Robert Moreno, the new interim head coach of the South Korea national soccer team, unveiled a 30-man roster for the upcoming four international matches scheduled for September and October. While key overseas players retained their positions, several K League players made their debut with the national team.
Moreno held a press conference on September 14 at Korea Football Park in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, where he announced his first squad following his appointment on September 1. This decision came after two weeks of assessing players.
The roster includes all core overseas players, led by captain Son Heung-min (LAFC), along with Lee Kang-in (Atletico Madrid), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), and Hwang Hee-chan (Schalke 04). The attacking lineup also features European-based players such as Oh Hyun-kyu (Beşiktaş), Cho Gue-sung (Midtjylland), and Song Min-kyu (Nacional).
Notably, 12 of the 30 players are from the K League. Jeong Seung-won, who has scored eight goals and provided six assists this season, returns to the national team after more than a year. Alongside Jeong, FC Seoul's goalkeeper Ko Seung-yun and defender Choi Jun also made the list.
Three players celebrated their first call-up to the senior national team: midfielder Kim Min-soo (Rangers), born in 2006, midfielder Park Tae-jun (Gimcheon Sangmu), and defender Kim Geon-hee (Incheon United).
However, Lee Seung-woo (Jeonbuk Hyundai), who had been mentioned as a potential returnee, was not included in this roster.
Yang Hyun-jun (Celtic), Bae Jun-ho (Stoke City), Eom Ji-sung (Swansea City), and Lee Gi-hyuk (Gangwon FC) were excluded due to their participation in the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi and Nagoya. Jens Castrop (Borussia Mönchengladbach) is absent due to injury.
Moreno will lead the team for a total of six international matches, including these four games and two more in November. His contract includes a provision for extension based on the performance and evaluation of these matches leading up to the AFC Asian Cup in January 2027 in Saudi Arabia.
Moreno's squad will face Ecuador on September 24 at Suwon World Cup Stadium, followed by a match against Uruguay on September 28 at Seoul World Cup Stadium. The team will then play Venezuela on October 2 at Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium and Uzbekistan on October 6 at Yongin Mir Stadium. Two additional matches are also scheduled for November.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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