Can Korea, Japan still be considered 'football rivals'?
Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo announces hiis resignation during a press conference at Chivas Valle Verde in Zapopan, Mexico, Sunday (local time). Yonhap
Some Japanese media reports highlight widening football gap with Korea
The gap between Korea and Japan has widened to the point that it is becoming increasingly difficult to regard the two countries as genuine football rivals, Japanese media reported Sunday, following Korea’s elimination in the group stage of the 2026 World Cup.
In an article titled, “Widening gap between Korea and Japan: Japan advances to knockout stage as Korea exits group stage of 48-team World Cup,” TV Tokyo Sports described the contrasting World Cup results as a clear indication of where the two national teams now stand.
Korea's Son Heung-min reacts at the end of the World Cup Group A match against South Africa in Guadalupe, near Monterrey, Mexico, Wednesday (local time). AP-Yonhap
The Korean national football team finished third in Group A after defeating the Czech Republic in its opening match before suffering consecutive losses to Mexico and South Africa. Korea then awaited results from the other groups in the hope of advancing with three points, but the Democratic Republic of Congo’s unexpected victory over Uzbekistan left it ranked ninth among the tournament’s third-placed teams, ultimately denying it a place in the knockout stage.
The expanded 48-team World Cup offered a more forgiving path to the knockout stage, but Korea still fell short, the article said. It marked the team’s first failure to reach the knockout stage since the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Japan, by contrast, advanced to the round of 32 unbeaten after recording one win and two draws for five points in Group F. Drawn alongside the Netherlands, Tunisia and Sweden, Japan opened with a draw against the Netherlands, defeated Tunisia and then held Sweden to a 1-1 draw in its final group match. The result set up a round-of-32 meeting with Brazil.
The article noted growing disappointment in Korea over the team’s performance. The group had initially been considered relatively manageable, with none of the tournament’s formidable contenders such as Brazil or Argentina, but the results fell far short of expectations.
It also drew attention to mounting criticism of head coach Hong Myung-bo’s tactics and squad selection, citing harsh descriptions used by Korean media, including “humiliating defeat,” “the worst World Cup in history” and “disaster.”
The Korea Football Association’s unusual decision not to hold a welcoming ceremony upon the team’s return also offered a glimpse of the somber mood surrounding the squad, the report added.
Japan players wave to fans after their World Cup Group F soccer match against Sweden in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Thursday (local time). AP-Yonhap
Meanwhile, the Japan's national team received a positive assessment for steadily building a squad centered on Europe-based players. After defeating Germany and Spain to reach the knockout stage at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Japan again proved it could go toe to toe with the world’s leading sides by holding the Netherlands to a draw at this year’s tournament.
Japan head coach Hajime Moriyasu walks across the pitch during a training session, in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday (local time). AP-Yonhap
The article contrasted Japan’s progress with Korea’s failure to escape the group stage despite fielding a star-studded squad led by Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in and Kim Min-jae, marking Korea’s second group-stage exit in three tournaments.
“The two teams have long stood at the forefront of Asian football, but a closer look at their recent World Cup performances, squad depth and overall strength reveals a steadily widening gap,” the article said, suggesting that their traditional status as equals may need to be reassessed.
“This World Cup may force a rethink of whether Korea and Japan can still be called rivals.”
This article from Xportsnews is adapted by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.