S. Korea to begin 2026 World Cup qualification in Seoul on Nov. 16

South Korea will launch its 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign in Seoul next month, the national football federation announced Friday. The Korea Football Association said South Korea will host Singapore at Seoul World Cup Stadium on Nov. 16 in their first Group C match in the second round of the Asian World Cup qualifiers. The kickoff is 8 p.m. Singapore beat Guam in the two-legged first round that wrapped up Tuesday, and joined South Korea, China and Thailand in Group C of the second round

Oct. 20, 2023

Klinsmann hoping to keep beloved Lee Kang-in grounded: 'Pop star doesn't score goals'

As South Korean midfielder Lee Kang-in walked off the pitch at Seoul World Cup Stadium, having contributed two goals in an eventual 4-0 win over Tunisia in a friendly, he seemed to bask in a thunderous ovation from an adoring crowd of some 59,000. Lee's national team head coach, Jurgen Klinsmann, isn't so sure if such a show of adulation is a good thing for the 22-year-old, who is especially popular among female fans. Lee, midfielder for Paris Saint-Germain, is one of South Korea'

Oct. 14, 2023

S. Korea chasing 2nd straight win under Klinsmann with Asiad gold medalists on hand

The South Korean men's national football team will look to win their second straight match under head coach Jurgen Klinsmann, with youngsters fresh off their gold medal-winning performance at the Asian Games in the fold. South Korea, world No. 26, will host 29th-ranked Tunisia at 8 p.m. Friday at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul. It will be the first of two friendlies for South Korea this month, with Vietnam to follow next Tuesday. It will be South Korea's seventh match with Klinsmann

Oct. 12, 2023

S. Korea defeat Japan for 3rd straight men's football gold

HANGZHOU, China -- South Korea captured a record third straight Asian Games men's football gold medal Saturday in China, rallying past Japan 2-1 after conceding an early goal. Midfielder Jeong Woo-yeong scored his tournament-best eighth goal to level the score at 1-1, and forward Cho Young-wook netted the eventual winner in the second half at Huanglong Sports Centre Stadium in Hangzhou. Coached by Hwang Sun-hong, South Korea's under-24 squad went undefeated in the competition, with t

Oct. 7, 2023

S. Korea faces off with Japan in men's football final; female archers set for gold

South Korea will meet its archrival Japan in the men's football final at the 19th Asian Games on Saturday, the last step toward the ultimate goal of the third straight gold medal. The gold medal match between South Korea and Japan will take place at 8 p.m. at Huanglong Sports Centre Stadium in Hangzhou, China. It will be the final stage for the South Korean football team to extend its winning streak to three. The country has topped the podium of men's football for two straight Asiads s

Oct. 6, 2023

PSG's Lee Kang-in 'proud' of teammates for clinching knockout berth without him

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Lee Kang-in said Friday he was "proud" of his South Korean teammates at the Asian Games in China, having belatedly joined the team after the young Taegeuk Warriors handily won their first two group stage matches. Lee arrived in the Asiad host city of Hangzhou on Thursday, hours before South Korea defeated Thailand 4-0 in their second Group E match. This came on the heels of a 9-0 rout of Kuwait to open the tournament Tuesday. Lee, who had missed the two e

Sept. 22, 2023

Klinsmann to return to S. Korea after Europe trip following schedule change

Jurgen Klinsmann, beleaguered head coach of the South Korean men's national football team, is set to return to Seoul this week after a recent European trip following a last-minute schedule change, officials said Wednesday. The Korea Football Association (KFA) announced Klinsmann will return to South Korea with the rest of the home-based members of the national team Thursday afternoon. The Taegeuk Warriors played two friendly matches in Europe this month, with a goalless draw against Wales l

Sept. 13, 2023

[Graphic News] English, Saudi clubs’ spending fuels record year for overseas transfers: FIFA

Spending by English and Saudi Arabian clubs fueled a record-setting year for soccer’s international transfer market, which reached highs in deals done, money spent and agent fees, FIFA said. FIFA's analysis of male players moving between member countries from June through Sept. 1 counted 10,125 transfers, $7.36 billion spent by clubs and almost $700 million paid to intermediaries representing players and clubs. English clubs spent almost $2 billion — while recouping $956 million

Sept. 12, 2023

Beleaguered S. Korea football coach Klinsmann looking to end drought vs. Saudi Arabia

Besieged by criticism over his questionable commitment to the job and lack of tactical expertise, Jurgen Klinsmann will try to grab his first win as head coach of the South Korean men's national football team this week in England. South Korea, ranked 28th, will take on world No. 54 Saudi Arabia at St. James' Park in Newcastle at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday (local time), or 1:30 a.m. Wednesday. In five matches under Klinsmann, South Korea have had three draws and two losses. This is the longest w

Sept. 11, 2023

Top defender sees need to develop chemistry with new faces on nat'l team

With the South Korean men's national football team unable to get past Wales in their latest friendly match, defender Kim Min-jae thinks the players need more time to develop cohesion. Kim played the full 90 minutes of South Korea's goalless draw against Wales in Cardiff on Thursday. The Bayern Munich center back tried to look on the brighter side of things, saying, "I think it was good for us not to concede any goals in such a tough match." On the other hand, the draw left So

Sept. 8, 2023

Klinsmann chalks up string of insipid performances to generation shift

Winless after five matches as head coach of the South Korean men's national football team, Jurgen Klinsmann says he is still pleased with the team's progress on his watch as the program undergoes a generation change. Following a goalless draw against Wales in Cardiff on Thursday, Klinsmann attributed a run of uninspiring matches to a transition and a growing process in South Korean football. He also kept taking the long view toward the 2024 Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup, which

Sept. 8, 2023

S. Korea play Wales to goalless draw, remain winless under Klinsmann

South Korea played Wales to a goalless draw in their latest men's football friendly match on Thursday in Cardiff, as their winless streak under head coach Jurgen Klinsmann stretched to five matches. The first meeting between world No. 28 South Korea and 35th-ranked Wales generated few sparks at Cardiff City Stadium in the Welsh capital. The Taegeuk Warriors now have three draws and two losses under Klinsmann, who was named South Korea's bench boss in late February. This was South Korea

Sept. 8, 2023

Another uninspiring performance keeps Klinsmann winless as S. Korea coach

The fifth time didn't prove to be the charm for Jurgen Klinsmann and his South Korean men's national football team, as another anemic showing by the Taegeuk Warriors left the German tactician winless after five matches in charge. The team's latest match resulted in a goalless draw against Wales in Cardiff on Thursday. South Korea barely threatened to score at Cardiff City Stadium in the Welsh capital, while their defense got caught napping a couple of times to allow the home team

Sept. 8, 2023

Captain Son Heung-min comes to Klinsmann's defense amid remote work criticism

With his beleaguered national team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann facing criticism over his remote work, South Korea captain Son Heung-min believes there's more to Klinsmann's work habits than meets the eye. Son came to the German-born coach's defense after South Korea and Wales ended in a goalless draw in Cardiff on Thursday (local time). The result extended Klinsmann's winless streak as South Korea's bench boss to five matches, with three draws and two losses. Klinsmann a

Sept. 8, 2023

[Graphic News] UEFA Champions League group-stage draw results

The draw for the group stage of this season’s UEFA Champions League took place at a ceremony in Monaco on Sept. 1. The Champions League is an elite club competition with top clubs across the continent playing for the right to be crowned the European champions. Manchester United and Bayern Munich will meet in a clash of giants in Group A. Meanwhile, Group F with Milan, Dortmund, Newcastle and Paris Saint-Germain, where Lee Kang-in plays, form a group of death. The UEFA Champions League grou

Sept. 8, 2023

S. Korea captain Son Heung-min determined to lead with action, not words

Son Heung-min, captain for both the South Korean men's national team and Tottenham Hotspur, says he wants to lead his charges with action, instead of words. The Taegeuk Warriors will need plenty of action from Son, as they try to win their first match under head coach Jurgen Klinsmann this month. Son and his boys in red will take on Wales in Cardiff at 7:45 p.m. Thursday local time, or 3:45 a.m. Friday South Korean time. Then they will play Saudi Arabia in Newcastle, England, at 5:30 p.m. n

Sept. 7, 2023

S. Korea looking to win early Olympic qualifying event on home soil

South Korea will try to please their home supporters and win their group in an early Olympic men's football qualifying tournament, head coach Hwang Sun-hong said Tuesday. Starting Wednesday, South Korea will host Group B action at the 2024 Asian Football Confederation U-23 Asian Cup qualifying tournament. South Korea's under-22 team will play Qatar on Wednesday, Kyrgyzstan on Saturday and Myanmar next Tuesday. All three matches will kick off at 8 p.m. at Changwon Football Center in the

Sept. 5, 2023

Spurs captain Son Heung-min scores hat trick

Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur has completed his fourth career hat trick in the Premier League, earning his first goals of the new season in style. Son netted three goals in a 5-2 rout of Burnley at Turf Moor in Burnley, England, on Saturday. This was Spurs' fourth match of the 2023-2024 season, and Son, who was named captain before the start of this campaign, had been held goalless in three previous contests before this trifecta. Son's previous hat trick came almost exactly a year

Sept. 3, 2023

S. Korean striker Hwang Ui-jo loaned to second-tier English club

Having been unable to find his footing with the Premier League side Nottingham Forest, South Korean international Hwang Ui-jo will get a fresh start with the second-tier club Norwich City. Norwich City announced on their website on Saturday that they have acquired Hwang on loan from Nottingham Forest for the rest of this season. Hwang first signed with Forest in August 2022 but was immediately loaned to Olympiacos FC in Greece, with both teams owned by the Greek shipping magnate Evangelos Marina

Sept. 2, 2023

Klinsmann proud of Son Heung-min, Kim Min-jae as 'ambassadors of Korean football'

South Korea head coach Jurgen Klinsmann is now linked to his two best players on the men's national football team in more ways than one. Klinsmann, one of the world's premier strikers in the 1990s, spent the latter part of his club career with Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League and Bayern Munich in his native Germany. Those two clubs now employ two South Korean stars. Longtime South Korea captain Son Heung-min was given Tottenham's armband before the start of the 2023-24 seas

Aug. 21, 2023