The South Korean national football team, under the leadership of skipper Son Heung-min, demonstrated their prowess with a resounding 3-0 victory over China in their second match of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The match, held in Shenzhen, saw a crowd of over 40,000 spectators who witnessed the dominance of the South Korean team from the beginning.
Son, the star forward and captain, was instrumental in the win, contributing two goals in the first half. He opened the scoring with a well-taken penalty in the 11th minute, following a foul on Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Hwang Hee-chan. The Tottenham Hotspur forward then doubled the lead with an intelligent header from a corner just before half-time, sending the ball into the far corner of the net.
The South Korean team’s superiority was evident throughout the match, with a series of attacks that put the Chinese defense under constant pressure. Cho Gue-sung narrowly missed a header, and Hwang In-beom’s direct free-kick was a close call, barely missing the goal.
China had a chance to level the score shortly before the break, with Tan Long missing a vital opportunity. This miss proved costly, as Son extended the lead for South Korea with his second goal.
The second half saw continued dominance by the South Koreans, with China’s Zhu Chenjie making a crucial goal-line clearance to prevent a third goal. However, their efforts were in vain as South Korea sealed the victory in the final minutes with a powerful header from Jung Seung-hyun, following another assist from Son.
The victory places South Korea at the top of Group C with six points, following their emphatic 5-0 win against Singapore in the previous match. Under the guidance of coach Jurgen Klinsmann, the team showcased a style and finesse reminiscent of their performance in the 2022 World Cup, where they reached the last 16.
In other matches of the Asian World Cup qualifiers, North Korea secured a 6-1 win against Myanmar, and Tajikistan triumphed over Pakistan with the same scoreline. Upcoming fixtures include Australia vs. Palestine in Kuwait, Japan vs. Syria in Jeddah, and India hosting Qatar. The top two teams from each of the nine groups will advance to the final stage of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup set to be held in North America.
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