Veteran star Son Heung-min will lead South Korea's World Cup campaign
FILE -South Korea's Son Heung-min goes for the ball during the international friendly soccer match between South Korea and Ivory Coast in Milton Keynes, England, Saturday, March 28, 2026. Credit: AP/Dave Shopland
SEOUL, South Korea — Veteran star Son Heung-min will lead South Korea’s World Cup campaign as coach Hong Myung-bo named his 26-man squad on Saturday.
The tournament, hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, will be the fourth World Cup for Son, who left Tottenham last summer after 10 years in the Premier League to join Los Angeles FC in Major League Soccer.
It is also South Korea’s 11th successive appearance, a streak that stretches back to 1986.
Lee Kang-in of Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae also made the list for the 48-team tournament.
Coach Hong called up influential midfielder Hwang In-beom although the Feyenoord star is struggling with an ankle injury.
“Our primary goal is to reach the round of 32,” Hong said in Seoul.
“We do not know what will happen after that. We could go even further than we could have imagined. Our World Cup goal is not the round of 32; our primary goal is the round of 32.”
South Korea's national soccer team head coach Hong Myung-bo speaks during a news conference announcing South Korea's squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, May 16, 2026. Credit: AP/Lee Jin-man
Korea reached the last 16 in 2022, defeating Portugal in the final group game, and then lost to five-time champion Brazil.
Hong was the captain of the team that made the semifinals of the 2002 World Cup and was also in charge at the 2014 tournament when the Taeguk Warriors collected just one point in Brazil.
Korea will play all three Group A games in Mexico, starting June 11 against the Czech Republic before taking on Mexico a week later and then playing South Africa on June 24.
Results have been poor leading into the tournament with a 4-0 loss to Ivory Coast in March followed by a 1-0 defeat against Austria.
South Korea's national soccer team head coach Hong Myung-bo, fourth from left, poses with team coaches for the media after a news conference announcing South Korea's squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, May 16, 2026. Credit: AP/Lee Jin-man
Korea heads to Salt Lake City on Monday to begin preparations and face Trinidad and Tobago and El Salvador in its final warmup games.
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South Korea squad:
Goalkeepers: Jo Hyeon-woo, Kim Seung-gyu, Song Bum-keun.
Defenders: Kim Min-jae, Cho Yu-min, Lee Han-beom, Kim Tae-hyeon, Park Jin-seob, Lee Gi-hyuk, Lee Tae-seok, Seol Young-woo, Jens Castrop, Kim Moon-hwan.
Midfielders: Yang Hyun-jun, Paik Seung-ho, Hwang In-beom, Kim Jin-gyu, Bae Jun-ho, Eom Ji-sung, Hwang Hee-chan, Lee Dong-gyeong, Lee Jae-sung, Lee Kang-in.
Forwards: Oh Hyeon-gyu, Son Heung-min, Cho Gue-sung
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