▲ Players warm up during a training session of the men's national football team held at the Toyota Sports Center in Nagoya on the 3rd.
The men's national football team, aiming for its fourth consecutive gold medal at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, has entered its final tactical drills in a cheerful atmosphere to secure a victory in its opening match.
Led by head coach Lee Min-sung, the squad underwent practical training today (the 13th) at a training ground in Nagoya, Japan, gearing up for their first Group D match against Qatar.
After assembling on the 1st at the Korea Football Center in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, with a roster centered on domestic league players, the team departed for Japan on the 6th. They conducted a pre-tournament camp in Shizuoka until the day before yesterday, where overseas-based players joined the squad.
Having arrived in Nagoya, the battleground, yesterday and taking a breather with a light recovery session, the Lee Min-sung squad has now officially begun full adaptation to the local environment.
Except for Lee Young-jun, who has yet to join the team after his club Grasshopper reversed its permission for his release, all 22 players on the roster stepped onto the training pitch.
Yang Min-hyuk, who recently caused concerns due to injury reports, also completed the training without any issues, showing nimble movements.
The players began with jogging and warm-ups, followed sequentially by footwork drills, passing games, and rondo sessions to sharpen their match fitness.
Though it has been only about a week since the team became complete with the arrival of overseas-based players, the atmosphere at the training ground was bright and energetic.
Loud shouts echoed across the pitch from the start of the session, and players continuously encouraged one another by calling out fighting spirit and words of praise.
When mistakes occurred during training, they showed composure by sharing light jokes to ease the tension.
Claiming its status as a powerhouse in Asian football, South Korea has won every men's football tournament at the Asian Games starting from the 2014 Incheon Games up to the 2023 Hangzhou Games, achieving three consecutive titles.
In this tournament's men's football competition, 15 countries are divided into four groups to play the group stage first.
Groups A, B, and C consist of four countries each, while Group D, to which South Korea belongs, features three countries.
The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinals knockout stage to determine the champion.
South Korea will play its opening group match against Qatar the day after tomorrow.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※
Copying, redistribution, and unauthorized use in AI training are strictly prohibited.