Son Heung-min's move to MLS hasn't slowed him down — and at his fourth World Cup, the 33-year-old will again be the axis around which South Korea's entire tournament revolves.
The Taeguk Warriors arrive in North America with a squad that's more European-seasoned than any they've taken to a World Cup before. Bayern Munich's Kim Min-jae anchors the defence. PSG's Lee Kang-in provides the creative spark. Feyenoord's Hwang In-beom runs the midfield engine. This isn't a team built around one name — but they do still need Son to deliver on the biggest stage.
How deep can they actually go?
The 2022 Round of 16 run was a genuine step forward after back-to-back group stage exits in 2014 and 2018. Brazil ended it there, as Brazil tends to do. The question for 2026 is whether Hong Myung-bo's side can get past that ceiling.
The squad structure gives reasons for optimism. Min-jae's partnership with Sharjah's Yu-min Cho at centre-back is solid enough to contain most attackers at this level. Wolves' Hwang Hee-chan and Birmingham's Paik Seung-ho add Premier League-tested steel through the middle and wide areas. Stoke's Bae Jun-ho and Celtic's Yang Hyun-jun give the bench genuine coverage rather than just names.
Up front, Oh Hyeon-gyu has been clinical for Besiktas this season — a proper number nine who can hold the line when Son drifts into wider channels. Cho Gue-sung at Midtjylland offers the physical alternative: aerial presence, high pressure, someone to throw on if you need a goal.
The predicted XI and what it tells you
Hong's likely setup in a 4-2-3-1 formation:
- GK: Kim Seung-gyu
- RB: Seol Young-woo
- CB: Kim Min-jae
- CB: Cho Yu-min
- LB: Lee Tae-seok
- DM: Paik Seung-ho
- DM: Hwang In-beom
- RW: Son Heung-min
- AM: Lee Jae-sung
- LW: Lee Kang-in
- ST: Oh Hyeon-gyu
What that shape tells you: this is a team built to press high, transition fast, and create through Son and Kang-in's movement. Hwang In-beom is the quarterback — when he's on form, South Korea look a completely different side. When he's off, the team tends to go long and hope.
The 2002 semi-final run will forever be the benchmark. That squad had home advantage, extraordinary collective belief, and some genuinely contentious refereeing decisions along the way. This one has better individual quality. Whether that translates into a comparable run depends heavily on the draw — and on Son producing the tournament of his life at what is almost certainly his last chance.
