The Hong Myung-bo team has completed its grand journey towards the 2026 North and Central America World Cup. Finishing the final Asian qualifiers Group B for the 2026 North and Central America World Cup with 6 wins, 4 draws, and no losses, it set a remarkable record of qualifying for the finals for the 11th consecutive time. The standout players in this journey were undoubtedly Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord) and Son Heung-min (Tottenham).

The South Korean football team, led by Coach Hong Myung-bo, defeated Kuwait 4-0 in the final match of the 10th round of the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup Asian third qualifying group, held at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 10th at 8 p.m.

With this, Korea finished the World Cup qualifiers unbeaten. The national team concluded the final qualifying rounds for the North and Central America World Cup with 11 wins and 5 draws without a single loss, marking an achievement not seen since the 2010 South Africa World Cup.

Korea had already secured a place in the finals early on. On the 6th, they won 2-0 in an away match against Iraq, making history by qualifying for the World Cup for the 11th consecutive time. This marks the first time in Asia's history and the sixth overall globally. In Group B, both Korea and Jordan secured the direct tickets to the World Cup.

On this day, Korea summoned a total of 63 players throughout the second and third qualifying rounds, trying various combinations and tactics. Among them, Hwang In-beom directed the team from the midfield, logging 1,397 minutes and recording the highest playing time. He participated in 15 matches, holding the team together, except for one game he missed due to injury (the final qualifying match against Oman).

In terms of scoring, Son Heung-min stood out significantly. He scored 7 goals in the second qualifiers and added 3 more in the third qualifiers for a total of 10 goals. Particularly, the goal he scored in the match against Palestine last November marked his 51st career goal in international matches, placing him second overall in men's A-match goals for Korea, surpassing Hwang Sun-hong, the manager of Daejeon Hana Citizen.

Lee Kang-in and Lee Jae-sung both scored in the match against Kuwait, contributing to a total of 5 goals in qualifying, ranking just after Son Heung-min. Oh Hyun-kyu and Hwang Hee-chan each added 4 goals as offensive resources from the back. Bae Jun-ho, Oh Se-hoon, and Joo Min-kyu also recorded 2 goals each, enriching the depth of the attack.

Although the final match against Kuwait was already secured for qualification, Korea gave their all to finish strong. In the 30th minute of the first half, Hwang In-beom's corner kick induced an own goal by the opponent, leading the team. In the second half, Lee Kang-in scored with a precise left-footed long-range shot, followed by Oh Hyun-kyu's skillful turning shot and Lee Jae-sung's finishing goal, completing a decisive victory.

This victory carried several symbolic meanings. Korea achieved first place in the group and qualified for the finals without a single loss, marking the first time since the 1990 Italy tournament and rewriting the unbeaten qualifying record 14 years after the 2010 South Africa World Cup, which had 4 wins and 4 draws. In previous three qualification processes for the finals, Korea had allowed multiple losses, but this time they completely reversed that trend.

In terms of individual playing time, alongside Hwang In-beom, Jo Hyun-woo (1,297 minutes), Lee Kang-in (1,235 minutes), Lee Jae-sung (1,185 minutes), Son Heung-min (1,165 minutes), and Seol Young-woo (1,138 minutes) also ranked high. When looking solely at the third qualifiers, Jo Hyun-woo spent the most time on the pitch with 905 minutes, followed by Seol Young-woo (902 minutes), Hwang In-beom (855 minutes), Lee Kang-in (797 minutes), Lee Jae-sung (784 minutes), Park Yong-woo (724 minutes), and Jo Yu-min (695 minutes).

Son Heung-min missed a total of 3 matches in the third qualifying round due to injuries, and only participated in 585 minutes. However, he proved his presence by scoring at crucial moments. Particularly, even in the afterglow following the confirmation of qualification during the match against Iraq, Son Heung-min left a deep impression on fans.

Meanwhile, Korea proved itself as the strongest in Asia through this qualifier. As the only undefeated team in Group B after playing 10 matches, Korea did not lose a single match, contrasting with Iran in Group A and Japan in Group C, both of whom encountered their first losses in the 9th round. This outcome completely erased the memories of failing to qualify for the finals during the qualifiers for the 2022 Qatar tournament due to a loss to the United Arab Emirates.

The qualifiers conducted under Coach Hong Myung-bo were not just about simple qualification. They laid the groundwork for tactical diversification and generational change. While the core remained Son Heung-min, Hwang In-beom, and Lee Jae-sung, there were also significant moments where new resources like Lee Kang-in, Bae Jun-ho, and Seol Young-woo took the lead.

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