South Korea announces squad for 2026 World Cup, lets Son lead

South Korea announces squad for 2026 World Cup, lets Son lead

Online Desk

Published: 2026-05-16 16:32:38

Updated on: 2026-05-16 16:33:09

Son Heung-min was named in South Korea’s squad for his fourth World Cup on Saturday.

Captain Son will turn 34 in July, and he is now playing for Los Angeles FC in Major League Soccer, having left Tottenham Hotspur and the English Premier League in 2024.

He heads an experienced Korean squad that also features Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Lee Kang-in, Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae and Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Hwang Hee-chan.

South Korea has been drawn in Group A with co-hosts Mexico, the Czech Republic and South Africa.

They will play all their first-round games in Mexico and face the Czechs in their opener on 11 June.

Besiktas striker Oh Hyeon-gyu was also included in coach Hong Myung-bo’s 26-man squad, along with Celtic’s Yang Hyun-jin and Birmingham’s Paik Seung-ho.

German-born Jens Castrop of Borussia Mönchengladbach was also selected.

South Korea World Cup squad:

Goalkeepers: Jo Hyeon-woo (Ulsan), Kim Seung-gyu (FC Tokyo/JPN), Song Bum-keun (Jeonbuk)

Defenders: Kim Moon-hwan (Daejeon), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich/GER), Kim Tae-hyon (Kashima Antlers/JPN), Park Jin-seob (Zhejiang/CHN), Seol Young-woo (Red Star Belgrade/SER), Jens Castrop (Borussia Moenchengladbach/GER), Lee Ki-hyuk (Gangwon), Lee Tae-seok (Austria Wien/AUT), Lee Han-beom (Midtjylland/DEN), Cho Yu-min (Sharjah/UAE)

Midfielders: Kim Jin-gyu (Jeonbuk), Bae Jun-ho (Stoke City/ENG), Paik Seung-ho (Birmingham/ENG), Yang Hyun-jun (Celtic/SCO), Eom Ji-sung (Swansea/WAL), Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA), Lee Dong-gyeong (Ulsan), Lee Jae-sung (Mainz/GER), Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord/NED), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton Wanderers/ENG)

Forwards: Son Heung-min (LAFC/USA), Oh Hyeon-gyu (Besiktas/TUR), and Cho Gue-sung (Midtjylland/DEN).