Bae Joon-ho can play his first national team selection match.
Led by coach Hong Myung-bo, the Korean national soccer team will face Iraq in the fourth Group B match of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA World Cup North-China at Yongin Mir Stadium in Yongin, South Korea, at 8 p.m. on Saturday. South Korea has two wins and one draw to rank No. 1 in its group.
While Son Heung-min was excluded from the call-up due to injury, Hwang Hee-chan and Um Ji-sung were injured one after another in the match against Jordan. Hwang Hee-chan and Um Ji-sung were excluded from the list, while Lee Seung-woo and Moon Seon-min were replaced. Lee Seung-woo and Moon Seon-min came in, but it was a sudden substitute. Coach Hong Myung-bo is likely to form a selection based on those who have been together since Jordan.
This is why Bae can start. Bae, who left Daejeon Hana Citizen for Stoke City ahead of the last season, played 38 matches and scored two goals and five assists in the English Championship (minor league). Bae won the club’s Player of the Year award from Stoke, who barely stayed in the club. He started wearing No. 10 uniform before this season, and is playing as the starting member despite confusion as his manager has changed. He is currently posting three assists in eight matches of the championship.
Bae Jun-ho, dubbed the future of Korean soccer, was selected by interim coach Kim Do-hoon in June. He played as a substitute in the match against Singapore, but succeeded in making his debut goal in the A-match game. He played as a substitute in the match against China, and made consecutive appearances. He was not selected in September. There were injuries. Based on his performance in Stoke, he returned to the team in October.
Hwang Hee-chan and Um Ji-sung played as substitute in the match against Jordan, where they suffered consecutive injuries, and led the mood in the second half. According to the soccer statistics media “Foot Mob,” Bae recorded a 100 percent success rate (29 successful attempts), two chances creation, a 100 percent success rate (2 successful attempts), and two passes in attacking areas during the 39 minutes period. The winning rate of ball competition was also 100 percent (3 successful attempts/three attempts). “Foot Mob” gave Bae a 7.9 point rating. 안전놀이터
He is most likely to be selected in the match against Iraq. Coach Hong Myung-bo is unlikely to make significant changes in his selection. Bae will play the second-term role and play with Lee Kang-in and others. Although the injury is the reason, Bae, who is set to play as a starting member for the first time, has an opportunity to demonstrate his capabilities more clearly. In order to survive as a member of the national team, he should seize the opportunity when he has the opportunity. We need to wait and see whether it will be a starting point for the history that Bae will write.