South Korea captain Son Heung-min of Los Angeles FC will look to score his 60th international goal when the national soccer team faces Saudi Arabia in the first of its final two friendlies of 2026.
Led by interim coach Robert Moreno, South Korea will face Saudi Arabia at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, Qatar, at 11:30 p.m. Friday. South Korea is ranked 32nd in the latest FIFA rankings released in October, while Saudi Arabia is 55th.
Moreno, whose contract expires Nov. 27, was initially expected to be evaluated based on the team's performances in four friendlies in September and October and two matches in November before a decision was made on whether he would lead South Korea at the Asian Cup, originally scheduled for January.
However, with the Asian Cup postponed by about 11 months to December next year, Moreno's future has become uncertain, and the upcoming friendlies are increasingly likely to be his final matches in charge.
The postponement has also left South Korean players with less immediate motivation heading into the two matches against Saudi Arabia on Nov. 13 and Qatar on Nov. 17.
Nevertheless, the national team cannot afford to take the friendlies lightly. South Korea must use the two matches as an opportunity to regain the trust of disappointed fans.
After failing to reach the round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, the national team struggled with cohesion during its September and October friendlies. A controversy involving possible retirements by three players born in 1996 -- Hwang Hee-chan of Schalke, Hwang In-beom of Porto and Kim Min-jae of Bayern Munich -- further damaged its standing.
The players now face the challenge of delivering performances worthy of South Korea's reputation as one of Asia's leading soccer nations.
The squad demonstrated renewed determination during its first full-team training session in Doha on Tuesday.
Much of the attention surrounding the upcoming friendlies will focus on the chemistry between captain Son and the group of players born in 1996.
Son scored his 59th international goal with a free kick against Uzbekistan on Oct. 6, breaking the South Korean men's national team scoring record he had shared with former national team coach Cha Bum-kun, who scored 58 goals in 136 appearances.
Son's next objective is to reach the 60-goal milestone in one of South Korea's two remaining matches this year.
The ideal scenario would see the players born in 1996 create scoring opportunities for their captain.
Moreno is expected to retain the 4-4-2 formation he has used since taking charge.
Son is likely to occupy one of the two striker positions, with Hwang Hee-chan and Lee Kang-in of Atletico Madrid operating on the wings and Hwang In-beom directing play from midfield.
Fans will be hoping to see Son finish chances created by Hwang In-beom's incisive passes and Hwang Hee-chan's crosses from the flanks.
A strong understanding between Son and the veteran players born in 1996, whose relationships recently showed signs of strain, could help restore enthusiasm among supporters frustrated by the national team's disappointing performances.
(This article was produced with the assistance of AI. — Ed.)
