What Korea's jersey numbers say about its World Cup stars

With the FIFA World Cup 2026 just around the corner, soccer fans across South Korea are once again dreaming of another memorable run on the sport’s biggest stage.

Yet beyond the names emblazoned across the players’ backs, another detail often carries a story of its own: the numbers.

In soccer, those numbers are rarely random.

Sometimes they are tied to specific roles on the pitch, but they can also relate to a players brand or personal stories.

Among the current South Korean men’s national team, ...