Veteran star Son Heung-min will lead South Korea’s World Cup campaign

TL;DR

Son Heung-min will captain South Korea in the upcoming World Cup, as coach Hong Myung-bo announced the 26-man squad. This tournament marks Son's fourth World Cup appearance and South Korea's 11th consecutive entry since 1986.

Key points

Son Heung-min named captain for World Cup
South Korea's squad includes 26 players
Primary goal is to reach round of 32
Tournament hosted by USA, Mexico, and Canada
South Korea's 11th consecutive World Cup appearance

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SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Veteran star Son Heung-min will lead South Korea’s World Cup campaign as coach Hong Myung-bo named his 26-man squad on Saturday. The tournament, hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, will be the fourth World Cup for Son, who left Tottenham last summer after 10 years in the Premier League to join Los Angeles FC in Major League Soccer. It is also South Korea’s 11th successive appearance, a streak that stretches back to 1986. Lee Kang-in of Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae also made the list for the 48-team tournament. Coach Hong called up influential midfielder Hwang In-beom although the Feyenoord star is struggling with an ankle injury. “Our primary goal is to reach the round of 32,” Hong said in Seoul. “We do not know what will happen after that. We could go even further than we could have imagined. Our World Cup goal is not the round of 32; our primary goal is the round of 32.” Korea reached the last 16 in 2022, defeating in the final group game, and then lost to five-time champion Brazil. Hong was the captain of the team that made the semifinals of the 2002 World Cup and was also in charge at the 2014 tournament when the Taeguk Warriors collected just one point in . Korea will play all three Group A games in Mexico, starting June 11 against the Czech Republic before taking on Mexico a week later and then playing on June 24. Results have been poor leading into the tournament with a 4-0 loss to in March followed by a 1-0 defeat against . Korea heads to Salt Lake City on Monday to begin preparations and face Trinidad and Tobago and El Salvador in its final warmup games. \\_ South Korea squad: Goalkeepers: Jo Hyeon-woo, , . Defenders: Kim Min-jae, , Lee Han-beom, , , Lee Gi-hyuk, Lee Tae-seok, , , . Midfielders: Yang Hyun-jun, , Hwang In-beom, , Bae Jun-ho, , , , , Lee Kang-in. Forwards: , Son Heung-min, \\_ AP World Cup coverage:

Q&A

Who is leading South Korea's World Cup team in 2026?

Son Heung-min will lead South Korea's World Cup campaign as the team's captain.

What is South Korea's primary goal for the 2026 World Cup?

South Korea's primary goal is to reach the round of 32 in the tournament.

When does South Korea play its first match in the 2026 World Cup?

South Korea's first match in the 2026 World Cup is scheduled for June 11 against the Czech Republic.