The South Korean national soccer team, currently seeking a new head coach, will play friendly matches against Venezuela and Uzbekistan during the October international window.
According to the Korea Football Association, the team will face Venezuela on October 2 and Uzbekistan on October 6. The specific locations and kickoff times for these matches have yet to be determined.
This schedule follows changes to the FIFA international match window regulations, which now allow for a four-match format. FIFA has reduced the number of international match weeks from five to four annually to alleviate the physical burden of long-distance travel on players and to ensure adequate training time for tactical development following the 2026 North and Central America World Cup.
As a result, the international matches in September and October have been consolidated and expanded into a 16-day window (late September to early October), allowing the national team to play four consecutive matches during a single call-up. The opponents for the two friendlies in September are currently being finalized.
Venezuela, ranked 47th by FIFA, finished eighth in the South American qualifiers for the World Cup and did not qualify for the tournament. South Korea last faced Venezuela in September 2014 in Bucheon, where they won 3-1 with a multi-goal performance from Lee Dong-gook.
Uzbekistan is ranked 60th by FIFA and made its World Cup debut but lost all three matches in the group stage. South Korea has a strong historical record against Uzbekistan, with 11 wins, 4 draws, and 1 loss. Their most recent encounter was a 4-0 victory in a friendly match in Brisbane, Australia, in November 2018.
The head coach position for the national team is currently vacant following Hong Myung-bo's resignation after the team's failure to advance past the group stage in the World Cup. Therefore, the upcoming four-match series in September and October is likely to be managed by an interim coach. The football association plans to announce details regarding the appointment of a new head coach as soon as they are finalized.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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