"I sincerely want to express my gratitude."
The South Korea national football team, led by coach Hong Myung-bo, faced Kuwait in the 10th match of Group B in the third round of the final Asian qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 10th and won decisively, 4-0.
With this victory, Korea secured 22 points (6 wins, 4 draws) and completed the final qualifying round without a loss.
Korea had already secured its spot in the World Cup with 5 wins and 4 draws (19 points) by winning 2-0 against Iraq on the 6th, thanks to consecutive goals from Kim Jin-kyu and Oh Hyun-kyu. With this 4-0 victory, the team celebrated its qualification by sharing the joy with home fans.
Korea has recorded an undefeated run in the final qualifying round for the first time in 15 years since 2010. After an unfortunate loss in the away match against the UAE on March 29, 2022, which prevented Korea from finishing the 2022 Qatar World Cup Asian qualifiers without defeat, the team happily concluded this round without any losses.
Korea took the lead with a goal from Jeon Jin-woo in the 30th minute of the first half, and in the 6th and 9th minutes of the second half, Lee Kang-in and Oh Hyun-kyu scored consecutive goals, boosting the momentum of the team. Soon after, Lee Jae-sung, who was brought on as a substitute in the 27th minute, scored the fourth goal, achieving a perfect victory.
After the match, the South Korea team re-entered the field to engage with fans. Captain Son Heung-min started his address with, "Hello, I am football player Son Heung-min."
He noted, "I sincerely want to express my gratitude. I feel that we have achieved our dream of going to the World Cup not just with the players here but also with those who have joined us since the second qualifying round," adding, "I will work hard not to disappoint you, so please continue to support us from behind."
Following him, Lee Jae-sung took the microphone and said, "Thank you so much for cheering for us during the qualifiers. I will work hard for the next year so that we can bring you joy again at the World Cup."
Lee Kang-in then said, "We have successfully qualified for the World Cup. I would like to thank all the players who worked hard to make this happen and the coaching staff. I also want to express my gratitude to the fans who supported us. We will continue to strive for improvement. I hope for your continued support and interest."
After finishing their statements, the team members took some time to walk around the stadium, greeting fans up close.
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