South Korea captain Son Heung-min will be used sparingly in their World Cup qualifiers against Iraq and Kuwait as he builds up his match fitness following his return from a foot injury, coach Hong Myung-bo said on Monday.
South Korea, who lead Group B by three points, face Iraq in Basra on June 5 before returning home for their final qualifier of the third round against Kuwait five days later.
The Koreans will qualify for their 11th successive World Cup if they avoid defeat by Iraq, who last month appointed former Australia boss Graham Arnold as their head coach.
Son has been dealing with the injury for the past two months and was restricted to a substitute’s appearance in Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-0 win over Manchester United in the Europa League final.
“He and I have not yet discussed exactly how much he will play. But my staff and I already know all about his drive and his desire to play,” Hong told reporters.
“Since we have two matches coming up (to try to qualify for the World Cup), I will not push him too hard. Once we get to Iraq, we will decide which of the two matches we will focus on.”
The 56-year-old said Son’s experience would be invaluable in Iraq even if he does not play.
“We will probably play in a hostile environment in front of partisan fans,” he added.
“We have some players who have had experience playing in these situations. It’s something we should keep in mind going into the stadium for this match.”
South Korea coach says Son won’t be pushed too hard in 2026 qualifiers
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South Korea coach says Son won’t be pushed too hard in 2026 qualifiers
- The Koreans will qualify for their 11th successive World Cup if they avoid defeat by Iraq, who last month appointed former Australia boss Graham Arnold as their head coach
Saudi Cup place available in Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques qualifier at King Abdulaziz Racecourse
- Last year’s winning jockey Joel Rosario back to ride for Prince Faisal bin Khaled bin Abdulaziz
RIYADH: Joel Rosario will aim for back-to-back wins in the Group 3 SR1,500,000 ($400,000) Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup — a qualifier for the 2026 Saudi Cup — aboard Ameerat Alzamaan (GB) at King Abdulaziz Racecourse on Saturday.
The US-based Dominican rider is one of several high-profile jockeys booked to appear this weekend on a glittering card, with Christophe Soumillon, Mickael Barzalona and Danny Tudhope all jetting into Riyadh and taking on the likes of local champion Adel Alfouraidi.
Rosario scooped the 1,800m trial 12 months ago aboard Rattle N Roll (US) for trainer Kenny McPeek, but will this time don the Red Stable silks of Prince Faisal bin Khaled bin Abdulaziz to partner last year’s 1000 Guineas and Fillies’ Mile winner after she recently bolted up in the domestic G3 Prince Sultan Ben Abdulaziz Cup.
The winner of six of her seven starts is one of four Red Stable representatives, along with last year’s second and third — Wait To Excel (GB) and Wootton’sun (FR) — while El Jabartee (IRE) completes the quartet looking to qualify for the $20 million showpiece on Feb. 14.
Soumillon and Barzalona both compete for the White Stable of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz aboard Lionel (US) and Michael Scofield (US), who recently fought out the finish to the domestic G2 Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz Cup, with Camilio Ospina on globally Listed King Saud Cup hero Haqeet (US).
Trainer Thamer Aldaihani and owner Sheikh Abdullah Homoud Almalek Alsabah have four runners with their jockey Ricardo Ferreira electing to partner last year’s 2000 Guineas winner and Saudi Derby third Mhally (GB).
Also in the 20-strong field is Scotland Yard (US), who was second on his recent comeback under Alfouraidi, having disappointed when strongly fancied for this race in 2025 before bouncing back to score in the Tuwaiq Cup on Saudi Cup weekend.
There are three other qualifiers for Saudi Cup weekend on Saturday, with Aldaihani and his jockey-owner combination responsible for unbeaten and top-rated Al-Haram (IRE) in the SR465,000 2000 Guineas — a Saudi Derby qualifier — and 19 will go to post in the 1000 Guineas, won last year by Ameerat Alzamaan.
The qualifier for the Obaiya Arabian Classic, the G3 SR165,000 Al-Dareyah Cup, has drawn a field of 12 headed by the Nasser Mutlaq-trained Turki Al-Khalediah II (KSA), while 18 will go on trial in the SR165,000 Riyadh Dirt Sprint Qualifier sponsored by Nova.
Earlier in the weekend, an additional four qualifiers are staged on Friday, when the turf course is swung into action. The highlight of this is the SR1,000,000 Listed Prince Khalid Abdullah Cup, in which one runner will secure a gate in the newly upgraded G1 Neom Turf Cup presented by Howden on Saudi Cup day.
Last year’s winner Bolide Porto (IRE) returns for the White Stable and Ospina, and he was most recently seen taking third behind the UK import Candyman Stan (IRE) for the Al-Ghuraban Stable and runner-up Monsieur Jumbo (FR) in a course-and-distance open last month.
The card opens with the SR165,000 1351 Turf Sprint Qualifier sponsored by Saudia, in which Barzalona holds excellent claims for the White Stable aboard French import Cacofonix (IRE) after he ran second on his Riyadh debut to the Red Stable representative Zefzaf (US), who will be partnered by Rosario, on Dec. 19.
Race two is the SR165,000 Red Sea Turf Qualifier sponsored by Baden Galopp and BBAG Sales and White Stable have a big chance here with the hat-trick-seeking Sayyah (US) under Naif Alanazi, with the four-year-old switching to the grass and attempting 3000m for the first time.
The final Friday qualifier is the SR165,000 Al-Mneefah Qualifier sponsored by SHG, in which the lightly raced Adeeb Al-Shahania (FR) is turned out quickly after an excellent fourth to the exciting Nadem Al-Molwk Al-Khalediah (KSA) in the G1 Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Cup last weekend.
Old rivals Baseq And Bake (US) and Jade De Faust (FR) will again do battle on Friday, with the Purebred Arabian pair heading 11 runners in the G3 SR150,000 Sprint Championship over 1200m.
Returning to Saturday, and enormous prize money of SR5,000,000 is up for grabs in both the King Abdulaziz Cup over 1,600m for Purebred Arabian Horses and the domestic G1 King Abdulaziz Cup for three-year-olds, which sees Red Stable runner Thayaf (KSA) bid to maintain an unbeaten sequence after landing all three starts under Ferreira.
There is a further domestic G1, too, with 12 declared for the SR1,500,000 Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup for local breeds, in which hat-trick seeking Badr Alsamawi (KSA) tops the ratings, having been fifth in last season’s Saudi Derby.
