Korean football is on the brink of qualifying for the World Cup for the 11th consecutive time.
The national football team, led by coach Hong Myung-bo (56), will face Jordan on the evening of the 25th at 8 p.m. at the Suwon World Cup Stadium in the 8th match of Group B in the 3rd round of qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America.
Korea drew 1-1 against Oman on the 20th, failing to hold on to Hwang Hee-chan's opening goal. Korea currently maintains a somewhat precarious first place in Group B with 15 points (5 wins, 3 draws), just three points ahead of second-placed Jordan.
If Korea had defeated Oman and Jordan, it could have secured qualification for the World Cup early at home. However, the shock draw against Oman has delayed its progress. The match against Jordan, held at the Suwon World Cup Stadium, which has a capacity of about 41,000 seats, has already sold out.
A special event will take place at the match against Jordan in Suwon. A card section event involving 40,000 spectators will unfold inside the stadium. This is the first A-match card section since the game against Egypt in June 2022.
The card section planned by the "Red Devils" features the phrase "A dream that began in 1986, 11th Korea, let’s go for 2026." A large card section has appeared across three sections, reflecting the fans' desire to complete 40 years of Korean football history since the 1986 Mexico World Cup.
The card section event will be held twice: once as the players enter the field and again during the first 11 minutes of the match, symbolizing the desire for 11 consecutive World Cup qualifications.
"Red Devils" chairman Jo Ho-tae noted, "I ask the spectators to enter the stadium earlier than usual so that the players can gain great strength by seeing the completed card section when they enter for the match against Jordan."
There will be plenty to see. During halftime, a celebratory performance by the group "Norazo" will take place. Norazo member Jo Bin is widely known as a football fan. The group will share the cheering atmosphere with the audience through a performance mixing their hit songs and World Cup anthems.
Outside the stadium, the northwest central square of Suwon World Cup Stadium will feature a fan experience area called "KFA Playground." The KFA Playground includes experience zones, merchandise zones, and food zones.
In the experience zone, a stamp rally event and lucky draw will take place through the "Baekho & Friends Challenge" with the official mascot of the Korea Football Association, "Baekho & Friends." The merchandise zone will sell replica uniforms of the national team and official goods of Baekho & Friends, along with a photo zone where fans can take pictures with life-sized cutouts of national team players. The food zone will offer a variety of freshly prepared dishes.
Lee Jung-seop, marketing team leader of the Korea Football Association, stated, "This match against Jordan is an important threshold toward World Cup qualification, and we have prepared various programs to provide a more special experience for the spectators and maximize the heat of support. I ask for a lot of interest and participation so that the passionate support for the national team can be a great strength for the players."
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