by The Athletic on the 16th (Korea time), the fifth day of the World Cup, South Korea is evaluated as the 13th strongest team overall.

The outlet stated, "While Kim Seung-gyu (FC Tokyo) made excellent saves in the final moments of the Czech Republic match, the comeback victory over Czech Republic in the opening match has brought them closer to qualifying for the tournament." It further explained, "If Son Heung-min (LAFC) had been in better shooting form, the match could have been much easier."

Under the leadership of coach Hong Myung-bo, South Korea secured a 2-1 comeback victory over Czech Republic in the Group A opener of the tournament, held on the 12th at Guadalajara Stadium in Zapopan, Mexico. As the outlet noted, two super saves by Kim Seung-gyu in the final moments of the match were decisive. Son Heung-min started the game but all six of his shots went astray.

South Korea held the highest ranking in Asia. Japan, which drew 2-2 with the Netherlands, remained at 20th place. The outlet explained, "While Japan is technically skilled and well-organized, it remains uncertain whether they can achieve special results given the absences due to injuries of players such as Kaoru Mitoma, Takumi Minamino, and Wataru Endo." Following them were Australia (23rd), Iran (32nd), and Saudi Arabia (33rd).

South Korea's ranking was second in Group A. Host nation Mexico, benefiting from home advantage, ranked 12th overall, one spot ahead of South Korea. Czech Republic, which lost to South Korea, fell to 39th, while South Africa dropped to 43rd.

Meanwhile, Spain, which The Athletic had consistently ranked as the top favorite to win the tournament, plummeted to 5th place on this day. Spain drew 0-0 with Cape Verde, a "World Cup debutant" team with a FIFA ranking of only 67th, damaging their reputation.

The Athletic pointed out, "Given that Spain drew 0-0 against a team with a population of only 155,000 and a FIFA ranking of 67th, it will be difficult to consider them a top favorite for the World Cup anymore." The outlet's new top favorite to win the tournament is France, followed by Argentina, England, and Germany.

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*This content was translated by AI.