Scott carefully steers away from the obvious (i.e. HBD) explanation – i.e. that something just prevents East Asians from climbing to the top, just like it’s an unlikely there were be non-West African descdended winners of sprinting events anytime soon. It’s more surprising that the Lord of HBD does likewise. ;)

The Japanese and South Korean teams are nothing to write home about either. The US, a country that at least until recently had the reputation of being unintered in football, and which excels in dozens of other major sports, still manages to have a better team than any of them. (Note that in football, population size pretty much ceases to have an effect once you go past 20mn or so: The Portuguese and Dutch teams have almost always been world class, and even 2mn strong Croatia traditionally makes a very strong, competent showing).

Football requires a combination of speed, disciplined teamwork, and artistry. Africans, Germanics, and Latins all consistently do well on it. East Asian teams tend to have the second factor down, the Japanese do at any rate, but the first and probably the third will always be a stumbling block for them.