Korea secures 2026 World Cup berth, stretches qualification streak to 11

Korea on Thursday became the sixth nation in football history to qualify for the FIFA World Cup 11 times in a row, a feat even the birthplace of football, England, has never achieved.

Korea qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals after beating Iraq 2-0 at Basra International Stadium on June 5. [KOREA FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION]

Korea on Thursday became the sixth nation in football history to qualify for the FIFA World Cup 11 times in a row, a feat even the birthplace of football, England, has never achieved.

Led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, Korea defeated Iraq 2–0 on Thursday at Basra International Stadium in the ninth match of Group B in the third round of Asian qualifiers for the 2026 North and Central America World Cup.

With this victory, Korea secured a minimum of second place in the group, regardless of the outcome of their final qualifier against Kuwait next Tuesday. The top two teams in the group earn direct tickets to the World Cup.

Korea leads the group with 19 points from five wins and four draws, putting them seven points ahead of third-placed Iraq with 12 points.

Kim Jin-gyu of Korea celebrates after scoring against Iraq during the teams' Group B match in the third round of the Asian World Cup qualification at Basra International Stadium in Basra, Iraq, on June 5. [KOREA FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION]

Streak since 1986

Korea’s latest qualification marks its 11th consecutive appearance at the World Cup, beginning with the 1986 tournament in Mexico and extending to the upcoming 2026 tournament across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The run is the sixth-longest in the history of the tournament.

Brazil holds the longest unbroken streak, having appeared in every World Cup from the inaugural 1930 tournament in Uruguay through to Qatar 2022 — a record 22 consecutive appearances.

Germany follows with 18 straight tournaments since Switzerland 1954. Argentina and Italy are tied in third with 14 consecutive appearances, while Spain, currently fifth, has qualified for 12 straight tournaments since the tournament in Argentina in 1978.

Korea now ranks just behind those traditional footballing powerhouses.

Korea qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals after beating Iraq 2-0 at Basra International Stadium on June 5. [KOREA FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION]

Elite company

Only six countries — Brazil, Germany, Argentina, Italy, Spain and Korea — have appeared at the World Cup 11 consecutive times or more.

Due to the fierce competitiveness of the European qualification stage, even England and France have not come close. Both nations’ longest streaks of consecutive qualifications stand at seven, dating back to 1998.

Among Asian Football Confederation members, Japan trails Korea with eight consecutive appearances.

Including their appearance at the 1954 tournament in Switzerland, Korea has now qualified for the World Cup 12 times in total.

The Taeguk Warriors famously reached the semifinals as co-hosts in 2002, and advanced to the round of 16 in both 2010 and 2022.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff. BY PARK LIN [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]