Korea and Japan have conflicting positions in the final qualifying round for the 2026 World Cup in Asia. Top members such as Hong Myung-bo, Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in and Lee Jae-sung will be dispatched at least one draw to Korea, Iraq, Kuwait. Japan, Australia, and Moriyasu, who will advance to the finals even if they lose to their easy opponents, Inni…For under-23s
The season of the Holy Father (盛夏) June is coming. Korean soccer is ‘June of tension’ and Japanese soccer is ‘June of relaxation’. South Korea’s Hong Myung-bo will be able to advance to the 2026 North-China World Cup finals only if he achieves more than one draw in the final qualifying round against Iraq and Kuwait in June, with the best members such as Son Heung-min (Britain Tottenham).
On the other hand, Japan’s Hajimeho Moriyasu, who secured the ticket to the 2026 World Cup finals first in the world, is relaxed to use it as a stage to find promising players in the games against his last opponents, Australia and Indonesia.
사진 확대 Coach Hong Myung-bo is leading the match against Palestine in the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA North-China World Cup. Photo = Reporter Chun Jung-hwan
Korea Football Association to announce list of national team players on 26th
The Korea = Korea Football Association said on the 21st, “Coach Hong Myung-bo (56) will hold a press conference at 11 a.m. on the 26th at the Korea Football Center in Jongno-gu, Seoul, and reveal the list of representative players to play in the A-match in June.” The Korean national team is currently leading Group B with four wins, four draws, and 16 points in the third qualifying round for the North-China World Cup.
South Korea is more than three points ahead of second-place Jordan in Group B (13 points) and third-place Iraq (12 points), so it is advantageous to confirm its 11th consecutive World Cup qualification with just one point in the remaining two games.
The Korean national team is scheduled to play its ninth Group B match against Iraq in Basra, Iraq, on June 6, and its final 10th match against Kuwait in Korea on June 10. Although they are likely to advance to the finals, they are expected to convene the best members as they are important matches that require concentration until the end.
Overseas players such as Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in (France PSG), and Lee Jae-sung (Germany Mainz) are expected to join the national team after a break from their team’s schedule. However, it is unclear whether Kim Min-jae (Germany’s Bayern Munich) will be called up because he has not been able to play his team’s game properly due to a recent Achilles injury.
There is also a possibility that Korean players who are active in the K League will be selected. Goalkeeper Cho Hyun-woo (Ulsan), who has recovered from injury, has recently shown good performance in his team, and Jeon Jin-woo (Jeonbuk) has already scored 10 goals in the league, raising the possibility of selecting his first A team.
The convened players will gather at Incheon International Airport on June 2 and leave for Iraq immediately. In the case of Lee Kang-in, his team PSG is in the UEFA Champions League final (June 1), so if he is selected for the national team, he is expected to join the team in Iraq.
The 2026 North-China World Cup has expanded from 32 countries to 48 countries, and a total of 8.5 tickets are allocated to Asia.
사진 확대 Hajime Moriyasu, coach of the Japanese national soccer team. Photo = MK Sports DB
Japan = The Japanese national team under coach Moriyasu (56), who became the first player in the world to qualify for the 2026 North-China World Cup, is relaxed enough to use the third final qualifying round for the World Cup in June as an opportunity to discover the next generation of stars.
Japanese media “Sponichi Annex” recently reported, “Japan will convene a large number of 2024 Paris Olympics generations in the two final Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA North-China World Cup next month,” adding, “About 10 people are expected to change from the A team’s roster in March.”
The Moriyasu team won six of the seven final Group C qualifiers for the North-China World Cup in Asia, confirming its advance to the finals early on. Japan became the first country in the world to qualify for the North-China-US World Cup except for the three 2026 World Cup co-hosts.
At the time, FIFA President Gianni Infantino sent a congratulatory message, saying, “We congratulate Japan,” adding, “We are the first to confirm our trip to the World Cup after Canada, the United States, and Mexico (co-hosts).”
“Japan, which has been able to manage its games leisurely in the 9th and 10th games, will further develop its team by using young players in the final qualifying round for the World Cup in June,” Sponichi Annex reported. “A large number of under-23 generations who went to the 2024 Paris Olympics against Australia on the 5th and Indonesia on the 10th will join.”
Players mentioned in the Japanese media include Yuito Suzuki (23, Brønby), Yu Hirakawa (24, Bristol City), and Shosuke Mito (22, Spartan). In particular, Suzuki, who is active on the Danish stage, is a new Japanese goaltender who has played in 38 official games this season and has scored 12 goals and 3 assists.
Japan, which advanced to the tournament as the top of its group by beating Germany and Spain in the group stage of the FIFA Qatar World Cup 2022, lost to Croatia in the round of 16 after a penalty shootout. Prior to next year’s North Korea-China World Cup, Japan is stepping up preparations for the finals by playing two consecutive friendly matches with Mexico and the United States in September.
Lee Jong-se (vice-chairman of the Korea Press Association, former sports director of the Dong-A Ilbo)