South Korean team makes a breakthrough in personnel before the 2026 World Cup

According to the schedule, the South Korean team - the team that won a ticket to the 2026 World Cup - will have two friendly matches against the US and Mexico in September. Both of these matches will take place in the US. This will be the first overseas friendly match since the match between Wales and Saudi Arabia in England in September 2023.

Among the players called up, it is worth noting the appearance of Jens Castrop (Borussia Mönchengladbach), with a German father and a Korean mother. He is the first Korean player to have two blood lines, born abroad.

Castrop, born in 2003, has played for Germany U16 to U21, but earlier this month he decided to play for Korea instead of waiting for a chance to join Germany.

Regarding the choice of Castrop, coach Hong Myung-bo said: "He is young, but has matured constantly in the process of accumulating experience in the Bundesliga. I highly appreciate his strong will and sense of responsibility when joining the Korean national team.

I expect Castrop to quickly adapt to the culture and tactics of the team. He is a different type of player to our midfielders like Hwang In-beom, Kim Jin-gyu, Park Yong-woo and Won Du-jae. He is a warrior, so I believe this aspect will be beneficial for the Korean team.

In addition, Mr. Hong Myung-bo also has high expectations for Son Heung-min, a player who has just moved to play in the US for Los Angeles FC. He said: "He is showing impressive form despite having to adapt to the new tournament and environment.

He has been used as a striker in recent World Cup qualifiers, so we can expect him to play in many different positions. The national team will continue to support him to maintain good form without causing serious injuries."