Seoul: On the heels of two consecutive losses, South Korea have dropped three spots to No. 25 in the latest FIFA rankings released Thursday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korea opened the year at No. 22 but experienced the most significant decline among the top-30 nations after being defeated by Ivory Coast 4-0 and Austria 1-0 during the March international match window.
Despite the drop, South Korea remains the third-best team in the Asian Football Confederation, trailing Japan and Iran. Japan ascended one position to 18th after victories over Scotland and England in March. Iran, currently 21st, split their March matches, losing to Nigeria 2-1 but achieving a commanding 5-0 win against Costa Rica.
South Korea will compete in Group A at the forthcoming FIFA World Cup. Mexico, having climbed to No. 15, remain the top-ranked team in that group. Czechia, following a playoff victory to secure the final spot in Group A, moved up two places to No. 41, while South Africa held steady at No. 60.
The rankings will be updated again on June 10, after the final international window before the World Cup concludes.