Hong Myung-bo, the world's sixth-ranked player, will beat Kuwait to set the 亞's only record... heralding a "festival venue."
Hong Myung-bo, the world's sixth-ranked player, will beat Kuwait to set the 亞's only record... heralding a "festival venue."
Blog Article
Team Korea led by Coach Hong Myung-bo, who has confirmed its advance to the World Cup finals for 11 consecutive times, is planning a "festival venue" against Kuwait. Team Korea aims to win the last preliminary match at its home ground.
The South Korean national soccer team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, will face Kuwait in the 10th Group B match of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA World Cup North-China at Seoul World Cup Stadium at 8 p.m. on the 10th. South Korea already confirmed its advance to the World Cup finals after winning 2-0 in an away match in Iraq.
With five wins and four draws (19 points), Korea has secured an early advance to the finals with one more match to go. This marks the 12th time for Korea to advance to the finals of World Cups since the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland, and the 11th time in a row. Among Asian countries, Korea became the first Asian country to advance to the finals for the 11th time in a row, and ranked sixth in the world. In Group B along with Korea, Jordan finished second with four wins and four draws (16 points), moving directly to the finals together.
The final match against Kuwait will be held at the festival venue. Kuwait, which had five draws and six losses, fell to the bottom. Even if the team beats Korea, it will not change its ranking to a three-point gap with the fifth-ranked Palestinians. As Korea is weak in motivation and is considered a lower-ranked team, it is expected to win even if Korea does not lose much energy. The Korea Football Association (KFA) has prepared card section cheering, celebratory performances, and event booths to celebrate the advance to the World Cup finals at home.
If Korea beats Kuwait, it will also set the only record in Asia. Korea is the only team among the 12 teams that played in the third Asian qualifying round. Iran, the top-ranked team in Group A, and Japan, the top-ranked team in Group C, also had six wins, two draws and one loss, ending their unbeaten streak. Although the team ties with Kuwait, it still ranks first in the group, but it beat Kuwait 3-1 in the last away match, and since Korea is leading the team with 13 wins, four draws and eight losses, it will be a proud finish to the victory for Korean fans.
While it is uncertain whether Son will play due to the injury he suffered in his team, Hong Myung-bo has expressed his intention to experiment with new players in the match against Kuwait. "We will decide whether Son will play or not after training," Hong said in an early press conference. "I want to check the basic skills of players in each position within the framework. The new players have learned their roles to some extent. However, we want to judge big changes by looking at the situation, he said.
Even after the match against Kuwait, Korea cannot afford to relax. The 2025 East Asian Football Confederation (EAFF) E-1 Championship (East Asian Cup) will be held in Korea in July, and the team should focus on preparing for the World Cup in earnest during the next A-match period. "We need to make some changes including administration after the final qualifying round. We need some manuals internally. For September, October and November, it is important how much we can adapt to the finals. We have finished identifying players to a certain extent, and we will check and prepare what we really need for the World Cup," Hong said.
Lee Jae-sung, 메이저사이트 who wore the captain's armband on behalf of Son Heung-min, said, "(Son) Heung-min told me that he finished the last qualifying match for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with a loss. Recognizing the importance of the closing game, he is preparing to win tomorrow. As we lacked victory in the home game, I want to repay the fans with the gift of victory," he said, expressing his determination for victory.