Asian Games Disqualification → Direct Call to A National Team? Europe-Based 'No. 10' Kim Min-su, Could He Be Called by Moreno?

*This content was translated by AI.

Kim Min-su (20, Rangers), hailed as an attacking resource leading the future of Korean football, is set to challenge for his first-ever A national team selection. This also presents an opportunity to immediately shed the disappointment of missing out on the final roster for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya (Japan) Asian Games.

Roberto Moreno (Spain), the interim head coach of the South Korea men's national football team, is scheduled to hold a press conference on the 14th at Cheonan Football Park in South Chungcheong Province to share his thoughts upon taking office and announce the roster for the four-match A international series in September and October. While it remains uncertain how much change will occur compared to the final roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, given that this is a four-match series rather than two, and considering the impact of players being called up for the Asian Games, experts anticipate significant changes. Indeed, there are quite a few players who could be surprise selections, with Kim Min-su, born in 2006, standing out as a prime candidate.

Like Lee Kang-in (Atletico Madrid), Kim Min-su began his football journey early by studying abroad in Spain. He progressed through the youth ranks of Girona FC before making his professional debut. During his time at Girona, he competed on the UEFA Champions League stage and, last season while playing for FC Andorra, was a candidate for Player of the Month, recording six goals and four assists in 39 La Liga 2 matches. Ahead of this season, he transferred to Rangers FC, a prestigious club in the Scottish Premiership. The transfer fee was 10 million euros (approximately 15.6 billion won), ranking as the second-highest transfer fee in the club's history, and he was assigned the number 10 jersey, symbolizing an "ace."

He immediately made his presence felt. Deployed as a central attacking midfielder in a 4-2-3-1 formation, he started in three consecutive matches. In the match against St. Mirren on the 10th, he switched roles to that of a substitute and played for 30 minutes. Although he has yet to record an attacking contribution, his presence is already drawing significant attention locally. Locals have even praised him as "a player who will open a new dimension for Rangers' attack."

Despite this upward momentum, he was not included in the final roster for the Asian Games. Coach Lee Min-seong had attempted to call up Kim Min-su during an overseas training camp in Saudi Arabia last September, but his participation fell through due to club-related issues. He was called up for domestic training in March and participated in closed practice matches against Japan and the United States, but ultimately failed to make the final Asian Games roster. Coach Lee stated, "The coaching staff held dozens of meetings and selected players who fit our team. We apologize to those not selected, but we have high expectations for those chosen. These players (selected for the final roster) are capable of winning a gold medal."

Coincidentally, Kim Min-su's exclusion from the Asian Games final roster has increased the likelihood of his direct call-up to the A national team. With other second-line attacking resources such as Yang Hyun-joon (Celtic FC), Eom Ji-seong (Swansea City, both wildcards), and Bae Jun-ho (Stoke City) heading to the Asian Games in large numbers, Coach Moreno has practically no choice but to select new second-line attacking options. This is also why attention is turning toward K League players like Lee Seung-woo (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors) and Jeong Seung-won (FC Seoul). Although Kim Min-su lacks A national team experience and is young, his performances for his club suggest he has sufficient competitiveness.

Beyond his club performances, Kim Min-su's versatility to play across all second-line attacking positions and his fluency in Spanish gained through early years of studying abroad—enabling seamless communication with Coach Moreno—are also strengths. While it is widely believed that he will eventually face the test for A national team selection regardless of this opportunity, the timing coinciding with the Asian Games schedule could prove to be "the right moment." If his call-up to the A national team becomes a reality and he further demonstrates a clear presence, he could bring fresh energy to Moreno's squad.

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*This content was translated by AI.