HONG KONG, 18 March 2025 (BSS/AFP) – Japan have the opportunity to become the first team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup this week, while Son Heung-min will look to shake off his struggles at Tottenham Hotspur by leading South Korea to the finals.
Asian nations will compete in two rounds of matches this week, on Thursday and Tuesday, as the qualification process for the expanded 48-team tournament in North America nears its crucial stage.
Japan can secure their place in the World Cup with three qualifying games still to play, should they defeat Bahrain at home in Saitama on Thursday. Even if they falter, it appears to be only a matter of time before they clinch their spot, with a home match against Saudi Arabia scheduled for next week.
Hajime Moriyasu’s side currently hold a nine-point lead over Australia at the top of Group C, having won five of their six games in this phase of qualification, scoring 22 goals and conceding just two.
Moriyasu has named a full-strength squad, including Liverpool’s Wataru Endo and Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma, although he acknowledged that several other players also deserved call-ups.
“There are many players showing their abilities both in the J. League and in Europe who wouldn’t look out of place in this squad,” he said.
The third round of the Asian qualifiers features three groups, with the top two teams from each group securing automatic spots in the World Cup. Japan sit comfortably on 16 points, with four matches remaining, but the race for second place in the group is still tightly contested.
Australia have seven points, while Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and China all have six.
Indonesia go Dutch
Australia, who are missing several players due to injury, will host Indonesia on Thursday in Sydney, with the latter’s squad now under the management of Barcelona and Dutch football legend Patrick Kluivert. Indonesia, aiming to reach the World Cup for the first time since gaining independence in 1945, have recruited numerous players born in the Netherlands and added Kluivert as coach in January, with Jordi Cruyff also joining as a technical advisor.
Meanwhile, South Korea are well on track to qualify, with home victories over Oman and Jordan set to secure their spot at the 2026 World Cup.
Son Heung-min, South Korea’s captain, has faced challenges with fitness and form in the Premier League this season, having scored just seven goals for Spurs, who are currently languishing in the lower half of the table. However, the 32-year-old remains a key figure for South Korea, with 51 goals in 131 appearances.
“There has been a lot of discussion regarding his recent form, including his goal tally,” said South Korea’s coach, Hong Myung-bo. “However, we must not forget everything he has accomplished so far.”
South Korea have been dealt a setback with the loss of Bayern Munich’s centre-back Kim Min-jae to an Achilles tendon injury. Despite this, South Korea currently top Group B with 14 points, ahead of Iraq, who are likely to secure second place with 11 points. Jordan sit third with nine points.
Iraq’s next matches are against Kuwait and Palestine, the bottom two teams in the group.
In Group A, Iran lead the standings with 16 points from six games, ahead of Uzbekistan on 13 points and the United Arab Emirates on 10. Qatar, who won the Asian Cup on home soil just 13 months ago, are fourth with seven points.
Even if these teams finish outside the top two in their respective groups, their World Cup hopes are not over, as the third and fourth-placed teams from each group will proceed to another round of qualifying.
Related Information:
The 2026 World Cup qualification process is highly competitive, with several strong Asian teams vying for a place in the expanded tournament. Japan’s near-guaranteed qualification highlights their dominance in the region, while South Korea’s pursuit of a spot emphasises the importance of Son Heung-min’s leadership despite his club struggles. The expanded World Cup will offer more opportunities for countries like Iraq, Indonesia, and Qatar to make their mark on the world stage.