▲ The starting members for South Korea pose for a group photo before their World Cup qualifying match against the United Arab Emirates at Al Maktoum Stadium in Dubai on March 29, 2022, in this photo provided by the Korea Football Association. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
▲ In this Associated Press photo, former Qatari football international Adel Ahmed MalAllah holds up the name of South Korea during the 2022 FIFA World Cup draw at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center in Doha on April 1, 2022. (Yonhap)
▲ In this Reuters photo, the draw for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar is seen on the screen inside the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center in Doha on April 1, 2022. (Yonhap)
▲ In this Reuters photo, the draw for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar is underway at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center in Doha on April 1, 2022. (Yonhap)

S Korea-World Cup draw

S. Korea to face Portugal, Uruguay, Ghana at FIFA World Cup

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, April 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will take on Portugal, Uruguay and Ghana in the group stage of this year's FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

The draw for the Nov. 21-Dec. 18 tournament took place Friday at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center in Doha, the capital city of the host country, Qatar. South Korea, competing in their 10th consecutive World Cup and 11th overall, ended up in Group H.

South Korea, ranked 29th in the world, will open the tournament against No. 13 Uruguay on Nov. 24, followed by No. 60 Ghana on Nov. 28 and then No. 8 Portugal on Dec. 2.

South Korea's Portugal-born head coach, Paulo Bento, will be coaching against his native country and five-time FIFA Ballon d'Or winner, Cristiano Ronaldo. Bento played against South Korea during the group stage at the 2002 World Cup.

South Korea qualified for this year's tournament by finishing second in Group A of the final Asian qualification round, which concluded on Tuesday.

There will be 32 teams divided into eight groups of four, and 28 teams have qualified for the tournament so far, while Qatar received an automatic berth as the host nation and were dropped into Group A.

The remainingthree spots will be filled by winners of the European playoffs and the intercontinental playoffs in June.

From the group stage, the top two countries from each group will reach the knockout phase.

South Korea have made it out of the group stage twice, reaching the semifinals in 2002 as co-host with Japan, and the round of 16 in 2010 in South Africa.

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