Son Heung-min (33, Tottenham Hotspur) has been placed at the forefront. The Hong Myung-bo team has unveiled its best 11 for the match against Jordan.

The South Korean national football team, led by coach Hong Myung-bo, will face Jordan in the 8th match of Group B in the 3rd qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America, which will be held at 8 p.m. on the 25th at Suwon World Cup Stadium.

Previously, South Korea drew 1-1 against Oman on the 20th. They failed to hold onto Hwang Hee-chan's opening goal at the end of the first half. South Korea added just 1 point at home, maintaining a shaky first place in the group with 15 points (4 wins, 3 draws), a mere 3 points ahead of 2nd place Jordan and 3rd place Iraq (both with 12 points).

The team was aiming for an early qualification for the World Cup finals with consecutive home matches, but that hope was dashed by the draw against Oman. There is now a possibility of giving up first place to either Jordan or Iraq. If South Korea loses to Jordan that day, the rankings could be reversed.

Moreover, injury troubles have emerged. Kim Min-jae could not join due to an Achilles injury, and Jung Seung-hyun injured his calf during training. Additionally, Baek Seung-ho and Lee Kang-in collapsed consecutively during the match against Oman. Jung Seung-hyun, Baek Seung-ho, and Lee Kang-in have all been released from the national team and are unable to participate in the match against Jordan.

Ahead of the match, the starting lineup of the Hong Myung-bo team has been revealed. Captain Son Heung-min leads with Lee Dong-kyung, Lee Jae-sung, Hwang Hee-chan, Park Yong-woo, Hwang In-beom, Lee Tae-seok, Seol Young-woo, Cho Yu-min, Kwon Kyung-won, and Jo Hyun-woo starting. On the bench are Oh Hyun-kyu, Eom Ji-sung, Yang Min-hyeok, Yang Hyun-jun, Kim Joo-seong, Hwang Jae-won, Lee Chang-geun, Oh Se-hun, Won Doo-jae, Jo Hyun-taek, Park Seung-wook, and Kim Dong-heon.

In response, Jordan will field its strongest lineup, including Ehsan Haddad, Yazaan Al-Naimat, and Yazaan Al-Arab. The highly anticipated Moussa Al-Tamari has also made the starting list. He had done individual training the day before due to a thigh issue but will participate without any problems.

Yazaan, who plays as a key center-back for FC Seoul, will also start. He said the day before the match, "It's going to be a tough match for everyone and a very important one. I've played against Korea several times. Tomorrow will be different," adding, "While playing in Seoul, I know well how to approach playing against Korean players. I hope Jordan wins," he remarked with a smile.

Yazaan is determined to revive the memory of defeating South Korea 2-0 in the semifinals of the 2023 Asian Cup. With experience of having previously brought down South Korea, he remarked, "I've faced South Korea twice in the Asian Cup finals. Tomorrow's match will be similar compared to the last one. Both teams have injuries. I hope we can secure 3 points tomorrow," he vowed.

For South Korea, captain Son Heung-min needs to break through Jordan's defense. He played as a left winger in the last match against Oman but shifted to a central position in the second half, taking on various roles. However, Son Heung-min appeared to have some weaknesses, providing chances for opponents to score.

Son Heung-min and the Hong Myung-bo team must achieve a different result this time. Coach Hong Myung-bo emphasized, "We couldn't break through the opponent's compact defense in the last match. There are ways to do it. It's a matter of time. I've shared this with the players. I can't predict whether the opponent will play like last time, but the most important thing is how we approach the match. Everyone must be aware and play intelligently."

With Lee Kang-in absent, Son Heung-min's responsibilities are even heavier. Coach Hong Myung-bo hinted at Son Heung-min's utilization, saying, "We scored due to position changes in the last match. There were difficulties in defense. Lee Jae-sung's pressure wasn’t realized. We are consistently thinking about ways to improve."

The role of Hwang In-beom, who has just returned from injury, is also significant. He was excluded from the squad for the last match against Oman but will start in this game.

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