"South Korea's involvement in key players 'internal division' → almost eliminated from the World Cup." Ecuador's media re-examined

*This content was translated by AI.

Introducing the South Korean national soccer team ahead of the 2026 FIFA 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup, foreign media reports re-examined the rift between Son Heung-min (34, Los Angeles FC) and Lee Kang-in (25, Paris Saint-Germain) two years ago. However, as the conflict at the time is now completely sealed, the World Cup is expected to be a stage where the entire Korean national team will play together for Son Heung-min's "Last Dance."

Ecuadorian media Primisias said in an analysis of the teams that will participate in the 2026 FIFA 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup on the 26th (Korea time), "Korea is a strong team in Asia that has never missed the World Cup finals since the 1986 Mexico World Cup," adding, "It is a technical, fast and threatening team in counterattacks." He surprised the world with a historic semifinal at the 2002 World Cup between Korea and Japan, and advanced to the round of 16 through a rough group stage in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The media said, "However, in this 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup qualifying round, South Korea was almost eliminated. He added that "he suffered a painful elimination from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup in early 2024 under the German coach Jurgen Klinsmann, and even the internal division involving the main players overlapped." Although he did not directly mention the name of the player, the aftermath of the so-called "table tennis gate" between Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in, which erupted during the Asian Cup, could have led to the Korean national team's elimination from the World Cup qualifying round.

Primisias said, "The Korea Football Association appointed legendary coach Hong Myung-bo to establish discipline and unite the team to overcome the crisis. Fortunately, the storm has passed, and now the Korean national team will play for Son Heung-min's last World Cup, he said. "Unlike the previous World Cup, when Son Heung-min carried the burden alone, top European players support him this time. Defenders such as Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) and creative midfielders such as Lee Kang-in are representative," he explained.

The media said, "Son Heung-min, the best player in Asia, is preparing for the last World Cup through this tournament. He's not just a fast winger, he's a perfect striker and a great mental leader who uses both feet. It is necessary to play an active role in this World Cup that will solidify the status of a historical legend, he said. "The mission of the entire Korean national team is also to write a new history for Son Heung-min, who will play in the last World Cup."

Meanwhile, South Korea, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, will announce the national team's roster in the middle of next month and play two warm-up matches against Ivory Coast in London, England, at 11 p.m. on March 28 (Korea Standard Time) and Austria in Vienna, Austria, at 3:45 a.m. on April 1. After that, he will confirm the final entry for the World Cup in May, play the final warm-up match against Mexico, and then play in the World Cup finals. Whether or not the ceremony will be held in Korea is up for grabs.

As a result of the draw for the 2026 FIFA 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup finals, Korea was in Group A with Mexico, South Africa, and the winner of the UEFA Playoff (PO) Pass D (Denmark, Czech Republic, Ireland, and North Macedonia).

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*This content was translated by AI.