Showed everything except for scoring. Bae Jun-ho (22, Stoke City) properly showcased his skills in front of 40,000 spectators.

The South Korean national soccer team, led by Coach Hong Myung-bo, defeated Kuwait 4-0 in the final match of the Group B Round 10 of the 2026 FIFA North and Central American World Cup Asian Third Qualifiers, held at Seoul World Cup Stadium at 8 p.m. on the 10th.

Thus, Korea finished the World Cup qualifiers undefeated. The national team concluded the final match with a victory, finishing the North and Central American World Cup's second and third qualifiers with 11 wins and 5 draws without a single loss. This is a feat not seen in 16 years since the 2010 South Africa World Cup.

Korea secured qualification for the main tournament early. On the 6th, they won 2-0 in an away match against Iraq, achieving the historic milestone of qualifying for the World Cup for the 11th consecutive time. This is the first in Asia and the sixth overall in the world. In Group B, Korea and Jordan have both secured direct tickets to the World Cup.

In addition, Korea decorated the final match held at home with a great victory, finishing in style. In the last match of the 2022 Qatar World Cup third qualifiers, they regrettably lost to the United Arab Emirates, but this time they achieved a different result.

Of course, Coach Hong Myung-bo did not focus solely on the results. As anticipated, he arranged the starting lineup mainly with young players, utilizing those who had not received many opportunities up to that point. With only one year left until the World Cup, there is a determination to use this as a valuable practical test opportunity.

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-beom, Seol Young-woo, Kim Joo-seong, Lee Han-bum, Lee Tae-seok, and Lee Chang-geun were the starters. Compared to the Iraq match, as many as 7 positions changed. Lee Han-bum made his A match debut, while Jeon Jin-woo, Kim Joo-seong, and Lee Chang-geun made their starting A match debuts.

Bae Jun-ho's starting appearance stood out. He was originally not selected for the A match in June, but was suddenly added to the squad on the 7th. Bae Jun-ho, who was with the under-22 (U-22) national team led by Coach Lee Min-sung, joined Coach Hong's team ahead of the match against Kuwait.

This was a choice due to the impact of Captain Son Heung-min's injury. In an interview upon returning to the airport, Coach Hong Myung-bo noted that the situation did not allow for Son Heung-min to be overused and expressed his intention to give chances to young players. This is why Bae Jun-ho, whose main position is also the left-wing like Son Heung-min, was selected not as a substitute but as an additional pick.

In fact, Son Heung-min sat on the bench for this match, and Bae Jun-ho started as a left winger. Coach Hong Myung-bo's choice was correct. Throughout the game, Bae Jun-ho stirred up the Kuwait defense and completely filled the void left by Son Heung-min.

Bae Jun-ho diligently targeted the half-space from the early stages, and he troubled the Kuwait defense with his aggressive breakthroughs. Two Kuwaiti players received yellow cards in the first half while trying to stop Bae Jun-ho with rough fouls.

He also aimed for a goal directly. In the 11th minute of the first half, Bae Jun-ho headed a cross from Seol Young-woo, but the ball deflected off a defender and hit the post. In the 19th minute of the first half, he aimed for the goal with a sharp right-footed shot, but was blocked by the goalkeeper's save.

Bae Jun-ho's stellar performance shone even brighter in the second half. In the 6th minute of the second half, he made a good forward pass to Lee Kang-in, and in the 9th minute, he provided a header to Oh Hyun-kyu, quickly tallying 2 assists. In the 11th minute of the second half, he delivered a perfect through pass to Oh Hyun-kyu, but Oh Hyun-kyu’s shot was blocked by the goalpost, leading to regret.

Bae Jun-ho, who made everyone forget Son Heung-min's absence, finished his mission when he was substituted by Lee Jae-sung in the 24th minute of the second half. He did not miss the sudden opportunity and made a significant impression on Coach Hong Myung-bo. If he continues to perform like this, participating in his first World Cup a year from now is not just a dream.

[OSEN]