Hong Myung-bo faced a major negative factor just before the announcement of the list. Son Heung-min (32, Tottenham Hotspur) collapsed due to a hamstring injury, making it unclear whether he will be dispatched.
Coach Hong Myung-bo will announce the list of national team players to play the third and fourth rounds of the 2026 FIFA North-China World Cup Asia qualifying round B at the soccer center in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the morning of the 30th.
This is the "A" match in October, when two of the most difficult games in the third qualifying round are waiting for. Team Korea will play an away match against Jordan in Amman, Jordan, on March 10 and return to Korea to face Iraq at Mir Stadium in Yongin on May 15.
Jordan and Iraq ranked 68th and 55th respectively, ranking second only to Korea (23rd). In the third preliminary round, the three teams also had one win and one draw to form the lead.
Jordan, in particular, is the main character who made South Korea cry at the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Qatar Asian Cup in February. South Korea struggled against Jordan from the group stage and drew 2-2 and was eliminated in the semifinals by a complete defeat of 0-2. Since then, the Korea Football Association (KFA) has replaced Jurgen Klinsmann, and only after two temporary coaches have officially appointed Hong Myung-bo in July.
Iraq is also a traditional powerhouse in the Middle East. At the Qatar Asian Cup, the team pushed Jordan to the brink of collapse in the round of 16 and lost to Aymen Hussein's absurd exit. In many cases, Korea had difficult matches when it encountered Iraq.
Coach Hong Myung-bo, who is about to face the greatest crisis, was busy on his own. He attended a questionnaire at the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee on the 24th with Chung Mong-kyu, chairman of the KFA, and Lee Im-saeng, director of technology, and was asked about the controversy over the fairness of the appointment process. The ruling and opposition parties continued to criticize intensely.
Coach Hong Myung-bo has flatly denied controversy over unfairness. "The World Cup qualifying round is just around the corner. As a coach, I think it was not unfair as long as I had experience in this work. As a coach, my duty is to strengthen the team and produce good results at the World Cup," he said. "I will do my best as a coach."
Coach Hong Myung-bo has been busy ever since. Originally, he intended to check several players in Europe, but he toured K-League sites instead of Europe to check on domestic players. On Saturday, he visited Gangneung Stadium to watch Gangwon and Daegu play each other, and the next day, he watched the match between Seoul and Suwon FC at Seoul World Cup Stadium.
There is also a possibility that the team will recruit new faces. None of Seoul and Suwon FC were chosen by Coach Hong Myung-bo last month. As Coach Hong Myung-bo inspected the site on the eve of the announcement of the new team's roster, however, the team can expect a "surprise selection" this time. Kim Ju-seong, a center back born in 2000 with experience in playing for the national team, or Choi Joon (Seoul) are likely to be the candidates.
Some European players can also join the team. Hong Hyun-suk (Minutes), Bae Jun-ho (Stoke City), and Oh Hyun-kyu (Henk), who failed to make the roster in September, are waiting for their call. On top of that, Lee Young-joon (Grathhofer), a tall striker who succeeded in advancing to Europe last summer, is also aiming to become the first A-team player.
In particular, Oh and Lee Young-joon will challenge the national team's front-line competition. Oh has three goals and one assist in the recent three games, including multiple goals in the match against KV Mekeren in the Belgian league. 메이저사이트
Lee Young-joon is also showing his presence on the Swiss stage with two goals and one assist. As both Joo Min-gyu (Ulsan) and Oh Se-hoon (Machida Zelvia), who were selected in September, were not qualified to receive passing points, there is a good chance that Hong Myung-bo will make changes.
However, there is another biggest factor. Captain Son Heung-min was injured. He was replaced as he felt pain in his hamstring in the match against Karabakh on July 27, and failed to play in the match against Manchester United on Wednesday.
Hamstrings are difficult to heal quickly as they are sensitive parts. Of course, there is a high possibility that there will be a setback in joining the national team, which has to fly long distances. If Son Heung-min fails to be dispatched, Bae Jun-ho could have a chance.