Coach Hong Myung-bo (excluding the match against Iraq) will make a final decision on whether Son Heung-min will play or not after the last training session
Jun 09, 2025
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This is what Hong Myung-bo, coach of the South Korean national football team, said.
South Korea will play Kuwait in the final Group B match of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 10th. South Korea has confirmed its advance to the World Cup finals with five wins and four draws (19 points) in the previous nine matches. This marks the 11th consecutive World Cup finals since the 1986 Mexico Games. The 11th consecutive advancement to the finals is a milestone that ranks sixth in the world after Brazil (22nd), Germany (18th, including West Germany), Argentina, Italy (14th), and Spain (12th). It's the first time in Asia.
Kuwait plays the final match. In terms of objective power alone, Korea has an absolute advantage. As of April, Korea is ranked 23rd in the FIFA rankings. Kuwait is ranked 134th. In the opponent's record, South Korea is leading with 13 wins, 4 draws and 8 losses. South Korea also won the away match 3-1 in November last year. South Korea has been undefeated since losing 0-1 to Kuwait in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup finals on October 16, 2000.
Ahead of the showdown, Hong said in an official press conference held on the 9th, "It is the last match of the third qualifying round." It's a home game. I want to play a good game. Of course, the performance is natural, but I think the sweat and efforts the players have made on their difficult trips to the Middle East should be fully praised. There are times when we are good and times when we are not good. It's the last game. I want the players to do their best."
Attention is focusing on whether Son Heung-min will participate in the Captain. Son Heung-min was completely excluded from the ninth game against Iraq on the 6th. He has been preoccupied with rehabilitation for some time due to an issue during the season. Hong said, `After the last training session, the final decision will be made. I can play in the game. I'm going to talk to myself and decide how much I can do."
The following is a Q&A session with director Hong Myung-bo.
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▶ (third qualifying round) This is the last match. It's a home game. I want to play a good game. Of course, the performance is natural, but I think the sweat and efforts the players have made on their difficult trips to the Middle East should be fully praised. There are times when we are good and times when we are not good. It's the last game. I want the players to do their best.
-What level of change is prepared.
▶It's the last game. I will maintain the framework that has been in place. I didn't have much time to gather and train, and I have a lot of new players. I think the prepared tactical changes can be done depending on the situation. Tactical, I want to check the players' ability in that position in a basic framework. In the meantime, new players have learned their roles in that position to some extent. There will be changes in the players, but big changes will be judged by the situation.
-Let's see if Son Heung-min can play.
▶The final decision will be made after the last training session. I can play in the game. I'm going to talk to myself and decide how much I can do.
-Roadmap for the next year.
▶There is an East Asian Cup in July. The A-match is scheduled from September to November. After the warm-up match in March 2026, it will be the World Cup finals. After this third qualifying round, some changes need to be made. Some manuals should be made for administrative parts as well. Several manuals need to be made within the team as well. From September to November, it is an important time to see how much we can adapt to the finals. We need to look at the overall condition of the team and prepare to see if we can take the team to the next level even in a short time. There's a year left. I've been in charge of the team at this point in the past. There is a difference. At that time, I spent time identifying players for the rest of the year. The player's grasp is somewhat over now. The team will prepare well for what is needed on the World Cup stage.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
