Quickly added two goals. Korea took a 3-0 lead with consecutive goals from Lee Kang-in (24, Paris Saint-Germain) and Oh Hyun-kyu (24, Genk).

The South Korean national football team, led by coach Hong Myung-bo, is facing Kuwait in the final match of the 2026 FIFA North and Central American World Cup Asian Third Qualifiers Group B, held at the Seoul World Cup Stadium at 8 p.m. on the 10th. Currently, Korea is leading 3-0 in the second half.

Korea has already secured its spot in the main tournament. On the 6th, they won 2-0 against Iraq in an away match, marking their 11th consecutive qualification for the World Cup. This is a historic achievement, the first in Asia and the sixth overall worldwide. Group B has Korea (19 points) and Jordan (16 points) both securing direct tickets to the World Cup.

Now, Korea is challenging for an unbeaten qualifying run. The current national team has recorded 10 wins and 5 draws in the North and Central American World Cup second and third qualifying rounds without a single loss. If they achieve any result better than a draw in the final match against Kuwait, they will accomplish an unbeaten qualifying streak for the first time in 16 years since the 2010 South African World Cup.

Korea started with a 4-2-3-1 formation. Oh Hyun-kyu, Bae Jun-ho, Lee Kang-in, Jeon Jin-woo, Won Doo-jae, Hwang In-bum, Seol Young-woo, Kim Joo-sung, Lee Han-bum, Lee Tae-seok, and Lee Chang-keun were named as starters. Lee Han-bum made his A-match debut, while Jeon Jin-woo, Kim Joo-sung, and Lee Chang-keun made their starting A-match debuts. Captain Son Heung-min sat on the bench due to injury, and Hwang In-bum wore the captain's armband instead.

Kuwait also lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Ahmed Zanki, Talal Al-Khaisi, Jasem Al-Mutair, Ahmed Al-Dhefiri, Youssef Majed, Abdulwahab Al-Awadi, Fahad Al-Hajeri, Reda Hanni, Mshari Ghanem, and Mohammed Khaled were part of the starting roster.

From the beginning, Korea took control and knocked on Kuwait's door. Bae Jun-ho and Jeon Jin-woo actively penetrated the half-space looking for opportunities, while Oh Hyun-kyu moved across a wide range to create cracks in the defense. All defenders, including Lee Han-bum and Kim Joo-sung, pushed up beyond the halfway line to apply strong pressure.

In the 4th minute of the first half, Lee Kang-in delivered a sharp cross, and Bae Jun-ho directed it with a header, but it was cleared by the defense. The goalpost did not help.

Korea continued to press. In the 19th minute of the first half, Bae Jun-ho unleashed a sharp right-footed shot from the left side of the box, but the goalkeeper dove to make a save.

Korea finally scored the opening goal. In the 30th minute of the first half, Hwang In-bum took a corner kick from the left, and Jeon Jin-woo rushed in to attempt a header. The ball, awkwardly flowing back, hit Al-Hajeri's leg and was sucked into the goal.

Initially, it was officially recorded on the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) website as Al-Hajeri's own goal rather than Jeon Jin-woo's A-match debut goal. However, it has now been amended to credit Jeon Jin-woo's score. Jeon Jin-woo is indeed scoring goals in both the K League 1 and A matches.

Three minutes of additional time were given in the first half. Kuwait, aiming for their first win in the qualifiers, attempted a counterattack but did not pose a serious threat. The first half ended with Korea leading 1-0.

Korea struck early in the second half with an additional goal. The hero was none other than the 'ace' Lee Kang-in. In the 6th minute of the second half, Lee Tae-seok interrupted the play and created a counterattack opportunity, and Bae Jun-ho delivered a good pass forward to Lee Kang-in, who was penetrating behind the defense. Despite not having much of an angle, Lee Kang-in pierced the goalkeeper with a powerful left-footed shot, scoring his 11th A-match goal.

Soon after, a closing goal came. In the 9th minute of the second half, Hwang In-bum sent a long cross from the right to the opposite side, and Bae Jun-ho headed it down. Oh Hyun-kyu connected it with a wonderful turning shot, finding the back of the net. This marks two consecutive games scoring following the match against Iraq.

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