Kim Min-jae (27) of Bayern Munich has joined the Korean national soccer team after winning the title of “World’s Best.” Now, all they have to do is wear the national flag and show the value of his name.
The national soccer team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, will play Kuwait in Group B of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA North-China World Cup at Jabeur Al Ahmed International Stadium in Kuwait City, Kuwait, at 11 p.m. on the 14th (Korea time).
Korea, which had three wins and one draw earlier, is racing to No. 1 in Group B. If it defeats Kuwait and Palestine this month, it will become closer to going to North Korea, China and the U.S. This time, Kuwait (135th) is 113 steps lower than Korea (22nd). Kuwait, which had three draws and one loss in four matches of the third round, is a team that has yet to win, along with Palestine (two draws and two losses).
In terms of players, South Korea, which is full of European players, shines more, but Kuwait’s persistent soccer, which has one point against the strong teams Jordan and Iraq, cannot be ignored. Above all, as the match will be held on Kuwait’s home turf, it is expected that there will be a strong will to take “one win” against South Korea.
Kim Min-jae’s performance is more important than ever for South Korea, which has been shaken by the back several times. South Korea won the second game against the “weak” Oman in September, shaken by counterattacks. A month ago, Jordan won without losing a point, but conceded 13 shots. It also had an overwhelming ball share (76%) against Iraq, but conceded two goals and narrowly took three points.
He is cruising in terms of his performance, but he is definitely Hong Myung-bo who needs to stabilize the back. With experienced Kim Young-kwon and Jung Woo-young (Ulsan HD) missing from the national team, Kim Min-jae has the most A-match experience (67 games) in the back. As Son Heung-min (Tottenham) previously wore the captain’s armband when he left due to an injury, Hong Myung-bo needs Kim Min-jae’s leadership and excellent defense.
As the game is likely to be played under the leadership of Korea, the position of the defensive line is likely to be set high. The build-up that will begin with Kim Min-jae’s toes can have a great influence on Korea’s offensive work. When defending, Kim Min-jae’s fast feet covering a wide back space and predictive defense ability to cut the ball to the opponent in advance can shine.
More than anything else, when Kuwait plays intensive defense, Korea can aim at the opponent’s goal through set-pieces such as corner kicks and free kicks. At this point, Korea can also play targeting Kim Min-jae’s head. Kim, who has scored four goals so far as a member of the Korean national team, scored a goal in the seventh round of the Bundesliga with Eintracht Frankfurt last month. After corner kicks, he calmly finished the game with his right foot.
The public’s expectations for Kim Min-jae are high because his team is so strong. Kim Min-jae was ranked No. 1 in the global centerback ranking, which was analyzed by the International Sports Research Institute (CIES) under FIFA on the 11th. Kim Min-jae, who received 91.1 points out of 100, put world-class defenders Hoobeng Díaz (89.7 points in Manchester City) and Virgil van Dijk (89.4 points in Liverpool).
Kim Min-jae, who regained his starting position this season, started all 14 Bundesliga matches and UEFA Champions League matches that Munich played. Notably, he recently led his team to win four official matches without allowing even a single goal. In Korea, Kim is nicknamed “close-minded (Kim Min-jae who plays tight defense).
Kim Min-jae, who is particularly strong at one-on-one competition with opposing strikers, will play against Kuwait’s captain and legend Youssef Nasser (34) of Kuwait. Nasser, who scored all three of Kuwait’s goals in the third qualifying round, is a “hero” who scored 52 goals in 113 A-match games. Although he scored two of his three goals through penalty kicks, he is said to have excellent concentration at the goalpost. 스포츠토토
Kuwait’s characteristics include fast counterattacks and scoring patterns that send the ball to the side and then cross it. If you lose your concentration for a moment, you can get a shot from Nasser. This is why Kim Min-jae’s role to lead the defense line is as important as ever.