When Will South Korea-Japan Matches Take Place in Team Ball Sports?

South Korea will compete in six team ball sports with both men's and women's national teams participating at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games: baseball and softball, football, basketball, volleyball, handball, and hockey.

As the Asian Games are being held in Japan for the first time in 32 years, interest in South Korea-Japan matchups has grown even higher.

Handball and hockey, featuring top-tier players from both countries, are receiving the most attention among ball sports in this tournament.

In particular, the winners of the men's and women's hockey tournaments secure direct tickets to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, making those competitions expected to be the most fiercely contested.

First, in men's handball, if South Korea finishes in the top two of Group B, they will face teams from Group A (3rd and 4th place) in the quarterfinals for a spot in the semifinals.

Since Japan is expected to take 1st or 2nd place in Group A, a South Korea-Japan match can only be anticipated after the semifinals.

In women's handball, which features a round-robin format with seven teams, the final match against Japan on the 27th will effectively serve as the gold medal decider.

The South Korean team is eager to exact revenge on Japan's home turf for their 10-goal loss in the final of the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games held in 2023.

The men's hockey team will play its final Group A preliminary match against Japan on the 28th.

As they must finish within the top two of their group to advance to the semifinals, it is a must-win game.

The women's hockey team is placed in a different group from Japan, meaning a South Korea-Japan match would only take place after the semifinals.

Both the South Korean men's and women's hockey teams are aiming for dual medals.

If the baseball team, led by Manager Ryu Ji-hyun, defeats Taiwan to claim 1st place in Group B, they will play the Super Round 1st match on the 25th against Japan, who is heavily favored to top Group A.

If they overcome Japan, the baseball team is likely to advance to the final and face Taiwan or Japan again for the gold medal.

The softball team, aiming for its first-ever Asian Games medal, will face strong title contender Japan on the 30th.

The men's basketball team defeated a Japanese squad missing many of its key players 100-83 in their Group A preliminary match on the 13th, and will play Jordan in the quarterfinals on the 16th.

If South Korea and Japan survive until the end, they will meet again in the final.

For women's basketball, the possibility of a South Korea-Japan match can only be determined by looking at their standings after the preliminary round.

For men's and women's volleyball, where South Korea and Japan are placed in different groups, the occurrence of a South Korea-Japan match will similarly depend on the preliminary results.

In football, where North Korea has dispatched athletes, both inter-Korean matches and South Korea-Japan matches will take place.

The men's football team, aiming for its fourth consecutive title, is placed in Group D, meaning matches against Japan from Group A and North Korea from Group B would only happen after the semifinals based on the tournament bracket.

The women's football team will immediately face North Korea in their third Group F preliminary match on the 21st.

South Korea defeated Myanmar 5-0 in their first preliminary match held on the 14th, while North Korea routed Bangladesh 10-0.

If Japan finishes 1st in Group E and South Korea finishes 2nd in Group F, and both pass the quarterfinals, they will clash in the semifinals.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.