Klinsmann-ho begins his journey towards the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup.

The Korean national soccer team, led by coach Jurgen Klinsmann, will play the first match of Group C of the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup Asian region second qualifying round against Singapore at Seoul World Cup Stadium at 8 p.m. on the 16th.

Korea successfully advanced to the World Cup finals 10 times in a row, from the 1986 Mexico World Cup to the 2022 Qatar World Cup.  바카라사이트

In particular, at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, they achieved the feat of advancing to the round of 16 for the first time in 12 years. 

With this momentum, we aim to set a record of advancing to the World Cup finals for the 11th consecutive time.

Starting with the 2026 North and Central America World Cup, 48 countries will advance to the finals, up from the existing 32 countries. 

The number of tickets allocated to the Asian continent also increased to 8. As such, the door to the World Cup has widened. 

Korea plans to take its first step in a good mood with a big win against Singapore, marking the beginning of its journey to the North and Central America World Cup.

In terms of objective power, Korea is expected to win by a landslide. 

Korea ranks 24th in the FIFA rankings, a whopping 131 places above Singapore (155th). 

Although all of their records are from before 1990, they boast an overwhelming advantage in their overall record with 21 wins, 3 draws, and 2 losses out of 26 matches.

If you look at the player base, the difference is even more noticeable. 

Korea has many players who are performing well in the European big leagues

such as Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur), Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton), and Jung Woo-young (Stuttgart). 

On the other hand, most of Singapore’s players play in their own league or in the leagues of other Southeast Asian countries.

However, it is too early to let down your guard. Singapore is expected to play soccer with all players sitting down to withstand Korea’s offensive.

 If Korea opens the opponent’s goal early, they can aim for a multiple-goal victory

but if they cannot break through Singapore’s defense, there is a possibility that the game will take an unexpected turn.

 In fact, Korean soccer has often experienced such cases during World Cup qualifiers.

Son Heung-min was also wary of this situation.

 At the official press conference the day before the game, Son Heung-min said, “If you lower your defense, it will not be easy no matter which team you face.

How early you create chances and succeed makes the difference between making the game comfortable or uncomfortable.”

However, the memory of the 6-0 victory over Vietnam in the A match last October is expected to have a positive effect on the players. 

Son Heung-min expressed his determination, saying, “I think the last Vietnam game was a plus for us.

However, as we are dealing with different players in a different environment, it is important to not let down our guard and to play the game honestly.”

Coach Klinsmann also pledged victory, saying, “It is a very important day.

It is an important day for our national team, and it is the beginning of a long journey.”

Meanwhile, Song Eui-young (Persebaya Surabaya), a naturalized Singaporean from Korea, is playing for the Singapore national team, drawing attention. Song Eui-young

who has played in the Singapore league for a long time, has been a key player for the Singapore national team since becoming a naturalized citizen in Singapore in 2021.

Song Eui-young said, “I never thought I would play against Korea at the Seoul World Cup Stadium. Even after naturalization, I never imagined it,” and added

I am very grateful to be able to play in the game. I want to show a good performance in front of Korean fans.”