Hong Myung-bo's Squad Secures Pot 2 for the First Time Ever... But the Path May Be Even Tougher

The outline of the group draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has finally been revealed. In the pot allocation for the group draw announced by Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) on the 26th, South Korea was placed in Pot 2 for the first time in history. This achievement is the result of a year-long roadmap set by the Korea Football Association (KFA) and Hong Myung-bo's squad, who have been emphasizing the importance of securing Pot 2.
By winning consecutive friendlies in November and maintaining a FIFA ranking of 22, South Korea has joined Japan, Iran, and Australia in the top Asian pot.
The symbolism of the number '2' is significant. Simply by avoiding powerhouses such as Republic of Croatia, Uruguay, Colombia, and Morocco in the group stage, there is a major strategic advantage.
Notably, starting with the 2026 FIFA World Cup, FIFA has introduced a completely new tournament structure to prevent early clashes between top-ranked teams. If the top four ranked teams all advance as group winners, they will not meet until the semifinals or later. For example, Spain and Argentina could only face each other in the final. This change reflects FIFA's intention to schedule 'star matchups' in the later stages and avoid early eliminations of strong teams.

The issue is that this change applies equally to South Korea. While Pot 2 may seem advantageous at first glance, the composition of Pot 3 and Pot 4 is entirely different from previous tournaments. With the expansion to 48 teams, qualification for the finals has become more accessible, but the mid-tier has become even more competitive.
Due to continental allocation rules, South Korea will not be grouped with other Asian or African teams, except for European teams. Therefore, potential Pot 3 opponents for South Korea include Norway, Arab Republic of Egypt, People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, Tunisia, and Côte d'Ivoire—teams that are essentially of Pot 2 to 2.5 caliber. While their pot number may appear lower, their actual strength is considerable. In the 2026 FIFA World Cup pot system, Pot 3 has effectively been reorganized as an upper-mid-tier pot rather than a lower-mid-tier.
Pot 4 is not to be underestimated either. Four Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) playoff winners and two intercontinental playoff winners will be placed in Pot 4. Most of these teams, having fought for the final six spots in the finals, are likely to be in excellent form. As a result, Pot 4 will be filled with teams whose reputation may be modest but whose actual abilities are high.
Meanwhile, head coach Hong Myung-bo is expected to return after attending the decisive group draw ceremony on December 3 and inspecting the base camp and stadiums.



jsi@fnnews.com Jeon Sang-il Reporter