Once again, it appears that a sellout is unlikely. There are fewer fans at the Seoul World Cup Stadium than expected.

The South Korean national football team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, will face Kuwait in the final match of Group B in the Asian third round qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup at 8 p.m. on the 10th at the Seoul World Cup Stadium.

Korea has already secured qualification for the finals. They made history by advancing to the World Cup finals for the 11th consecutive time with a 2-0 win in Iraq on the 6th. This is a historic achievement, being the first in Asia and the sixth overall in the world. In Group B, Korea (19 points) and Jordan (16 points) have both secured direct tickets to the World Cup.

Now, Korea aims to maintain an undefeated streak in the qualifiers. The national team has achieved 10 wins and 5 draws in the second and third rounds of the North and Central America World Cup qualifiers without a single defeat. If they manage to achieve at least a draw against Kuwait in the final match, they will accomplish an unbeaten run in the qualifiers for the first time in 16 years since the 2010 South Africa World Cup.

In terms of objective strength, Korea is significantly ahead. Korea is ranked 23rd in FIFA, 111 places higher than Kuwait (134th). In their head-to-head record, Korea has 13 wins, 4 draws, and 8 losses, including a recent 5-game winning streak.

On this day, the Korea Football Association has prepared various events to celebrate their World Cup qualification. First, the card section in the stands will be displayed again, following March's event. A card section with the phrase "WE 대한민국" has been prepared, symbolizing the great achievements shared by the players and fans.

Before the match starts, various event booths will be set up in the northwest central plaza of the Seoul World Cup Stadium starting at 2 p.m. A fan experience area named 'KFA Playground' will be operating. Starting 2 hours before kickoff, there will be a live coverage event called 'Baekho Live Challenge,' connecting the playground and the stadium's internal LED board, providing enjoyment for fans waiting both inside and outside the stadium.

However, unlike previous A matches, there was not a large crowd near the Seoul World Cup Stadium on this day. The northern square, which used to be filled with fans several hours before the match, was at only half its usual capacity. There were almost no fans waiting in line to participate in events. The photo booth for taking pictures with player images, called 'Life Cut,' had a line of dozens of people waiting.

According to the Korea Football Association, including on-site sales, around 35,000 to 40,000 tickets have been sold. Considering that the stadium can accommodate up to 65,000 people, this means that nearly 30% of the tickets remain available. At this rate, a sellout seems difficult.

The atmosphere is quite different from the ticket wars that occurred just a while ago for A matches. The national team recorded four consecutive sellouts until June last year, and the match against Palestine in September, which was Hong Myung-bo's debut as head coach, had nearly 60,000 spectators.

However, in recent times, the excitement for ticket purchases has somewhat diminished. Matches held at Yongin Mir Stadium and Goyang Comprehensive Stadium due to grass issues at the Seoul World Cup Stadium saw only about 35,000 attendees, exacerbated by location issues.

In the match against Jordan held at Suwon World Cup Stadium in March, there was a successful sellout, but the sellout seems unlikely for this match. It appears that fan interest has waned due to the perceived lower importance of this match and the fact that Kuwait is not a strong team.

[OSEN]