Bae Jun-ho (21, Stoke City) will leave the under-22 (U-22) national team to join Kim Bong-soo's squad.

The Korea Football Association (KFA) announced on the morning of the 7th, "Currently part of the U-22 national team, Bae Jun-ho has been additionally selected for the senior national team to prepare for the match against Kuwait. He will join the squad starting from the resumption of training on the 8th. The national team is scheduled to resume training at the Paju National Training Center (NFC) around 4 p.m. on the 8th."

Under the leadership of head coach Hong Myung-bo, the South Korean national football team defeated Iraq 2-0 with consecutive goals from Kim Jin-kyu and Oh Hyun-kyu in the 9th round of Group B in the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA World Cup held on the 6th at Basra International Stadium in Iraq.

With this victory, Korea recorded 5 wins and 4 draws (19 points), ensuring a spot in the group’s top two with one match remaining, thus securing a ticket to the World Cup finals. This marks the 11th consecutive qualification for the finals since the 1986 Mexico tournament and the 12th overall appearance in the World Cup. Notably, the 11 consecutive qualifications is a first for Asia and the sixth in the world (Brazil, Germany, Italy, Argentina, Spain, Korea).

Even after the victory, the national team moved quickly. They boarded a chartered flight immediately to travel to Korea in preparation for the match against Kuwait, which will be held at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 10th. The first to exit the gate was Chairman Chung Mong-gyu, who presented a bouquet to captain Son Heung-min and head coach Hong Myung-bo, while hundreds of fans filled the airport with cheers and applause.

Now, Hong Myung-bo's team will switch to full preparation mode for the World Cup finals after the match against Kuwait. The national team is scheduled to reconvene at 2 p.m. on the 8th at Paju NFC to prepare for the match against Kuwait.

Head coach Hong Myung-bo noted that since they have already secured a spot in the finals, he plans to utilize the match against Kuwait as a testing ground. He mentioned, "I think we can field a sufficiently young squad. The same goes for the defense and attack," adding, "From this moment on, I think we must transition into World Cup mode, so I am considering giving young players a chance."

The additional selection of Bae Jun-ho can also be interpreted in the same context. He had been called up to the U-22 national team led by coach Lee Min-seong after not receiving a call from head coach Hong Myung-bo. He started in a match against Australia at Yongin Mir Stadium on the 5th and played for 45 minutes in the first half. However, the match ended in a 0-0 tie, thus denying Lee Min-seong his first victory as head coach.

Now, Bae Jun-ho is expected to play with the senior national team alongside his seniors. Especially since Son Heung-min's physical condition is not normal, there is a high possibility that an opportunity will arise for him. Head coach Hong Myung-bo stated, "(Son Heung-min) has not fully recovered from his foot injury. If he pushes it, he can play around 20 to 30 minutes, but that is not ideal. The season has ended, and he has struggled with injuries. We will make a decision on the next match in about 2 to 3 days. This is not the time to push it."

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