“Captain” Son Heung-min (33, Tottenham) and “Iron Wall” Kim Min-jae (29, Bayern Munich) are both absent.
The national football team, led by coach Hong Myung-bo, will face Iraq in the 9th match of Group B in the 2026 North and Central America World Cup Asian regional third qualifying round, taking place on June 6 at Basra International Stadium in Iraq.
Korea is currently leading Group B with 4 wins and 4 draws. A draw against Iraq will secure their 11th consecutive spot in the World Cup finals. Korea failed to qualify early after drawing in three consecutive matches against Palestine (1-1), Oman (1-1), and Jordan (1-1). In particular, the failure to win in two home matches last March was significant.
The Korea Football Association will announce the roster for the match against Iraq and Kuwait on June 26 at 11 a.m. There are variables. It is highly likely that Son Heung-min and Kim Min-jae, the key players in both attack and defense, will be absent due to injury for this selection. If the two most important players in offense and defense are missing, it will be a much tougher match against Iraq.
Son Heung-min led Tottenham to victory in the Europa League on the 22nd. However, he was excluded from the starting lineup as he has not fully recovered from his foot injury. Son Heung-min substituted in the 22nd minute of the second half for Richarlison and played for about 25 minutes. Subsequently, Son Heung-min missed the Premier League season finale against Brighton on the 26th due to not being at 100% fitness.
The national team is scheduled to gather on June 2 and head to Iraq by chartered flight. Although there is a week left, it is unlikely that Son Heung-min will recover to 100%. Since the season has just concluded, he is in need of rest. In the worst-case scenario, captain Son Heung-min may be excluded from this gathering.
Korea also faced a situation last October when Son Heung-min was absent due to injury. Instead, younger players like Um Ji-sung and Bae Jun-ho were selected and performed admirably. Even if Son Heung-min cannot play, his impact as a captain and world-class player on the team is significant. If Son Heung-min is absent this time, the roles of vice-captain Lee Jae-sung and others will be more pronounced.
Key defender Kim Min-jae is also not in good condition. Kim Min-jae has been suffering from an Achilles tendon injury since November. Coach Hong Myung-bo noted, “Bayern Munich did not adequately protect Kim Min-jae.” This statement was reported by German media and had enough impact for Bayern Munich to directly refute it.
Kim Min-jae contributed to Bayern Munich's Bundesliga championship. However, he played a significant amount of time throughout the season. After Bayern secured the championship, Kim Min-jae also did not play in the remaining matches due to injury. There is a high possibility that Kim Min-jae will be excluded from the gathering while rehabilitating.
Kim Min-jae was also excluded from the selection last March due to injury. Kwon Kyung-won and Jo Yu-min stepped up to fill the gap. If Kim Min-jae cannot come, the roles of these two players will again become crucial.
Iraq is in a dire situation, having managed only 1 draw and 3 losses in their last 4 matches. They are so unstable that they even lost 1-2 to the weakest Palestine. Although Korea faces the disadvantage of an away game, they are capable of winning even without Son Heung-min and Kim Min-jae.
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