Japan and South Korea Aim to Secure Spots at the 2026 World Cup

This week, Japan has the chance to become the first Asian nation to secure a spot in the 2026 World Cup, while Son Heung-min will look to bounce back from his Tottenham troubles by leading South Korea to qualification.

Asian teams will engage in two rounds of matches on Thursday and the following Tuesday as the qualification process for the expanded 48-team tournament in North America reaches a critical stage.

If all goes according to plan, Japan can clinch their World Cup berth with three qualifying matches remaining by defeating Bahrain at home in Saitama this Thursday.

Even in the event of a setback, it’s likely only a matter of time until they confirm their place in the tournament across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, as they have another home fixture scheduled against Saudi Arabia next week.

Under the guidance of Hajime Moriyasu, Japan enjoys a comfortable nine-point lead over Australia at the summit of Group C, having won five and drawn one of their six qualifiers while netting 22 goals and conceding just two.

Moriyasu has selected a full-strength squad, captained by Liverpool’s Wataru Endo and Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma, noting that there are numerous other players worthy of selection.

“There are a plethora of players demonstrating their talents in the J. League and Europe who would fit seamlessly into this squad,” he commented.

The third round of Asian qualifying for 2026 features three groups, with the top two teams from each group advancing directly to the World Cup.

Japan currently sits comfortably on 16 points with four matches left to play, but the race for the second qualifying berth from the group remains tight among five teams.

Australia holds seven points, while Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and China all sit on six points.

The Socceroos, missing several injured players, will host Indonesia in Sydney on Thursday, with the visitors led for the first time by Dutch legend Patrick Kluivert, who made his name at Barcelona.

Indonesia has leaned significantly on Dutch footballing expertise as they strive for their maiden World Cup appearance since gaining independence from the Netherlands in 1945.

The team has recently recruited around a dozen players born in the Netherlands and appointed Kluivert as coach in January, with Jordi Cruyff joining as technical adviser.

Meanwhile, South Korea is on course for qualification and can secure their place in the 2026 World Cup with home victories against Oman and Jordan.

The 32-year-old Son Heung-min has faced challenges with fitness and form in the Premier League this season, netting seven goals for Spurs, who find themselves in the lower half of the table.

Nonetheless, he remains South Korea’s key player, boasting an impressive tally of 51 goals in 131 appearances.

“There have been numerous discussions about his recent performance and goal count,” said coach Hong Myung-bo.

“However, we must not overlook everything he has achieved to date.“

South Korea has suffered a setback with the absence of Bayern Munich centre-back Kim Min-jae, who is sidelined due to an Achilles tendon injury.

Currently, South Korea leads Group B with 14 points, while Iraq, likely to secure second place, sits on 11 points and Jordan trails in third with nine points.

Iraq will next face Kuwait and Palestine, who occupy the bottom two positions in the group.

In Group A, Iran tops the standings with 16 points from six matches, followed by Uzbekistan with 13 and the United Arab Emirates with 10.

Qatar, the reigning Asian Cup champions, are fourth with seven points.

Even if they fail to finish in the top two, their World Cup aspirations remain alive, as the teams finishing third and fourth in the three groups will progress to another round of qualifying.