'Kim Min-jae and Hwang In-beom's participation uncertain' — South Korea's expected starting lineup for the World Cup match against Czech Republic revealed

*This content was translated by AI.

A U.S.-based analytical firm has released the expected starting lineup for South Korea's national football team in their first match of the 2026 FIFA North American World Cup. While the lineup includes most of the team's regular starters, the firm added that the participation of Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) and Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord), who are key figures in defense and midfield, remains uncertain.

The U.S. media outlet RotoWire released the expected starting lineup for the first match of the 2026 FIFA North American World Cup group stage on the 20th (Korean time). Under the leadership of coach Hong Myung-bo, South Korea will face the Czech Republic in the first group stage match of Group A at the Guadalajara Stadium in Mexico on the morning of the 12th next month at 11 a.m.

South Korea's expected lineup is based on the 3-4-2-1 formation, which coach Hong Myung-bo has recently adopted as his primary tactical system. The media outlet predicted that Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton) would lead the front line, with Son Heung-min (LAFC) and Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) positioned on the left and right flanks. If these three form the attacking line, it is highly likely that in the actual match, Son Heung-min would play up front while Hwang Hee-chan would occupy a wide position rather than Hwang Hee-chan playing as a lone striker.

In midfield, Hwang In-beom and Kim Jin-gyu (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors) are expected to work together, while Lee Tae-seok (Austria Vienna) and Seol Young-woo (Crvena Zvezda) are projected to play as left and right wing-backs. The three center-backs are expected to be Kim Min-jae, Lee Han-beom (Midtjylland), and Kim Tae-hyun (Kashima Antlers), with Kim Seung-gyu (FC Tokyo) guarding the goal, according to the media outlet.

Except for the specific positions of Hwang Hee-chan and Son Heung-min, the overall lineup reflects the regular starters that coach Hong Myung-bo is likely to field in the actual match. It is also a lineup anticipated within the final World Cup roster range recently announced for Hong Myung-bo's team.

The issue is that while both Kim Min-jae and Hwang In-beom are included in the expected starting lineup, their actual participation is considered uncertain due to injuries. Kim Min-jae has been sidelined with a knee injury, and Hwang In-beom has been out with an ankle injury, both leaving their respective teams. Hwang In-beom returned home early, before his team's season concluded, to focus on recovering from his injury. Fortunately, coach Hong Myung-bo previously stated that tests confirmed Hwang In-beom has no issues with his cardiorespiratory function and that he is expected to be fit for the World Cup. However, the key factor will be how quickly he can regain his match sharpness, which has significantly declined.

The Czech Republic, their opponent, also has several key players expected to feature in their anticipated starting lineup against South Korea, including striker Patrik Schick (Bayer Leverkusen), Tomas Soucek (West Ham United), Vladimir Coufal (Hoffenheim), and Ladislav Krejci (Wolverhampton). The only player whose participation is uncertain due to injury is Martin Vitik (Bologna), but he is not a regular starter.

Meanwhile, according to the FIFA rankings, South Korea is ranked 25th, while the Czech Republic is 41st, placing South Korea 16 positions higher. In their head-to-head record, South Korea has one win, two draws, and two losses, putting them at a disadvantage. Their last meeting was a friendly match held in the Czech Republic in 2016, which South Korea won 2-1.

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*This content was translated by AI.