S. Korea defeat China to wrap up 2nd round in World Cup qualification

SEOUL, Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Lee Kang-in scored for his second straight match, as South Korea defeated China 1-0 at home Tuesday to conclude the second round in the Asian qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Lee netted his 10th international goal in front of 64,935 fans at Seoul World Cup Stadium in the final Group C match of the second round in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) World Cup qualification. South Korea had already clinched the top spot in their group, and also a ticket to the third round, after beating Singapore 7-0 last Thursday. China, on the other hand, needed at least a draw to reach the third round without needing help from other teams. China hung tough for 60 minutes, frustrating South Korean attackers with their suffocating defense, before Lee finally broke the ice just past the hour mark. All 10 of Lee's goals have been in the past 15 matches. China were the more desperate side, but South Korea also had something to play for in this match. South Korea were tryin g to remain the third-highest ranked AFC team in the FIFA rankings, thus ensuring they would grab one of three seeds for the third round and avoid the continent's top two teams, Japan and Iran. Japan and Iran, currently at 18th and 20th, have locked down two seeds. South Korea came into Tuesday ranked 23rd, but only 0.06 point ahead of 24th-ranked Australia. The June rankings, to be unveiled later this month, will determine the seeding for the third round, where 18 qualifying teams from the second round will be drawn into three groups of six. Source: Yonhap News Agency