The South Korean men’s national soccer team has been placed in an easy group at the de facto final gateway to the 2026 North and Central America World Cup. Ace Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) will play against Jordan, which suffered a humiliating defeat at the Asian Cup in February.
South Korea was tied to Group B with five Middle Eastern countries, including Iraq, Jordan, Oman, Palestine and Kuwait, in the third round of the World Cup Asian qualifying round held at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on the 27th (Korea time). As Australia headed to Group C and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), led by head coach Paulo Bento, headed to Group A, it will be able to have a relatively easy schedule.
The national team is expected to do its best to face Jordan. South Korea lost 0-2 to Jordan in the semifinal match of the AFC Asian Cup on February 7. As a physical fight broke out between the players on the eve of the match, captain Son Heung-min (Tottenham) failed to score a single shot on goal in the worst atmosphere, including an injury to his finger. Since then, Lee Kang-in has been widely criticized as it became known that he was the center of the dispute. 토토사이트
“Group C” includes Japan (17th), the highest FIFA ranking in Asia, and Australia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, China, and Indonesia. Australia (23rd) is a powerhouse that dropped to Port 2, one place lower than Korea (22nd) in the FIFA rankings. Indonesia, led by coach Shin Tae-yong, has to overcome even Saudi Arabia, the traditional powerhouse.
North Korea will also walk a thorny path in Group A. This is because Iran, which has many players playing in Europe, and Qatar, which won the Asian Cup in February, are holding out. The UAE is also showing off its stable power with Bento’s solid tactics. Kyrgyzstan is also likely to struggle.
Since the 2026 World Cup, the number of participants in the finals has expanded from 32 to 48, and the number of tickets allocated to Asia has increased to 8.5. Six countries will confirm their qualification for the finals in the third round. Korea will start its third round with a home game against Palestine on Sept. 5. The first and second place finishers from each group will advance to the finals, while the third and fourth place finishers will advance to the fourth round.