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Agence France-Presse

Son Heung-min’s South Korea face Palestine while Japan host old rivals China when the third round of Asian qualifying kicks off on Thursday with the 2026 World Cup tantalisingly close.
The expanded 48-team World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico is looming into view.
The 18 remaining sides in Asia are divided into three groups of six and will play home and away fixtures, with the top two from each pool guaranteed a place at the World Cup.
South Korea will aim to put a turbulent year on and off the pitch behind them with a fast start against the Palestinians in Seoul in Group B.
Iraq, Oman, Kuwait and Asian Cup runners-up Jordan are the other sides in the group.
The Koreans are on their fourth coach of the year in the form of Hong Myung-bo, following the sacking of Jurgen Klinsmann in February and spells for two different caretaker managers.


Skipper Son will undoubtedly be the Koreans’ biggest threat but Hong is also looking to the future, giving a first call-up to exciting attacker Yang Min-hyeok.
The 18-year-old will join Son at Premier League Spurs in January.
“We won’t have much time to practise before these qualifying matches,” said Hong, who first coached South Korea at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where they went out in the group phase.
“For us to take the next step, we’ll have to work even harder, and it’s important to keep developing young talent in order to be more competitive at the World Cup.”
While the Koreans will expect to reach the World Cup for the 12th time, Palestine are making their debut at this stage of qualifying, despite the conflict in Gaza.
Under their Tunisian coach Makram Daboub, Palestine reached the knockout rounds of the Asian Cup for the first time at the start of this year.
Daboub’s side went down to Qatar in the last 16 and the hosts went on to beat Jordan in the final to retain their continental crown.

Qatar, the 2022 World Cup hosts, are in Group A and start the latest qualifying round home to the United Arab Emirates on Thursday.
Qatar and Iran will be favourites to qualify from a group that also includes Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and North Korea.
Group C looks much harder to call.
In the first round of matches in that group, Japan play China while Australia host Bahrain. Ambitious Saudi Arabia, under the Italian coach Roberto Mancini, welcome Indonesia to Jeddah.
Japan and Australia both sailed through the second qualifying round with maximum points and without conceding a goal.
Japan are the highest-ranked team in Asia at 18 in the world and under coach Hajime Moriyasu they beat Spain and Germany at the 2022 World Cup, before going out in the last 16 to Croatia on penalties.
In Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma, Japan have a player who looks back to his scintillating best and returns to the squad after a frustrating few months hindered by injury.
In contrast, China squeezed into the third qualifying round thanks to a superior head-to-head record over Thailand and have reached the World Cup only once, in 2002.

Their Croatian coach Branko Ivankovic warned that heavily fancied Japan will have a fight on their hands when the sides meet in Saitama.
“We’re not going to go into any game with our hands up,” he said.
The third qualifying round wraps up in June.
The sides that finish third and fourth in each group are still in the hunt for the 2026 World Cup and will go through to the fourth qualifying round.
South Korea’s run to the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup, which they co-hosted with Japan, remains the best performance of an Asian team in the history of the competition.


2026 World Cup qualifying: China’s fragile hopes face ultimate test in Japan rematch

World Cup 2026 qualifiers: New Zealand coach hails ‘amazing’ Chris Wood’s fine Forest form

Fifa World Cup 2026 qualifiers: Japan, South Korea face away tests on road to North America

World Cup 2026: Asian football body takes Bahrain concerns ‘seriously’ after death threats

Fifa World Cup 2026

World Cup 2026 in US, Canada and Mexico within reach as Asian qualifying ramps up

Skipper Son Heung-Min will undoubtedly be South Korea’s biggest threat when they take on Palestine, who are making their debut at this qualifying stage. Photo: Xinhua

Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma looks back to his best and returns to the Japan squad after a long injury break. Photo: EPA-EFE

China’s Croatian coach Branko Ivankovic (right) says Japan will have a fight on their hands against his team. Photo: Xinhua

World Cup 2026: Zhan Jun urges China to use Georgia as role model in Asian ‘Group of Death’

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (centre) scores Georgia’s first goal in their 2-0 upset of Portugal at Euro 2024 - a feat a football expert feels China can emulate against Asia’s best. Photo: Xinhua

Zhan Jun, who has more than 17 million Weibo followers, says Bahrain and Indonesia should not be underestimated. Photo: Handout

China should be able to pick up at least four points in their games in front of home fans, Zhan says. Photo: Xinhua

World Cup 2026: China drawn with Japan, Australia, Saudi Arabia for next qualifying round

Former internationals Shinji Okazaki of Japan (second from left) and  Mehdi Mahdavikia of Iran (right) help conduct the draw in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday. Photo: AFP

Mahdavikia selects Indonesia to join Group C with Australia, Bahrain, China, Japan and Saudi Arabia. Photo: AFP

China coach Branko Ivankovic (centre) said the tough group was “something we expected”. Photo: AFP

Okazaki holds up South Korea’s name to join Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman and Palestine in Group B. Photo: AFP

South Korea’s failed hunt for sacked Jurgen Klinsmann’s successor lifts lid on deeper issues in domestic game

South Korea failed to qualify for the Olympic Games for the first time  in 40 years after their penalty shoot-out defeat by Indonesia. Photo Xinhua

Son Heung-min with Jurgen Klinsmann during an Asian Cup qualifier against Singapore last year. Photo: Reuters

KFA president Chung Mong Gyu was elected an AFC executive committee member last week. Photo: EPA-EFE

Kim Do-hoon will lead South Korea on an interim basis against Singapore and China. Photo: Lion City Sailors

South Korea’s best World Cup was in 2002, when they reached the last four under Guus Hiddink. Photo: Reuters

China has another new men’s football coach as Branko Ivankovic replaces axed Aleksandar Jankovic

Croatian coach Branko Ivankovic on the sidelines for Oman during the Asian Cup. Photo: AFP

Aleksandar Jankovic (right) was unable to produce an upturn in results for the China team. Photo: Xinhua

New Jersey to host 2026 Fifa World Cup final at MetLife Stadium

MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey will host the Fifa World Cup final on July 19. Photo: Reuters 

Sport

Football

Giants Japan and South Korea face China and Palestine, respectively, while Asian champs Qatar host UAE as final 18 teams vie for 6 spots


Giants Japan and South Korea face China and Palestine, respectively, while Asian champs Qatar host UAE as final 18 teams vie for at least 6 spots.
