"Spoiler on the field" is a combination of "field report" and "Spotal Korea," and it is a segment that vividly captures the away game of Hong Myung-bo, the South Korean national team who is seeking to advance to the World Cup finals for 11 consecutive times. This time, the team will play two consecutive games of Kuwait and Palestine, which will determine the success of advancing to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North Korea and China, and deliver information that is not easily accessible such as local trends, training and games. <Editor's note>
Kuwait is truly Son Heung-min (32, Tottenham Hotspur) syndrome.
The South Korean national team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, convened all of its players at Abdullah Al Khalifa Stadium in Kuwait City, Kuwait, at 11 p.m. on the 12th (Korea Standard Time) and began to quench for the away game of Group B of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 World Cup against Kuwait on the 14th.
On the previous day, the advance team, excluding some overseas players, including captain Son Heung-min, stepped on Kuwait first. Following the arrival of Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) and Lee Hyun-joo (Hanover 96) on the morning of the 12th, Son Heung-min (FK Tsurvena Zvezda) and Oh Hyun-kyu (KRC Genk), the team is fully equipped.
In the first training session on Friday without Son, the focus was on recovery and conditioning. Excluding officials who are busy preparing for the 26th Arabian Gulf Cup, which will be held at the end of this year, the stadium was somewhat quiet.
Above all, Kuwaiti is a country where more than 70 percent of the population is made up of foreign workers. "I have no time to watch soccer as I am so busy making ends meet," a local said with a bitter smile. The team that even uses Abdullah Al Khalifa Stadium as its home stadium is Al Yarmouk, a club belonging to Kuwait Division One (minor league). The popularity of soccer is relatively low.
I thought so, but I changed my mind in a day. When news broke that Son Heung-min joined the training, everyone gathered at the stadium. Due to the lack of strict security, a fan came into the media center where reporters were waiting and asked, "Can I see the training in person?" When the fan informed me that the training was private, the disappointed fan went out to the parking lot and paced around the parking lot where the national team bus was built.
There were situations in which he couldn't laugh. An employee who appeared to be involved in the stadium said, "It is Korea's No. 1" when he looked at the reporters with drinks such as water at the media center. Kuwait was a kind of self-inflicted joke that it cannot beat Korea anyway.
I was also able to meet a Korean who is believed to be a Korean citizen. Especially eye-catching was a foreign child waiting in Son Heung-min's Tottenham uniform. The child was excited to see Son Heung-min, and the accompanying parents were busy stopping the excited child.
Son's name was also heard in a taxi traveling to cover the news. When the driver who identified himself as a native of Egypt heard that Korea will play at the World Cup this week, he asked, "Is Son (Son) also in Kuwait?" and could not hide his surprise.
Meanwhile, the national team also exuded a friendly atmosphere, led by Son who returned from injury. After arriving in Kuwait from London, the U.K., Son was classified into the recovery and tactical training group to check his physical stamina. "It is important to see Son in good health," Hong Myung-bo told reporters on Sunday. "It is a courtesy to send players back in good health." 먹튀검증