‘Captain’ Son Heung-min (LAFC) will spearhead the front line in the opener against the Czech Republic, with the fate of the 2026 North and Central America World Cup at stake.

The national team led by coach Hong Myung-bo will deploy a 3-4-3 formation, with Son Heung-min starting as the front-line striker, in the Group A opener against the Czech Republic on the 12th at Guadalajara Stadium in Mexico.

Son will use his speed as a weapon to target the slower defenders of the opposition from the front line, with Lee Jae-sung (Mainz) and Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) providing support on the left and right.

In midfield, Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord) and Baek Seung-ho (Birmingham City) will combine. Hwang is responsible for smooth build-up play, while Baek is tasked with using his high work rate to break the opposition press.

As expected, the defensive line will be a back three of Lee Ki-hyeok (Gangwon), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), and Lee Han-beom (Midtjylland). At left wing-back, Lee Tae-seok (Austria Wien) starts, ensuring his name is recorded as a second instance of a father and son appearing at a World Cup together with his father Lee Eul-yong.

The right flank belongs to the undisputed starter Seol Young-woo (Zvezda).

Between the posts, Kim Seung-gyu (Tokyo) gets the gloves, cementing himself as first-choice for a second consecutive World Cup after Qatar 2022.