A significant blow occurred with Lee Kang-in's injury beyond a disappointing match.

The South Korean national football team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo (56), faced Oman in the 7th match of Group B in the third round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Goyang Sports Complex on the evening of the 20th. Despite Hwang Hee-chan finishing a great touch from Lee Kang-in's razor-sharp pass with the opening goal, the match ended in a disappointing 1-1 draw.

With this, South Korea recorded 15 points (5 wins, 3 draws) to maintain a somewhat shaky first place in Group B. In the third round of qualifiers, the top two teams from each group will secure direct tickets to the World Cup. If South Korea had won all matches in this March A matches, they could have confirmed their spot at the World Cup early, but due to frustrating performance throughout the game, this was not achieved.

The result leaves a sense of regret. If South Korea had secured 3 points in this match against Oman and won against Jordan on the 25th, they could have assured their qualification for the World Cup early, regardless of the upcoming matches in June against Iraq and Kuwait. However, due to the result of this match, South Korea now has to wait until the June A matches.

South Korea started with a 4-2-3-1 formation. Jumin-gyu was positioned at the forefront, and Son Heung-min, Lee Jae-sung, and Hwang Hee-chan formed the attacking midfield trio. Baek Seung-ho and Park Yong-woo protected the back four, while Lee Tae-seok, Kwon Kyung-won, Jo Yoo-min, and Seol Young-woo made up the defensive line. Jo Hyun-woo was in goal.

Oman also deployed a 4-2-3-1 formation. Issam Al Sabhi aimed for a goal, with Abdul Al Masifri, Ali Al Busaidi, and Yamil Al Yahmad forming the attacking midfield trio. Abdullah Fawaz and Said Al Alawi filled the midfield, while Al Rishaydi, Khalid Al Braiki, Ahmed Al Kamisi, and Abdullah Al Harthi set up the back four. The goalkeeper's gloves were worn by Ibrahim Al Mukhaini.

The first half was somewhat frustrating. Unable to find a solution against the opponent's dense defense, South Korea struggled to connect shots despite high possession of the ball. Additionally, in the 35th minute of the first half, Baek Seung-ho fell injured during a challenge. Despite treatment, because Baek Seung-ho could not return, South Korea introduced Lee Kang-in in the 38th minute.

Lee Kang-in's introduction made an impact. In the 41st minute, Lee Kang-in sent a direct pass to the penetrating Hwang Hee-chan, who controlled the ball in the box and immediately shot to take a 1-0 lead. South Korea, who had struggled to create shots, found some relief with Hwang Hee-chan's goal. The first half concluded with a score of 1-0.

Immediately at the start of the second half, South Korea used a substitution card. They introduced Oh Se-hun in place of Jumin-gyu, who was somewhat quiet in the first half, seeking an additional goal. Although South Korea took the lead with Hwang Hee-chan's goal in the first half, they sought to add to their tally. However, in the 35th minute of the second half, they conceded a goal from Ali Al Busaidi, unable to add to their points and resulting in a 1-1 score.

On this day, Hwang In-beom was entirely excluded from the roster. Hwang In-beom, who had not participated in matches for his club Feyenoord due to injury, was included in the 28-player national team announced on the 10th. However, Dutch outlet 'FR12' reported on the 18th that "Dennis Cranenburgh said it was 'absurd' for Hwang In-beom to be called up to the South Korean national team."

The explanation stated that selecting Hwang In-beom in place of the injured Kim Min-jae for player protection does not make sense. The current national team midfielders are Park Yong-woo (Al Ain), Baek Seung-ho (Birmingham City), Won Du-jae (Korpakan Club), Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord), Lee Jae-sung (Mainz), Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton), Bae Jun-ho (Stoke City), Yang Min-hyeok (Queens Park Rangers), Eom Ji-sung (Swansea City), Yang Hyun-jun (Celtic), Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), and Lee Dong-gyeong (Gimcheon Sangmu).

Cranenburgh pointed out that "the national team call-up could negatively affect his physical condition. A player who hasn't been able to participate in matches for almost three months has just recovered, and now has to undertake a long-distance flight. It will be a significant burden on Hwang In-beom’s recovery and condition management." Regardless of this critique from the Netherlands, Hwang In-beom joined the team late in the evening on the 18th.

Coach Hong Myung-bo said on the 19th about Hwang In-beom, "The club, player, and national team are communicating smoothly. There was a slight injury in the match last weekend. We need to monitor him through today’s training," easing concerns from those around him. However, progress in recovery did not seem to be rapid. Hwang In-beom's name could not even be seen on the bench, let alone the best eleven. Instead, Baek Seung-ho partnered with Park Yong-woo in midfield.

Lee Kang-in started on the bench that day for a reason. Unlike other South Korean players, Lee Kang-in could only join the national team late on the evening of the 18th. He participated in a match on the 17th against Marseilles in Paris at Parc des Princes for the 2024-2025 French Ligue 1 home game. He came on in the 35th minute, managing to play for about 10 minutes.

This season, Lee Kang-in's standing at PSG has somewhat diminished. Recently, he has seen a reduction in playing time due to competition from other players like Ousmane Dembélé, Bradley Barcola, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Désiré Douéi. French media Foot01 reported that "PSG has decided to part ways with Lee Kang-in this summer," stating that "the next few weeks Lee Kang-in spends in Paris may be his last time there." It further explained that "Lee Kang-in has lost his spot to players like winger Désiré Douéi and midfielder Senny Mayulu, João Neves, due to not winning against competitors in similar or matching positions." Indeed, it was an inevitable competition considering PSG's opulent ensemble.

Ahead of this A match, Lee Kang-in was not in top condition due to inconsistent playing time layered with fatigue. Coach Hong Myung-bo decided to exclude Lee Kang-in from the starting lineup. However, when Baek Seung-ho fell in the 32nd minute of the first half, Lee Kang-in was quickly introduced. As soon as he came on, he showcased "another class."

Lee Kang-in, who entered the pitch in the 37th minute of the first half, soon broke through Oman's compact defense. In the 41st minute, he delivered a precise pass that led to Hwang Hee-chan's opening goal. The pinpoint pass released just as Hwang Hee-chan sprinted toward the opponent's goal from near the halfway line was remarkable. Although it had been a long time since he played in midfield, Lee Kang-in's performance was extraordinary.

Including the long pass that led to the decisive goal, Lee Kang-in demonstrated repeatedly his higher vision and precise passing, distributing the ball from the back line to the front line in a single pass. It was the kind of 'football master' passing mode reminiscent of Xavi Alonso of the Spanish national team and Real Madrid or Andrea Pirlo of the Italian national team and Juventus.

However, when South Korea conceded a goal to Al Busaidi in the 35th minute of the second half, the team that was leading 1-0 was back to a 1-1 score. While conceding a goal was disappointing, Lee Kang-in's injury was a more critical blow. He collapsed during a challenge at the Oman goal scene. He ultimately could not get up on his own.

Lee Kang-in could not stand on his own and had to receive assistance from medical staff. Ultimately, in the 37th minute of the second half, Lee Kang-in was called back to the bench while Oh Hyun-kyu, a forward, was introduced. Lee Kang-in was carried off the pitch. Lee Tae-seok was also taken to the bench, and Yang Hyun-jun was brought on, but no goals resulted.

Immediately after the injury, Lee Kang-in showed significant signs of pain. Unable to stand on his own, one could suspect a minimum sprain or similar symptoms. Particularly, since he collapsed in a match shortly after a tough schedule, there are concerns that Lee Kang-in's injury may be a symptom caused by accumulated fatigue. In many ways, the match against Oman turned out to be a game with significant losses.

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