South Korea vs Palestine
The first international break of the season is upon us, with both the Nations League and the World Cup 2026 Asian qualifiers set to commence this week.
The Nations League will begin on Friday, whilst the third round of the World Cup Asian qualifiers starts a day earlier.
In Group B, South Korea and Palestine kick things off at the Seoul World Cup Stadium in what promises to be a thrilling affair as both teams look to start on the right foot.
The Lions of Canaan—who have made it to the final round of the qualifiers for the first time in history—aren’t favoured to advance according to the SBOTOP World Cup 2026 odds, but will nonetheless put up a fight against the Taeguk Warriors.
Talking Points
SoKor pin their hopes on Hong Myung-bo
The South Korean national football team are one of the most successful in the continent in terms of international achievements and the calibre of players they produce that have made a name for themselves in Europe or elsewhere.
However, the Taeguk Warriors are in the midst of a crisis that has left them scrambling, not just for good results on the pitch but off of it as well.
It was only in the recent past that the Korea Football Association (KFA) axed former manager Jurgen Klinsmann for his major shortcomings in the Asian Cup, culminating in Jordan knocking the two-time champions out of the tournament.
But a lot of fans didn’t even vouch for the appointment when KFA president Chung Mong-gyu hired Klinsmann in February of last year.
That’s why the embarrassment at the Asian Cup is also largely on the head of Chung, who, despite shouts of resignation, is looking to extend his term as head of the KFA once again.
After sacking Klinsmann, the KFA had a couple of caretaker managers in matches against Singapore, Thailand and China before turning to Hong-Myung bo.
But the drama doesn’t end here. According to World Cup 2026 news, Chung was heavily criticised for hiring Hong given the fact that the 55-year-old manager didn’t even want the job in the first place.
The manager promised fans of Ulsan Hyundai—the club whom he won back-to-back K League 1 titles with—that he wouldn’t leave his position for a national call-up.
At the same time, the KFA also ignored its own vetting process to hire Hong, with reports saying that the original plan was to hire a foreign coach. That’s why it came as a shock when it was announced that Hong will be the one to lead the team moving forward.
This will be Hong’s second tenure as South Korea’s manager. He once held the position during the 2014 World Cup and resigned after failing to get out of the group stages.
Palestine are chasing history
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, then you are all too familiar with the ongoing war in Gaza.
It is horror and madness on an unprecedented scale. But despite this unfortunate situation, the Palestine football team remain steadfast in accomplishing something bigger and greater than themselves.
Although Australia dealt them a 5-0 defeat in the final match of the Asian qualifiers’ second round, their two wins and two draws were enough for them to finish second in Group I, which means a final round of qualification awaits them.
The Palestinians are currently playing their home matches abroad (Kuwait and Qatar) because their home ground has been damaged due to the war.
The Palestine Football Association (PFA) is also in the middle of a lengthy discussion with FIFA to have Israel suspended from international matches because of the destruction they have imposed on Palestine.
In the unlikely event that they qualify for the World Cup, it will be a historic first for the squad and will surely be one of the most inspirational stories in the sporting world.
History
Thursday’s showdown will be the first time South Korea and Palestine will meet each other.
The Taeguk Warriors boast an impressive line-up, which include Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in, Kim Min-jae and Hwang Hee-chan. All of which play in Europe’s finest leagues. SoKor have also amassed a total of 20 goals in the World Cup Asian qualifiers so far. Only Japan (24) and Australia (22) have more.
Meanwhile, the Lions of Canaan sit at 96th in the FIFA rankings—good enough to bypass the first round of the qualifiers. Their star striker, Oday Dabbagh, became the first player from the West Bank to play in an elite European League after signing for Belgian side Royal Charleroi back in 2021.
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