South Korea's national football team has slipped in the FIFA rankings after suffering two consecutive losses ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.
According to the rankings released by FIFA on Thursday (Korea time), South Korea fell three places from 22nd to 25th. The team, managed by Hong Myung-bo, lost 0-1 to Austria in an international friendly played on the same day. Previously, on May 28, Korea suffered a 0-4 defeat against Côte d'Ivoire. The back-to-back losses mark the first time in approximately three years that Korea has lost two consecutive friendlies, since defeats to Uruguay (1-2) and Peru (0-1) in June 2023.
The two straight defeats caused a significant drop in Korea's FIFA ranking points. The loss to Côte d'Ivoire cost 5.73 ranking points, and the Austria defeat shaved off an additional 5.05 points. As a result, Korea now holds 1,588.66 FIFA ranking points, falling from 22nd to 25th.
Meanwhile, Japan, Korea's longtime rival, saw their FIFA ranking rise. Japan beat fourth-ranked England on the day, adding 6.65 ranking points and climbing one spot from 19th to 18th. Japan have been on a remarkable run, winning five consecutive internationals starting with a 3-2 victory over Brazil in October last year, followed by wins against Ghana (2-0), Bolivia (3-0), Scotland (1-0), and England (1-0).
The top spot in the FIFA rankings also changed hands. France, riding a four-match winning streak, moved up one place to first. Spain and Argentina each dropped one spot to second and third, respectively. Portugal, Brazil, the Netherlands, Morocco, Belgium, and Germany round out the top 10 in fifth through 10th place.