S. Korea qualify for 2026 FIFA World Cup

South Korea have qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with their latest win in the ongoing qualification phase.

South Korea defeated 10-man Iraq 2-0 in their penultimate Group B match in the third round of the Asian World Cup qualifiers at Basra International Stadium in Basra, southern Iraq, on Thursday (local time). Substitutes Kim Jin-gyu and Oh Hyeon-gyu scored a goal apiece in a dominant second half for the Taegeuk Warriors.

South Korea are leading Group B with 19 points from five wins and four draws, three points ahead of Jordan. The top two teams from each of the three groups in the third round will grab tickets to the World Cup, and Thursday’s win assured South Korea of at least second place in Group B, regardless of their result against Kuwait in their final match in Seoul on Tuesday.

South Korea will make their 11th straight appearance in the World Cup next year, with the United States, Canada and Mexico serving as co-hosts. Only Brazil, Germany, Argentina, Italy and Spain have had longer streaks of consecutive trips to the World Cup.

For South Korea, longtime captain Son Heung-min was left off the squad list, with veteran Mainz 05 midfielder Lee Jae-sung wearing the armband instead. Son, who recently captained Tottenham Hotspur to the UEFA Europa League title, missed significant time earlier this year due to a foot injury.

Lee was flanked by Hwang Hee-chan of Wolverhampton Wanderers and Lee Kang-in of Paris Saint-Germain, while FC Machida Zelvia forward Oh Se-hun started as striker.

Hwang In-beom and Park Yong-woo got the nods as defensive midfielders. Lee Tae-seok, Kwon Kyung-won, Cho Yu-min and Seol Young-woo formed the backline left without Bayern Munich center back Kim Min-jae, out with an Achilles injury. Jo Hyeon-woo made his ninth consecutive start of the third round.

South Korea generated little offensively in the face of Iraq’s high pressing but the match opened up after Iraq went down a man in the 26th minute, when their forward Ali Al-Hamadi was shown a direct red card for a dangerous foul on Cho.

Al-Hamadi raised his left leg going after a loose ball that bounced high, and ended up grazing Cho’s face with his studs. Referee Jun Mihara initially issued a yellow card but switched it to a red one following a video review.

Five minutes after Al-Hamadi was sent off, Hwang Hee-chan missed the near side on a wide-open look set up by Hwang In-beom. Then in the 36th minute, Lee Jae-sung struck the crossbar with a header off Lee Kang-in’s free kick.

Lee Kang-in himself hit the woodwork four minutes into stoppage time with his patented left-footed curler from the right side of the box.

At the restart, Kim Jin-gyu replaced Park Yong-woo, and the move paid dividends in the 63rd minute when the offensive-minded midfielder opened the scoring.

Kim took a pass from Lee Kang-in and scored off his right foot for his first international goal since January 2022.

Two second-half subs connected for South Korea’s second goal in the 82nd minute, with Jeon Jin-woo, in his senior national team debut, finding forward Oh Hyeon-gyu with a cross on a fast break.

South Korea outshot Iraq 7-2 and enjoyed a 76-24 edge in ball possession.