The South Korea national soccer team, currently without a head coach, has finalized its schedule for four international friendlies in September and October.
The Korea Football Association announced on August 5 that the team will face Ecuador and Uruguay in friendly matches to be held domestically in September.
The first match against Ecuador is set for September 24, just before the Chuseok holiday, followed by a game against Uruguay on September 28. This will be followed by previously scheduled matches against Venezuela on October 2 and Uzbekistan on October 6, totaling four friendlies.
The specific venues and times for these matches have yet to be determined and will be announced later.
Currently, the national team is without a formal head coach. Hong Myung-bo stepped down after the team was eliminated in the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and the Korea Football Association has decided to conduct the September and October friendlies under an interim coaching arrangement until a new head coach is appointed.
Ecuador, South Korea's first opponent in September, is ranked 25th in the FIFA rankings, ahead of South Korea, which is ranked 32nd. Ecuador's strong defense allowed only five goals in 18 matches during the South American qualifiers, finishing second behind Argentina to secure a spot in the World Cup. In the group stage, they advanced to the knockout round after defeating Germany in their final match but were eliminated by the host nation, Mexico.
South Korea has a record of one win and one loss against Ecuador, with their most recent encounter in May 2010 at the Seoul World Cup Stadium, where South Korea won 2-0.
Uruguay, South Korea's second opponent, is a traditional powerhouse in South American soccer, currently ranked 20th by FIFA. However, they finished third in their group during the World Cup, behind Spain and Cabo Verde, failing to advance to the knockout stage.
South Korea has struggled against Uruguay historically, with a record of 1 win, 2 draws, and 7 losses in 10 matches. They have faced Uruguay three times in World Cup tournaments (1990 in Italy, 2010 in South Africa, and 2022 in Qatar) without a victory, recording 1 draw and 2 losses. In their most recent match in March 2023 at the Seoul World Cup Stadium, South Korea lost 2-1.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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