[Official] Possibility of a final match between South Korea and Japan or North and South Korea confirmed: AG men's football quarterfinal draw set

*This content was translated by AI.

The quarterfinal draw for the men's football tournament at the 2026 Aichi·Nagoya (Japan) Asian Games has been finalized. Under coach Lee Min-seong, South Korea has drawn what is considered an ideal bracket, with a potential final showdown against either Japan or North Korea if they advance to the championship match.

Led by coach Lee Min-seong, South Korea defeated Qatar 4-1 in their Group D opener on the 15th at Mizuho Rugby Stadium in Nagoya, Japan, and beat Saudi Arabia 2-0 in their second Group D match on the 22nd. Finishing first with six points (two wins) in Group D, which consisted of only three teams, they advanced to the knockout stage.

With group-stage matches in other groups now concluded, the quarterfinal draw according to tournament regulations has been officially set. In this tournament's format, the winner of Group D faces the runner-up of Group C, while the winner of Group C plays against the runner-up of Group D.

South Korea will face Vietnam (1 win, 1 draw, 1 loss), the second-place team in Group C, at Mizuho Rugby Stadium in Nagoya, Japan, on the 25th at 7:30 p.m. A victory in this match would lead them to compete against the winner of the China-Thailand clash for a spot in the final. China advanced as the top team from Group B (1 win, 2 draws), while Thailand qualified as the second-place team from Group A (2 wins, 1 loss).

Coincidentally, both Vietnam and China are opponents that Lee Min-seong's squad must seek revenge against. In the AFC U23 Asian Cup third-place playoff last January, South Korea drew 2-2 with Vietnam before losing in a penalty shootout, finishing fourth. Against China, they have lost their last two encounters in recent history between U23 national teams, including a 0-2 defeat in last year's Panda Cup.

In the other quarterfinal bracket, another championship contender Uzbekistan will face Saudi Arabia on the 25th. Japan and North Korea are also scheduled to meet the following day. If South Korea reaches the final, depending on the results, the championship match could feature either a South Korea-Japan or a North-South Korea showdown. The highly anticipated final will be held at Toyota Stadium in Japan on the 3rd of next month at 7:30 p.m.

The last time the Asian Games men's football final featured a North-South Korea match was during the 2014 Incheon Games, which remains the only occurrence to date. Subsequent finals in the 2018 Jakarta·Palembang (Indonesia) and 2023 Hangzhou (China) tournaments were all South Korea-Japan matches. South Korea emerged victorious in all three of those championship games. Lee Min-seong's team now aims for a fourth consecutive title at this tournament.

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*This content was translated by AI.