Will “Captain” Son Heung-min be removed from the starting list for the first time in more than a year? Coach Hong Myung-bo has started to manage Son Heung-min’s condition.
The South Korean national soccer team will play an away match against Kuwait in Group B of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA North-China World Cup at the Jabeur Al-Ahmad International Stadium in Kuwait City, the capital of Kuwait, at 11 p.m. on the 14th (Korea time). The team is committed to increasing its chances of advancing to the finals by winning the match, which will mark the turning point of the third qualifying round, which is currently ranking first in the group with three wins and one draw.
Team Korea’s main team, led by the K-League, arrived in Kuwait on Wednesday. It was followed by some players from the Middle East and Europe. Captain Son Heung-min arrived in Kuwait early on Wednesday morning after finishing his team’s game on Tuesday. As Tottenham Hotspur’s game is scheduled in the afternoon of Tuesday local time, he was inevitably the latest to join the team.
It is a tiring schedule, but he also recently took a few games off due to injuries at Tottenham. This is why some say that he needs to take care of his condition. Tottenham manager Anze Postecoglou also expressed his desire for Son Heung-min to control his participation in the national team.
Coach Hong Myung-bo was also aware of this. “I arrived one day later than other players yesterday, and focused on my recovery training. I will train one more day today and discuss tomorrow’s game through general conversation. I cannot tell you whether I will participate or not yet. I will decide after training today,” he said in an official press conference on Tuesday.
“We had a short talk after the 90-minute game (in Tottenham). I have no problem with my injury,” he said. “I think our team knew this and asked us to play the 90-minute game. We will make a decision and prepare for the game.”
If Son is not included in the starting list for the match against Kuwait, he will be benched for the first time in about a year except for the October match, when he was not called up for the national team due to an injury. Son had missed a friendly match against Tunisia at home in October last year. He was trying to adjust his condition at the time as well. 메이저놀이터
If Son Heung-min does not start, other players will fill the gap depending on the situation. Second-tier German players such as Jung Woo-young, who returned to the national team, or Lee Hyun-joo, who was called up for the first time, can be an alternative. “Since Heung-min is not young, recovery time is also important, and the other players’ role is to prepare so that no one feels empty when someone else is absent,” Hwang In-beom, who attended the press conference with Coach Hong Myung-bo, said. “When an important player is absent, it is important for the rest of the players to fill the gap as a team. I don’t know who will play, but as a team, I will do my best.”