Korea stay at No. 32 in FIFA rankings after 4 friendlies under Moreno

Korea remains in 32nd position in the most recent FIFA rankings, published on Thursday, following their first four friendlies under interim head coach Robert Moreno. FIFA released the rankings after the Sept. 21-Oct. 6 international match window, where each team was allowed a maximum of four games. Moreno, who took over as caretaker boss in early September, aimed to influence the performance of the Korean team during these matches.

Korea emerged victorious in their opening game against Ecuador with a 3-0 win, but lost 4-1 to Uruguay four days later. A goalless draw against Venezuela followed, which sparked defender Kim Min-jae's criticism of his teammates' effort in a televised interview. Korea's final friendly ended with a 2-0 win against Uzbekistan. The team continues to hold the fourth spot in the Asian Football Confederation, trailing Japan at 17th, Iran at 23rd, and Australia at 26th. FIFA will update its rankings again after the Nov. 9-17 window.