Three goalkeepers virtually confirmed; center-back remains the 'only variable' [Preview of Hong Myung-bo's final roster ①]

*This content was translated by AI.

The 26 Taegeuk Warriors who will compete in the 2026 FIFA North American World Cup will be announced on the 16th. This is the final roster to be selected approximately one year and nine months after the first announcement of Hong Myung-bo's team in August 2024. Since Coach Hong Myung-bo took charge, a total of 69 players have worn the Taegeuk mark at least once. Unless a major surprise occurs, it is highly likely that 26 of them will be chosen by Coach Hong. StarNews will introduce predictions for each position in the final roster for the North American World Cup in a series. /Editor's note

Among the positions in Hong Myung-bo's final roster for the 2026 FIFA North American World Cup, the goalkeepers are the most clearly defined. This is because, after completing the Asian qualifiers for the World Cup and officially transitioning into 'World Cup mode,' the same three players have been consistently called up without any change during four A-match training camps.

In fact, Coach Hong Myung-bo has called up Kim Seung-gyu (36, FC Tokyo), Cho Hyun-woo (35, Ulsan HD), and Song Beom-geun (29, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors) since last September's friendly matches against the United States and Mexico. Unless variables such as injuries occur, it is highly likely that these three will make the final World Cup roster. Since last September, Kim Seung-gyu has had the most playing time with four matches (three goals conceded), followed by Cho Hyun-woo with three matches (nine goals conceded), and Song Beom-geun with one match (zero goals conceded).

After Coach Hong took charge, when Kim Seung-gyu was sidelined due to injury and Song Beom-geun-i (CEO) team, he called up Kim Jun-hong (23, Suwon Samsung), Lee Chang-geun (33, Daejeon Hana Citizen), Kim Kyung-min (35, Gwangju FC), and Kim Dong-heon (29, Incheon United) to the national team for trials. However, among them, only Lee Chang-geun received playing time in two matches. If a change is inevitable among the first three goalkeepers, Lee Chang-geun would be the most likely candidate.

Assuming Coach Hong Myung-bo maintains the three-back (three center-backs) formation, it is highly likely that six players capable of playing as center-backs will be called up. Rather than selecting only six dedicated center-backs, more weight is placed on the possibility of including resources who can also play as defensive midfielders. Considering the recent center-back call-up list by Coach Hong Myung-bo, there is expected to be little change compared to the recent roster. This indicates that the margin of change in the recent center-back call-up list has been small.

Kim Min-jae (30, Bayern Munich), the core of the defense, could stand in the middle of the three-back formation to play as a sweeper, or he could be positioned on the left to play as a stopper. If Kim Min-jae plays as a stopper, Park Jin-seop (31, Zhejiang FC) is a strong candidate to fill the central position. In fact, Coach Hong Myung-bo previously placed Park Jin-seop at the center of the three-back formation during the matches against Paraguay in October and Ghana in November last year, with Kim Min-jae positioned on the left. Park Jin-seop plays as a defensive midfielder for his club team, so his utilization rate within the national team is also high.

Considering Coach Hong Myung-bo's tendency to place a left-footed player on the left side of the three-back and a right-footed player on the right, the left and right stoppers are virtually confirmed. As left-footed center-backs, Kim Ju-seong (26, Sanfrecce Hiroshima) and Kim Tae-hyun (26, Kashima Antlers), two center-backs born in 2000, have consistently built a competitive dynamic. On the right side, Jo Yu-min (30, Sharjah FC) and Lee Han-beom (24, Midtjylland) are the resources who have been called up by Coach Hong without major surprises.

The variable is whether Kim Ju-seong will recover from his injury. Kim Ju-seong started in the friendly match against Austria on the 1st of last month but suffered an injury in the 26th minute of the first half and has not returned to the field for over a month. No clear return date has been reported even in Japan. The exact return date and his performance after returning could be the biggest variables for making the final World Cup roster.

Other players who have been put on trial as center-back resources by Coach Hong Myung-bo since taking charge include Kim Ji-soo (22, Kaiserslautern), Kim Young-gwon (36), Jung Seung-hyun (32), Seo Myung-gwan (24, all Ulsan HD), Kwon Kyung-won (34, FC Anyang), Byun Jun-su (25, Kim Cheon (SVP)), Lee Ki-hyeok (26, Gangwon FC), and Park Seung-wook (29, Shimizu S-Pulse). However, most of them were resources called up during the World Cup qualifiers, and only Byun Jun-su and Kim Ji-soo were called up after the transition to World Cup mode, but neither received playing time.

If Kim Ju-seong's exclusion becomes inevitable, Coach Hong Myung-bo will need to search for new center-back resources from within this group. Kim Ji-soo, who was most recently called up as a backup center-back, stands out, but the issue is that he has not played in recent club matches. Considering his club performance and consistent playing time, attention may turn to Lee Ki-hyeok, a K-League player. However, his first and only A-match appearance was in 2022 during the tenure of former coach Paulo Bento, and his only experience under Coach Hong Myung-bo was sitting on the bench for a single match, which could be a concern for the coach.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.