South Korea are Through to World Cup 2026 While Kuwait Miss Out

Korea Republic vs Kuwait

Following last night’s 2-0 win against Iraq, South Korea have officially booked their tickets to World Cup 2026 with one game to spare. Hong Myung-Bo’s men remain at the top of third-round Group B with 19 points, and they’re likely to stay there this international break alongside second-seeded Jordan. Meanwhile, Iraq, Oman, and Palestine will fight tooth and nail for the two spots in the fourth round of the Asia qualifiers.

Kuwait are officially eliminated from World Cup 2026 contention. Juan Antonio Pizzi’s side is coming off a 2-0 loss against Palestine yesterday, leaving them at the bottom of the group with only five points. Kuwait have nothing to play for when they visit South Korea at the Seoul World Cup Stadium this upcoming Tuesday except for pride since they haven’t won a match in the third round.

​Without further ado, here is today’s SBOTOP preview of the contest between South Korea and Kuwait.

 

Talking Points

South Korea add firepower amid Son’s injury status

South Korea recently confirmed the late call-up of Bae Jun-Ho to the national team squad for this international break. The Stoke City forward is expected to play against Kuwait, likely replacing Son Heung-Min, who remains hobbled by a nagging foot problem.

Despite not having Son, South Korea didn’t skip a beat against Iraq, who were reduced to 10 men after Ali Al-Hammadi received a straight red card in the 26th minute for his reckless challenge on defender Cho Yu-Min. After a scoreless first half, head coach Hong Myung-Bo brought Kim Jin-Kyu and Oh Hyeon-Gyu off the bench, and the two substitutes scored to give South Korea the 2-0 away victory.

As the team prepares for Kuwait, Hong Myung-Bo could stick to the same lineup he had against Iraq, with Oh Se-Hun, Lee Kang-In, Hwang Hee-Chan, and Lee Jae-Sung leading the way in the final third. However, given the way Kim Jin-Kyu and Oh Hyeon-Gyu played last time out, don’t be surprised if they get the starting nods over Park Yong-Woo and Oh Se-Hun.

 

Kuwait will fight for pride

Kuwait will not qualify for the World Cup because they have dropped too many points in the third round. Juan Antonio Pizzi’s men had too many draws, and now they’re on a two-game losing streak.

Just like in the previous matches, Kuwait didn’t have enough chances against Palestine, despite having more possession. They only had seven shots, which is only half of what Palestine had.

Kuwait actually started well, as Youssef Majed slipped through before cutting back for Ahmad Al Dhaferi, who failed to finish inside the box during the 11th minute. A few minutes later, Majed caught a lob from Jasem Al Mutar but couldn’t score against Palestine goalkeeper Rami Hamadeh. Tamer Seyam eventually broke the deadlock in the 32nd minute after a lovely cross from Oday Dabbagh, and Wessam Abou Ali put the final nail in the coffin by converting his penalty following Ahmad Zanki’s foul on Zaid Qunbar.

 

History

South Korea won 3-1 in their reverse fixture against Kuwait last November. Oh Se-Hun, Son Heung-Min, and Bae Jun-Ho scored for the Taeguk Warriors, while Mohammad Daham prevented a clean sheet for Al-Azraq.

Kuwait are on an eight-game winless run against South Korea (D1, L7) in all competitions. Their last win against the Taeguk Warriors was a 1-0 result last October 2000 during the group stage of the 2000 AFC Asian Cup, which Japan won. South Korea won the bronze medal in the continental tournament.

South Korea are gunning for their 11th consecutive World Cup berth. Their best finish in the World Cup was fourth place when they hosted it in 2002. On the other hand, Kuwait will have to wait longer to qualify for the World Cup, with their last (and only) one being in 1982. 

 

Betting Tip

The World Cup 2026 odds heavily back South Korea to beat Kuwait handily at home. The Taeguk Warriors are 1.09 favorites to win, whereas Al-Azraq are massive 14.00 underdogs, and a draw is at 6.40 in the 1X2 market.

South Korea should create new World Cup 2026 highlights against the visitors even if Hong Myung-Bo doesn’t have his best lineup on Tuesday. Besides our recommended bet, bettors can also go for Over 3.00 at 1.95 and Total Goal 4-6 at 2.65, with Total Goal 2-3 at 2.12 being the more conservative option. Moreover, a Correct Score of 3-1 in favor of the hosts – the result of their most recent encounter – could yield a healthy payday of 14.00 your bet.

   

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