‘Defensive nucleus’ Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) will wear the captain’s armband for South Korea’s two North American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup in the absence of Tottenham’s Son Heung-min (Tottenham).
According to the Korea Football Association, Hong Myung-bo appointed Kim Min-jae as the “temporary captain” for the third and fourth North American World Cup qualifiers this month and held a “full training session” for the first time in Amman, Jordan, on Aug. 8 (local time).
A total of 26 players, including both Koreans and Europeans, gathered on the field to improve their physical condition under Hong’s direction.Kim Min-jae is the centerpiece of the team after Son Heung-min 토토사이트 순위 failed to join the squad due to a hamstring (back thigh muscle) injury.
Kim has become the “centerpiece” of the national team and will captain the team for the third match against Jordan at the Amman International Stadium in Amman, Jordan, on Tuesday at 11 p.m. KST and the fourth match against Iraq at Yongin Mir Stadium on Friday at 8 p.m. KST.
Born in 1996, Kim has played 65 A matches for South Korea. Only Lee Jae-sung (90 caps), Kim Seung-kyu (Al-Shabaab – 81 caps) and Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton – 68 caps) have played more A matches for the national team than Kim.
Hong Myung-bo, who provided leadership on the field as a center back during his playing days, chose Kim Min-jae, a ‘junior center back’ with the skills and experience of a world-class defender.
Kim will play an especially important role against Jordan.
The Jordanians are the team that handed former coach Jürgen Klinsmann’s Korea a heartbreaking 0-2 defeat at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup semifinals in February.
A pacey attack led by Moussa Altamari (Montpellier) and Yazan Alnaimat (Al Ahrabi) overwhelmed Klinsmann’s defense. Kim Min-Jae, the fastest center back in Korea, did not play in the match due to accumulating cautions.
If Jordan sticks to the same strategy this time around, Kim’s quick feet and judgment will be crucial to cover the space at the back.
This is the first time Kim Min-jae has worn the captain’s armband for the A team since last October against Tunisia, when Son Heung-min was named on the bench and did not play.