South Korea Qualifies for FIFA World Cup Finals for 10th Consecutive Time (Comprehensive)

A Great Achievement Achieved by Only Five Countries... Eleventh World Cup Finals
Securing the Fifteenth Trip to Qatar Thanks to Goals by Kim Jin-su and Kwon Chang-hoon

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Korean football has qualified for the World Cup finals for the 10th consecutive time.

The national football team, led by head coach Paulo Bento, secured a 2-0 victory on the 1st in the afternoon (Korean time) against Syria in the eighth match of Group A in the 2022 Qatar World Cup Asian final qualifying round held at Rashid Stadium in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The goals came from Kim Jin-su (Jeonbuk) with a header in the 53rd minute and Kwon Chang-hoon (Gimcheon) with an additional goal in the 71st minute. With this sixth win (and two draws) in the final qualifiers, the team recorded 20 points. Even if they lose the remaining two matches, they have secured at least second place in Group A, confirming their spot in the Qatar World Cup finals. In the Asian final qualifiers for the Qatar World Cup, the first and second place teams from Groups A and B advance directly to the finals. The third-placed teams compete in a playoff. The winner of this playoff faces the fifth-placed team from the South American qualifiers in an intercontinental playoff for the final spot in Qatar.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Korea has maintained an undefeated streak in this final qualifying round, marking their 10th consecutive appearance in the World Cup finals from the 1986 Mexico tournament to the 2022 Qatar tournament. This is a great achievement accomplished by only five countries worldwide. Brazil, the record five-time champion, has qualified for 22 consecutive World Cup finals from the first tournament in Uruguay in 1930 to this year's Qatar tournament. Germany (including former West Germany) and Italy, each with four titles, have participated in 18 (1954?2022) and 14 (1962?2014) consecutive World Cup finals, respectively. Argentina has a streak of 13 (1974?2022), and Spain has 12 (1978?2022) consecutive appearances.

Following them, Korea has qualified for the World Cup finals eleven times in total, including their first participation in the 1954 Switzerland tournament. Additionally, Korea became the fifteenth country to secure a spot in Qatar. The countries that have already qualified include host nation Qatar, and the group winners from the European qualifiers: Serbia, Spain, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Croatia, England, and Germany; the top two from the South American qualifiers: Brazil and Argentina; and Iran from Group A of the Asian qualifiers. The tournament will be held from November 21 to December 18 across eight stadiums in five cities including Doha, competing for the championship.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Coach Bento chose a 4-4-2 formation with Hwang Ui-jo (Bordeaux) and Cho Gue-sung (Gimcheon) as the two forwards. Jung Woo-young (Freiburg) and Lee Jae-sung (Mainz) were positioned on the left and right flanks, while Baek Seung-ho (Jeonbuk) and Hwang In-beom (Kazan) managed the midfield. The defensive line consisted of Kim Jin-su, Kim Young-gwon (Ulsan), Kim Min-jae (Fenerbah?e), and Kim Tae-hwan (Ulsan). Goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu (Kashiwa Reysol) guarded the net. Although the team dominated ball possession, they failed to mount effective attacks throughout the first half. Instead, they faced two close calls that made them breathe a sigh of relief. In the 10th minute, Omar Khribin’s header following Mahmoud Al Mawas’s free kick went into the goal but was ruled offside. In the 24th minute, Kim Jin-su’s back pass to Kim Seung-gyu was intercepted by Al Mawas, who tried to score with his right foot but narrowly missed the goal.

At the start of the second half, Coach Bento substituted Jung Woo-young with Kwon Chang-hoon to add attacking options. Maintaining high ball possession, the team finally broke through in the 53rd minute. Kim Tae-hwan delivered a cross from the right flank, and Kim Jin-su leapt up on the left side of the goal to head the ball in. Riding the momentum, the team scored an additional goal in the 71st minute. Kwon Chang-hoon, exchanging passes with Lee Jae-sung on the right flank, struck a left-footed mid-range shot from the right side of the penalty area, shaking the opponent’s net. In the final moments, Hwang Ui-jo and Lee Jae-sung were replaced by Kim Geon-hee (Suwon) and Kim Jin-kyu (Busan) to maintain the two-goal lead.