South Korean soccer, which cured the wounds, will begin its steps toward the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup.
The South Korean national soccer team, led by interim coach Hwang Sun-hong, will face Thailand in the third Group C match of the second qualifying round for the 2026 North-Central America World Cup at Seoul World Cup Stadium at 8 p.m. on the 21st.
During the A-match period in March, Korea will hold two consecutive rounds of qualifying matches for the second Asian region of the World Cup against Thailand. Korea, which was in Group C along with China, Thailand and Singapore, is leading the group with two consecutive wins (six points) by beating China and Singapore in November last year. If Korea wins in both of its two consecutive matches against Thailand, it may be able to confirm its advance to the final qualifying round early on.
In terms of objective performance, Korea is overwhelmingly superior. Korea is ranking 22nd in FIFA rankings, 79th place higher than Thailand (101st). Korea is also leading Korea in past matches with 30 wins, seven draws, and eight losses in 45 matches.
When comparing players, the difference becomes even greater. Although Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton) failed to join the national team due to injury, Korea boasts splendid team members including captain Son Heung-min (Bayern Munich), Kim Min-jae (Bayer Leverkusen), Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), Hwang In-beom (Zrvena Zvezda), and Lee Jae-sung (Mainz). New faces such as Joo Min-kyu (Ulsan HD) and Jung Ho-yeon (Gwangju FC) are expected to join the team.
Interim coach Hwang Sun-hong said, “We have a very important match ahead. Our opponents are a good team, but we will repay our fans with good results.”
As for Thailand, he said, “It’s organized and technical. He is quite good at counter.” “I think the opponent is important, but the ability of our team members is also good. As it is a home game, we have to play with confidence and confidence in our victory,” he said, expressing his will to win.
Korea has another goal to play in Thailand. The goal is to completely resolve conflicts within the team and unite as one.
The controversy over the “table tennis gate” that occurred on the eve of the semifinal match at the Asian Cup left a huge scar on Korean soccer. Some suggested that Lee Kang-in should be excluded from the upcoming national team call-up. 핑크알바
However, interim coach Hwang Sun-hong called Lee Kang-in to the national team and gave him an opportunity to apologize for his mistake. After joining the national team on the afternoon of the 19th, Lee Kang-in first visited his teammates to apologize for his mistake, and his teammates warmly welcomed him. Lee also expressed his apology in front of reporters before the official training session on the 20th.