0
Lee Min-sung, head coach of the national men's football team for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. / Photo courtesy of the Korea Football Association

South Korea, seeking its fourth consecutive Asian Games men's football title, has been drawn into Group D alongside Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

According to the group draw conducted by the Asian Games Organising Committee on July 23, South Korea, led by head coach Lee Min-sung, was placed in Group D with Saudi Arabia and Qatar. A total of 15 nations will compete in men's football at this year's tournament. Groups A through C each consist of four teams, while Group D comprises three teams, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the quarterfinal knockout stage.

Being placed in a three-team group affords South Korea the advantage of playing one fewer group stage match, though it faces the burden of competing against Saudi Arabia and Qatar, both top-tier Asian sides. South Korea will face Qatar on September 15 and Saudi Arabia on September 22.

"Both Saudi Arabia and Qatar have proven their competitiveness on the Asian stage," Coach Lee remarked. "We will do our utmost to deliver strong performances and positive results starting right from the group stage."

Meanwhile, the national squad features nine overseas-based players including Bae Jun-ho (Stoke City), Yang Min-hyuk (Tottenham Hotspur), and Kim Ji-soo (Brentford), alongside 14 K League players. Yang Hyun-jun (Celtic), Eom Ji-sung (Swansea City), and Lee Ki-hyuk (Gangwon FC) joined the roster as wild card selections.

                                                                                                         Cheon Hyun-bin