1
Busan seen entering phase of extinction, study says
3
TvN ‘Jinny’s Kitchen 2’ returns with ambitious intern Go Min-si replacing V
5
‘Inside Out 2’ dominates domestic box office
7
HYBE’s global girl group Katseye launches with debut single
9
Moon-shaped balloon ride set to offer aerial views of Seoul from July
11
Korea to add 243 more items to export control list for Russia, Belarus
13
Woman under investigation over fatal golf shot
15
Naver’s Webtoon Entertainment shares close nearly 10% higher on Nasdaq debut
17
Naver, Nvidia discuss ‘sovereign AI’
19
66% of South Koreans back nuclear armament amid North Korean threats: poll
2
BTS’ Jimin to release new song ahead of 2nd solo album
4
Heavy rainfall soaks Jeju; 30 flights to, from Jeju canceled
6
More Korean company executives asked to work six days a week
8
NewJeans rock Tokyo Dome
10
Wearing shoes inside: NYT article sparks backlash from Korean, Korea-based communities
12
INTERVIEWStar producer finds new side of Karina with ‘Agents of Mystery’
14
S. Korea marks 22nd anniversary of victorious inter-Korean naval skirmish
16
Rigid immigration policies force migrant workers into desperate situations
18
South Korea, Samsung, NK leader featured in US presidential debate
20
Dongducheon students prove they can manage assets just as well as adults
Close for 24 hours
South Korea is set to play five Middle East teams in the next phase of their qualification campaign for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Courtesy of Asian Football Confederation
South Korea will play five Middle East teams in the next phase of their qualification campaign for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
South Korea ended up with Iraq, Jordan, Oman, Palestine and Kuwait in Group B in the third round of the Asian World Cup qualification, following the draw in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.
The 18 qualified teams from the second round were divided into six pots based on their FIFA world rankings released last Thursday. Each group contained one from each of the six pots.
As world No. 22, South Korea are the third-highest ranked team from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), behind Japan (No. 17) and Iran (No. 20). These three countries were in Pot 1. The next three AFC teams in the rankings, Australia, Qatar and Iraq, were in Pot 2, and so forth.
By FIFA rankings, Iraq (No. 55) were the lowest-ranked team in Pot 2, as were Jordan (No. 68) in Pot 3. In Pots 4 and 5, Oman (No. 76) and Palestine were the second-lowest ranked teams. Kuwait (No. 137) are the lowest-ranked AFC nation in the entire third round.
Against Iraq, South Korea have nine wins, 12 draws and two losses, and won their most recent meeting, a friendly in January this year, by 1-0.
South Korea have lost just once in seven meetings against Jordan, with three wins and three draws. But that one loss was a particularly painful one, as Jordan defeated them 2-0 in the semifinals of the AFC Asian Cup in February this year. The loss cost Jurgen Klinsmann his job as South Korea’s head coach, and the position remains vacant more than four months after the defeat.
South Korea have four wins and one loss against Oman but haven’t faced them since the 2015 Asian Cup.
South Korea have never faced Palestine before. Against Kuwait, South Korea have recorded 12 wins, four draws and eight losses, but the last meeting came in October 2015. In March 2016, South Korea were awarded a 3-0 win by forfeit after Kuwait were unable to host their match while serving a FIFA suspension.
South Korea avoided some tricky opponents, such as Australia, the fourth-best AFC team ranked No. 23, Qatar, the reigning Asian Cup champions, and North Korea.
Being in the same group with North Korea could cause logistical headaches. The reclusive state refused to host Japan during the second round of the qualification in March this year, resulting in a Japanese win by forfeit.
Group A teams are: Iran, Qatar, Uzbekistan, the United Arab Emirates, Kyrgyzstan and North Korea. Japan, the top AFC team ranked 17th, will face Australia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, China and Indonesia in Group C.
The third round kicks off on Sept. 4 and will wrap up on June 10, 2025.
The top two teams from each of the three groups will qualify for the 2026 World Cup, which will feature 48 nations, up from the previous 32.
Teams ranked third and fourth in their groups in the third round will reach the fourth round, where they will be split into two groups of three. From there, the two group winners will punch their tickets to the big tournament, while the two runner-up teams will meet in a two-legged playoff for the right to advance to the intercontinental playoff.
South Korea have played at every World Cup since 1986. (Yonhap)
World Water Day 2024
Busan World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals
Super Bowl 2024
Welcoming Lunar New Year around world
Daily life in Afghanistan under Taliban rule
