'Captain' Son Heung-min (33, Tottenham) to 'additional selection' Bae Jun-ho (22, Stoke City) have gathered as a complete squad of 27.
The football national team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, will face Kuwait in the 10th match of the Group B third round of the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup qualifiers at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 10th.
Korea achieved a perfect 2-0 victory on the 6th against Iraq, thanks to consecutive goals from Kim Jin-kyu and Oh Hyun-kyu. As a result, Korea recorded 5 wins and 4 draws (19 points) and secured at least second place in the group with one match remaining, clinching a spot in the World Cup finals.
Korea will prepare for the match against Kuwait in a comfortable situation. They have already secured their advancement to the World Cup finals. Head coach Hong Myung-bo announced that he will test young players. He also declared that they would create a festive atmosphere to celebrate their World Cup qualification in front of home fans.
Son Heung-min is likely to miss the match against Kuwait. The player, who has a foot injury, raised the trophy as a substitute in the Europa League final. He subsequently missed the remaining matches in the Premier League. Head coach Hong Myung-bo stated, "We will not push him if he is not 100%. We will test young players," indicating Son Heung-min's absence.
The national team convened at Paju NFC at 4 p.m. on the 8th, marking a return after a long time. This is the first gathering in 20 months since former head coach Jurgen Klinsmann's era in October 2023. The contract between Paju NFC and the Korea Football Association will expire on January 23, 2024. After that, the national team stayed at a hotel in downtown Seoul and moved between various training facilities.
Head coach Hong Myung-bo led the team to take light massages and taping before they began serious stretching. He emphasized 'competition' among the players. Although the team has already qualified for the World Cup, the final roster is not yet fully decided. He urged the players to give their all.
The players warmed up by running and then engaged in serious training. Those who played a lot in the Iraq match underwent recovery training while the rest participated in sprint training. With head coach Hong Myung-bo's announcement of testing young players for the Kuwait match, the younger players eager to prove themselves showed even more enthusiasm.
Captain Son Heung-min participated in all training sessions without exception. A Korea Football Association official noted, "Son Heung-min is in a condition to play. However, he did not participate in the match against Iraq as a precaution."
Indeed, Son Heung-min led the training atmosphere by shouting at his younger teammates, "Work hard!" He showed a tight performance during the mini ball-stealing training as if in a real game. He displayed immense competitiveness in matches as well.
All 27 players participated in training without any exceptions. Head coach Hong Myung-bo also had a satisfied expression. The grass condition at Paju NFC was excellent. However, the only downside was that the facilities had not been sufficiently maintained as the national team had not used them for an extended period.
Oh Hyun-kyu conveyed Son Heung-min's words: "Qualifying for the World Cup is not something that can be taken for granted in any country. Korea may have many strong and good players, making participation feel natural, but we should be able to enjoy it. It is a result achieved by all our citizens. I hope that in that moment, we can all joyfully celebrate together."
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