How High Can Teams Finish in K League Final A? Why FC Anyang Are 8th but Only 1 Point Behind 6th Place
FC Anyang suffered a 0-3 defeat to Gangwon FC on 2026-09-06, leaving them in 8th place with 34 points from 27 matches. However, they remain just 1 point behind 6th-place Daejeon Hana Citizen, who currently occupy the Final A qualification cutoff. That means Anyang are far from out of contention.
The goal head coach Yoo Byung-hoon reiterated upon his return was also a top-6 finish, meaning qualification for Final A. So exactly how high must a team finish to reach K League Final A, and how many matches does Anyang have remaining?
K League Final A Includes Teams Finishing Up to 6th in the Regular Rounds
In the 2026 K League 1 season, 12 teams first play 33 regular-round matches. Based on the standings after Round 33, teams finishing 1st through 6th enter Final A, while teams finishing 7th through 12th enter Final B. K League
During the final round, teams within the same group face each other once more, playing 5 additional matches. Each team's total league schedule therefore consists of 33 regular-round matches and 5 final-round matches, for a total of 38 matches. K League
The important distinction is that qualification for Final A is not determined after all 38 matches have been played.
A team must be within the top 6 when Round 33 ends to qualify for Final A.
Once a team is placed in Final B, it cannot finish higher than 6th overall, regardless of how many points it earns afterward. K League competition regulations specify that teams in Group A can finish only between 1st and 6th, while teams in Group B can finish only between 7th and 12th. K League
FC Anyang Are Currently 8th, but Only 1 Point Behind 6th
The standings published by the official K League Data Portal, reflecting matches through September 6, show just how tightly packed the middle of the table is. K League Portal
| Position | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 4th | Gangwon FC | 40 |
| 5th | Jeju SK | 39 |
| 6th | Daejeon Hana Citizen | 35 |
| 7th | Pohang Steelers | 35 |
| 8th | FC Anyang | 34 |
| 9th | Incheon United | 34 |
| 10th | Bucheon FC | 31 |
Although Anyang sit 8th in the standings, the gap to 6th-place Daejeon is just 1 point.
That is a narrow enough margin for the order of teams competing for 6th place to change after a single match.
However, being only 1 point behind does not mean that one victory would automatically lift Anyang into 6th. As of September 6, Incheon had played one fewer match than Anyang, while the results of competing teams such as Daejeon and Pohang also affect the standings. K League Portal
How Many Regular-Round Matches Does Anyang Have Left?
FC Anyang have played 27 matches through their fixture against Gangwon. Because the regular rounds that determine qualification for Final A and Final B consist of 33 matches, Anyang have 6 regular-round matches remaining.
The author's calculation is as follows.
33 matches - 27 matches played = 6 matches remaining
The maximum number of points available from those 6 matches is 18.
6 wins × 3 points per win = maximum 18 points
Therefore, a straightforward calculation shows that if Anyang, currently on 34 points, win all their remaining regular-round matches, they could finish with a maximum of 52 points.
Of course, the actual points threshold for Final A has not yet been determined. The final points total of the team finishing 6th will depend on the remaining results of the competing teams.
The Korea Professional Football League regulations specify that the 2026 season's regular rounds run from Round 1 through Round 33, after which the top 6 teams and bottom 6 teams are divided into separate groups. K League
When Teams Are Level on Points, Goals Scored Come Before Goal Difference
One particularly confusing aspect of the Final A race is how teams tied on points are ranked.
In the K League 1 regular rounds, teams level on points are not immediately separated by goal difference.
The ranking criteria are applied in the following order.
Points → Goals scored → Goal difference → Wins → Head-to-head record → Disciplinary points → Drawing of lots
Therefore, if Anyang and another team have the same number of points after Round 33, the first comparison is how many goals each team has scored. K League
As of September 6, Anyang have scored 33 goals and conceded 42 in 27 matches, giving them a goal difference of -9. Pohang, another team competing in the same points range, have scored 24 goals, while Daejeon have scored 40. This means the tiebreaking situation differs from team to team when points are equal. K League Portal
That is why it is important to monitor not only points in the remaining matches but also the points totals and goals scored by teams competing for 6th place.
Why the 0-3 Defeat to Gangwon Hurts in the Standings Race
Anyang lost 0-3 in their home match against Gangwon on September 6. Gangwon moved up to 40 points, while Anyang remained on 34.
Even before the Gangwon match, head coach Yoo Byung-hoon had identified qualification for Final A as the team's objective. He also explained that every match mattered because the points gaps between mid-table teams were so small.
The defeat to Gangwon alone has not ended Anyang's chances of reaching Final A.
That is because Anyang are currently only 1 point behind 6th place, with 6 regular-round matches still to play. Conversely, from this point onward, a swing of just 1 to 3 points could move teams several places in the standings, making results against direct rivals even more important.
What Changes If Anyang Finish 6th and Reach Final A?
Qualifying for Final A means more than simply joining the upper group.
After Round 33, the top 6 teams play 5 additional matches against one another, while the bottom 6 teams play 5 matches in their separate group. Teams qualifying for Final A are guaranteed to finish between 1st and 6th overall.
By contrast, a team that sits 7th at the end of Round 33 cannot climb to 6th overall, no matter how many additional points it earns in Final B.
That is why Anyang's first target should not be their final points total for the entire season, but rather 6th place at the end of Round 33.
The Most Important Number in Anyang's Current Position Is the Gap to 6th
As of September 6, FC Anyang are 8th with 34 points from 27 matches. However, 6th-place Daejeon have 35 points, leaving a gap of just 1 point. K League Portal
With the regular rounds running through 33 matches, Anyang have 6 matches remaining.
The key question, therefore, is not simply that Anyang are currently 8th, but how many more points they can collect than their rivals competing for 6th place over the remaining 6 matches.
It is also important to remember that goals scored are the first tiebreaker when teams finish level on points.
The race for Final A is far from over. In fact, as Round 33 approaches, the outcome of each match is becoming increasingly significant.
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