Korea Republic vs China
China cannot take their foot off the gas pedal in the ongoing World Cup 2026 Asian qualifiers since they’re not yet out of the woods, despite their decent position in Group C.
The Dragons are currently second behind South Korea with eight points, five behind the top spot. The top two in the group will move on to the next round.
However, a lot can still happen in the next few days. And with China dropping points to Thailand for the second time in this round last Thursday, the latter can still catch up with the former.
On the other hand, another win for the Taeguk Warriors would not only extend their undefeated streak but also further boost their World Cup 2026 odds of directly qualifying for the quadrennial meet in America.
Which team do you think will come out on top at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on Tuesday? Check out today’s SBOTOP match preview by reading more below.
Talking Points
Son embracing “villain” role for South Korea
South Korea dominated Singapore as expected, as they won with a scoreline of 7-0 on Thursday. Heung-Min Son and Lee Kang-In both had a brace, while Joo Min-Kyu, Bae Jun-Ho, and Hwang Hee-Chan also found the back of the net.
The standout performer for the Taeguk Warriors is easily Heung-Min Son, as the Spurs captain was wreaking havoc from the opening whistle, and he was serenaded by boos in the sold-out Singapore National Stadium, despite his good guy reputation.
The Singaporeans’ attempt to catch Heung-Min Son off guard clearly didn’t work, as he scored twice in three minutes. As the game went on, the boos faded since Singapore couldn’t do anything about it.
The wire-to-wire victory against Singapore is a great start to Kim Do-Hoon’s interim stint as manager for South Korea. The 53-year-old will get his chance again when South Korea host China next week.
Heung Min-Son said after the game that fans would have to be patient with South Korea’s coaching situation, especially after they dismissed Jurgen Klinsmann from his post following a disappointing finish in the AFC Asian Cup last February.
However, if they put out a similar performance on Tuesday, perhaps they don’t have to look far for their new manager.
China were missing their talisman
China suffered a blow to their World Cup 2026 hopes, as they were held to a 1-1 draw against Thailand on Thursday. Because of their inconsistency in the qualifiers, there’s a chance that Thailand could leapfrog and eliminate China, depending on next week’s World Cup 2026 results.
Assuming Thailand take care of business against Singapore, they are hoping that China will lose this match against South Korea and advance through a superior goal difference.
On Thursday, Thailand took a surprising 1-0 lead when Supachok Sarachat found the back of the net in 20 minutes.
Chinese talisman Wu Lei wasn’t around for this contest because he had to serve his suspension, so China had to work harder than they should for the equaliser.
China had chances to equalise, but A Lan’s low strike hit the post, and Fei Nanduo’s attempt was saved by Thailand’s goalie.
Zhang Yuning would score for China in the 79th minute. Towards the end of the match, they were pushing for a late winner, but to no avail.
History
South Korea and China have already met in the third round of the World Cup 2026 Asian qualifiers in November, when the former secured a 3-0 result in the reverse fixture at Shenzhen as Heung-Min Son had a brace and Jeong Seung-Hyeon scored once in the victory.
The Taeguk Warriors are undefeated in their last five meetings against the Dragons across all competitions. China’s last win over South Korea was a 1-0 result during a World Cup Asian qualifiers match in 2017, as Yu Dabao scored the only goal.
Given their huge lead in Group C, South Korea are on course to advance to the next round of the Asian qualifiers, putting them one step closer to clinching a World Cup 2026 berth.
The Taeguk Warriors have always qualified for the World Cup since 1986, and their best run was when they finished fourth in the festivities as hosts in 2002.
In the 2022 World Cup, South Korea went as far as the Round of 16, losing 4-1 to Brazil.
As for China, they are looking to make it back to the World Cup for only the second time in their history. The last time they made it was in 2002, when they couldn’t make it out of the group stage.
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