Final push for 2026 World Cup starts against Palestine
Members of the Korean men’s national football team run during a training session ahead of a World Cup qualifying match against Palestine at Goyang Stadium in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Monday. Yonhap
Now, the action gets real as the third round of qualification for the 2026 World Cup kicks off on Thursday. Korea has qualified for the last 10 tournaments and have made it to the final 18 this time.
If the Taeguk Warriors finish in the top two of the six-team Group B after the 10 matches are completed next June, they will automatically secure a spot in the World Cup, which is the expected outcome. If things don't go so well, then there is a safety net of an extra round of games for those that finish third and fourth.
The Taeguk Warriors will face Oman, Jordan, Kuwait, and Iraq in their qualification campaign, starting with an opening match against Palestine in Seoul. This will be the first-ever encounter between the two teams. Anything less than three points by the Han River would go down very badly at a time when fans in Korea are not exactly in a happy mood with the national team.
Palestine has never been this far along the World Cup road before and is ranked 96 in the world, 73 behind Korea. The security situation in Gaza and the West Bank has stopped any soccer being played there. The local leagues are not going ahead, stadiums have been destroyed as have many people in the soccer family.
As well as the domestic talent, there is a Palestinian diaspora that has helped to strengthen a roster as well as players based overseas that have helped make it more competitive. Star striker Oday Dabbagh plays for Charleroi in Belgium, and the 25-year-old Jerusalem-born attacker has made a name for himself. Overall though, the visitor would be delighted with a point.
Korea will aim for a strong start with both a win and a solid performance, especially as this game marks Hong Myung-bo's debut as head coach. After the chaotic search for a new head coach to succeed Jurgen Klinsmann, who was fired in February, the Korea Football Association will want the attention to switch to the soccer field, especially as Ulsan HD fans are upset at losing Hong as coach.
"It's important for us to win the possession battle and control the match," Hong, who has returned for a second spell in charge, said. "We will have to be bold and aggressive with our ball possession. It has to be about breaking down the opponent. We will be prepared against counterattacks and spend as little time as possible defending."
That is the likely scenario against Palestine who will look to defend well and try to snatch a point. The other four teams, all from West Asia, may well play the same way. Korea is capable of winning all five home games which would be almost enough for a top two finish by itself. A few points away would then suffice, especially as the other five teams should take points off each other.
With English Premier League stars such as Son Heung-min and Hwang Hee-chan, as well as Lee Kang-in, playing well for Paris Saint-Germain, Korea should have too much talent and experience for the Palestinians. Then comes a tougher trip to Muscat to face Oman, but with three points already in place, the pressure will be off to a certain extent.