The Korea men's national soccer team led by coach Hong Myung-bo recorded a "worst-ever finish" at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America but is estimated to receive about 2 billion won in bonuses.
According to the Korea Football Association (KFA)'s bonus standards on the 29th, each of the 26 national team players will receive 50 million won in base pay and 30 million won in win bonus, totaling 80 million won each. The aggregate amount is 2.08 billion won.
The win bonus was earned with the victory over Czechia in the first Group A match of the group stage. The KFA also pays a 10 million won bonus for draws, but because the team did not record a draw, it will not receive that bonus.
In addition, because the team finished third in Group A and 34th overall and failed to reach the round of 32, it will not receive the round advancement bonus. The KFA set bonuses of 100 million won for reaching the round of 32 and 200 million won for the round of 16, among others.
Also, the team will not receive a separate bonus pledged as a donation by KFA President Chung Mong-gyu. Chung had announced that he would pay 1 billion won for the round of 32, 2 billion won for the round of 16, and 3 billion won for the quarterfinals depending on the tournament results.
The bonuses appear likely to be distributed equally to the 26 players on the final roster regardless of minutes played or appearances. At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when the team reached the round of 16 for the second time away from home, 340 million won was paid per person. By aggregates paid to 26 players
At this World Cup, the national team recorded one win and two losses in the group stage. Third in Group A, its final placing of 34th is the worst finish in World Cup history. By the standard of past tournaments with 32 teams, it is a result comparable to not even reaching the finals group stage.