# Japan and South Korea international sports performance > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/japan-and-south-korea-international-sports-performance > Updated: 2026-10-20T14:04:31.000Z. Sources: 5. Developments: 2. Recent international sporting events have highlighted contrasting performance trends between Japan and South Korea. In football, Japan has seen significant success with four women’s players nominated for the Ballon d’Or, while South Korea had no nominees. Historical data indicates Japanese players have accounted for roughly 48% of all Ballon d’Or nominees from AFC member nations since 1995, doubling South Korea’s total. At the Asian Games, Japan achieved a record 83 gold medals. While South Korea secured third place overall, its gold medal count of 39 was its lowest in 44 years. Conversely, South Korea has seen specific individual and team milestones. The women’s national football team reached 17th in the FIFA World Rankings, their highest position in 40 months, following a bronze medal win at the Asian Games. In badminton, An Se-young recently set a record for the most international tournament wins in women’s singles history. ## Timeline ### 2026-10-20: South Korean athletes achieve major milestones in football and badminton South Korea's women's football team reached 17th in FIFA rankings after an Asian Games bronze, while badminton star An Se-young sets a new all-time international title record. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/south-korean-athletes-achieve-major-milestones-in-football-and-badminton ### 2026-10-16: Japan and South Korea show diverging results in international sports Japan is seeing increased international sporting success compared to South Korea, highlighted by record Ballon d'Or nominations in football and a significant gold medal lead at the Asian Games. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/japan-and-south-korea-show-diverging-results-in-international-sports --- Cite as: Japan and South Korea international sports performance. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/japan-and-south-korea-international-sports-performance