Selection of Son Heung-min as the 3rd leader of the European leagues → Excluding Kim Min-jae, Jeon Jin-woo's first pick Hong Myung-bo, who joined the K-League in large numbers + completed his best choice

May 26, 2025

Sportschosun DB

Hong Myung-bo, preparing for the 11th consecutive World Cup, will prepare for the A-match in June by choosing the best options.

South Korea's national football team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, will play Group B 9-10 in the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup. South Korea will play its ninth match against Iraq in Basra, Iraq, on June 6 and Kuwait in its 10th match at Seoul World Cup Stadium on June 10.

In the third qualifying round, tickets to the finals will be given to the second place in each group. South Korea is leading the group with four wins and four draws and 16 points in the previous eight games, beating second-place Jordan (13 points) and third-place Iraq (12 points). Just by drawing in the ninth match against Iraq, he can confirm his progress to the finals. In this case, South Korea will play in the World Cup finals for the 11th time in a row and the 12th time ever.

It is superior to South Korea in terms of objective power. Korea, ranked 23rd in the FIFA rankings, is higher than Iraq and Kuwait. South Korea and Iraq have won 10 games, 12 draws and two losses in their previous 24 games. In October last year, South Korea also won the match 3-2. It also has an advantage with 13 wins, 4 draws, and 8 losses against Kuwait. Kuwait also defeated 3-1 in a showdown in November last year.

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The problem was the physical condition of the players and the departure of some of the injured. Players who finished the season in Europe were forced to take some rest or not in shape after the final league match. The physical condition of Son Heung-min (Tottenham) and Kim Min-jae (Bayern M), who are considered the "three European players", was also a hot topic. Son Heung-min played in the Europa League final in the 2024-2025 season, but missed the final league match due to his foot injury. Kim Min-jae was unable to play at all at the end of the league due to an Achilles injury. Lee Kang-in, who has been pushed back from the main competition, has not been able to play recently, so it is difficult to expect a normal condition.

Hong made the best choice. Among the three European leagues, Kim Min-jae, who is in desperate need of rest in the aftermath of his injury, was excluded. Coach Hong also included Kim Min-jae on the list in the A-match in March, but he replaced Kim Joo-sung in the aftermath of the injury. He chose to recover the player rather than overuse him. Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in were listed. Son Heung-min is known to have shown a strong will to join the A-match list in June, although there is an injury aftermath. Lee Kang-in also had a difficult time in his team after leaving the A-match in March due to an injury, but he got a chance to play again on the national team list.

Coach Hong also selected a player who played an outstanding role in the K-League. Jeon Jin-woo (Jeonbuk) succeeded in joining the A team for the first time in his life in recognition of his performance. Jeon Jin-woo is the most prominent player in the K-League this season. He has already scored 10 goals in 15 league games, leading the K-League in scoring. He also scored double-digit points in eight seasons since his professional debut. Coach Hong also visited and confirmed the match between Jeonbuk and Anyang, where Jeon Jin-woo scored multiple goals. The national team is scheduled to compete in the East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) E-1 Championship in July. Since it is a tournament without European leagues, attention is expected to be paid to whether K-League players such as Jeon Jin-woo and Kim Jin-kyu and Park Jin-seop, who will join the national team and work together, will perform.

Lee Han-beom, who has recently been given a chance to start in Meat Willan, has been on the national team's list since September last year and is once again looking for an opportunity to make his A-team debut. At that time, Lee Han-beom was on the list but failed to make his debut. Kim Min-jae is out, so we can fully expect him to play. In addition, Yang Hyun-joon (Celtic), who returned to the national team in the A-match in March, and Cho Hyun-taek and Kim Dong-heon (Kimcheon Sangmu), who experienced their first selection in the A-match in March, were also included in the A-match list in June.

◇The list of the 9th to 10th Asian qualifiers for the 2026 North-China World Cup (28 players)

▶GK = Cho Hyun-woo (Ulsan HD), Kim Dong-heon (Kim Cheon Sang-moo), Lee Chang-geun (Daejeon Hana Citizen)

▶DF = Cho Yoo-min (Sharja FC), Kwon Kyung-won (Corpacan Club) Lee Han-beom (FC Mit Willan), Choi Joon Kim Joo-sung (FC Seoul), Seol Young-woo (Trvena Zvezda), Park Seung-wook and Cho Hyun-taek (Kimcheon) Lee Tae-seok (Pohang Steelers)

▶MF = Park Yong-woo (Al Ain), Park Jin-seop, Kim Jin-gyu, Jeon Jin-woo (North Jeolla Hyundai), Won Doo-jae (Corpacan Club), Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord Rotterdam), Lee Jae-sung (Mainz), Son Heung-min (Tottenham), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton), Moon Sun-min (FC Seoul), Yang Hyun-joon (Celtic FC) and Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain)

▶FW = Oh Hyun-kyu (Henk) Oh Se-hoon (Machida Gelbia)

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.