1989
- May 21: South Korea and Portugal play their first match against each other at a FIFA World Youth Championship match in Portugal. Portugal wins the match 2-1.
1994
- June 27: South Korea and Portugal face off again at a FIFA World Cup match in the United States. Portugal wins the match 1-0.
2002
- June 10: South Korea and Portugal meet in the group stage of the 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea. The match ends in a 1-1 draw.
2004
- June 14: South Korea and Portugal play in the group stage of the 2004 UEFA European Championship in Portugal. Portugal wins the match 2-1.
2006
- June 13: South Korea and Portugal face off in the group stage of the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. Portugal wins the match 1-0.
2010
- June 21: South Korea and Portugal play in the group stage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Portugal wins the match 7-0.
2022
- December 2: South Korea and Portugal meet in the group stage of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. South Korea wins the match 2-1.
Overall record
- Portugal leads the overall head-to-head record against South Korea, with 5 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss.
Notable matches
- 2002 FIFA World Cup: South Korea and Portugal play to a 1-1 draw in the group stage of the 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea. The match is notable for the performance of South Korean goalkeeper Lee Woon-jae, who makes a number of saves to deny Portugal victory.
- 2010 FIFA World Cup: Portugal defeats South Korea 7-0 in the group stage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. The match is the largest defeat in South Korea’s history at a FIFA World Cup.
- 2022 FIFA World Cup: South Korea defeats Portugal 2-1 in the group stage of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The match is notable for the performance of South Korean forward Son Heung-min, who scores both of South Korea’s goals.
Conclusion
The rivalry between the South Korea and Portugal national football teams is a relatively young one, but it has already produced some memorable matches. The two teams have met at three FIFA World Cups, and Portugal has won the majority of the encounters. However, South Korea’s victory over Portugal in the 2022 FIFA World Cup showed that they are capable of competing with the best teams in the world. It will be interesting to see how the rivalry between the two teams develops in the years to come.