Hong Myungbo's Squad Arrives at 44-Degree Decisive Venue in Iraq by Bulletproof Bus

Even a Draw Against Iraq in the Early Hours of the 6th Secures a Spot in the World Cup Finals

The team led by coach Hong Myungbo has arrived in Iraq, the site of the decisive match, to secure their 11th consecutive qualification for the World Cup finals.

The South Korean national soccer team arrived at Basra Airport in Iraq on the 3rd (Korean time) and is on the move. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

The Korea Football Association announced on the 3rd that the South Korean national soccer team, led by coach Hong Myungbo, arrived at Basra Airport in Iraq on a chartered flight at 11 p.m. on the 2nd.

South Korea is scheduled to play their ninth match of Group B in the third round of Asian qualifiers for the 2026 North and Central America World Cup against Iraq at Basra International Stadium at 3:15 a.m. on the 6th. Afterward, the team will return to Korea to play the final match of the third qualifying round against Kuwait at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 10th.

Currently, South Korea is leading with 16 points (4 wins, 4 draws), ahead of Jordan with 13 points and Iraq with 12 points.

Even a draw in this away match against Iraq will immediately secure South Korea’s 11th consecutive qualification for the World Cup finals.

According to the association, when the squad arrived in Basra, it was around 5 p.m. local time on the 2nd, and the temperature was 44 degrees Celsius. The players took a brief commemorative photo in front of a welcome banner from the Korean Embassy in Iraq and then headed straight to their accommodation. The squad traveled in two bulletproof buses, escorted by security vehicles and police.

Of the 26 players participating in this away match, Kwon Kyungwon and Won Dujae (both at Khorfakkan), Cho Yoomin (Sharjah), and Park Yongwoo (Al Ain), who play in the Middle East, arrived in Iraq ahead of the rest of the team.

Lee Kangin, who won the UEFA Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain in France, is scheduled to arrive in Basra on the morning of the 3rd local time. Once Lee Kangin joins, the national team will hold their first full-squad training session at 3 a.m. on the 4th (9 p.m. local time on the 3rd).

The association explained that since daytime temperatures can reach up to 45 degrees Celsius and remain at 35 degrees even in the evening, training sessions are being scheduled as late as possible.