“Aiming for the World Cup”: Women’s National Team Holds Friendly Matches in Catalonia… Belgium Also Set to Face Off

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

The women’s national football team will embark on a training camp in Europe to prepare for next year’s World Cup in Brazil.

The Korea Football Association announced on the 14th that the women’s national team, led by head coach Shin Sang-woo (ranked 17th in FIFA rankings), will conduct a training camp in Catalonia, Spain, from the 24th to December 3.

This trip is being carried out utilizing the November and December women’s A-match window designated by FIFA. In addition to local training, the team will play two friendly matches.

The first match is against the Catalonia women’s national team at Estadi Narcis Sala in Barcelona at 8 p.m. (Korean time) on the 28th. Because the Catalan Football Association is not a member association of FIFA, this match is not recognized as an official A-match. However, the Catalonia team is composed of players active in FC Barcelona and top-tier teams in major Spanish and European leagues, and it will be held as an official match with spectators. It is expected to provide the national team, which is preparing for the World Cup finals, with an opportunity to gain practical experience against a high-level opponent.

The second match is an official A-match against Belgium in Catalonia on December 2. The specific time and venue will be confirmed later. Belgium is ranked 20th in FIFA rankings, and Korea has faced them twice so far, both in friendly tournaments. At the 2015 Cyprus Cup, Korea won on penalties after a draw, while at the 2023 Arnold Clark Cup in England, they lost 1-2.

This trip to Spain serves as the final check-up stage before the World Cup group draw. The 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup group draw will be held at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, at 2:30 a.m. on the 12th of next month. Teams advancing to the finals, excluding host nation Brazil, will be assigned to four pots based on the FIFA rankings released on the 7th of next month, and then divided into eight groups of four teams each.

Meanwhile, at the group draw for the 2028 LA Olympics Asian final qualifiers held on the 12th, the women’s national team was placed in Group B alongside North Korea, China, and the Philippines. The final qualifiers will be held in a home-and-away format starting from next year’s April A-match window. The top team in each group will advance directly to the Olympic finals, while the second-place teams will compete in playoffs.

11/28 (Sat) 20:00 vs. Catalonia Women’s National Team @ Estadi Narcis Sala (Barcelona)

12/2 (Wed) Belgium (Specific time and venue to be confirmed later)

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

*This content was translated by AI.View Original