Hong Myung-bo's bold gamble with Son Heung-min on the bench: Oh Hyeon-gyu and Hwang Hee-chan named to start [2026 World Cup]

[Financial News] In a do-or-die match that could decide South Korea's fate in reaching the World Cup knockout stage for only the second time in its history, head coach Hong Myung-bo unveiled a blockbuster starting lineup that shook up the entire setup. He handed captain Son Heung-min of LAFC a new role as a substitute and made a sweeping change by placing the young Oh Hyeon-gyu of Beşiktaş JK at the center of the attack.
The South Korea national football team under Hong Myung-bo revealed its starting lineup 90 minutes before kickoff against South Africa in the final Group A match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which begins at 10 a.m. on the 25th Korea time at Monterrey Stadium in Mexico.
The most shocking change was, without question, the captain's place on the bench.
Son Heung-min, who had been isolated up front throughout the tournament and had burned through a great deal of energy, was left out of the starting XI. Instead, Oh Hyeon-gyu, who has been in fine scoring form after netting the dramatic winner against the Czech Republic in the opening match, was given the responsibility of leading the line in his first World Cup start. Hwang Hee-chan of Wolverhampton Wanderers, known for his aggressive dribbling, was deployed on the left in place of Lee Jae-sung, forming a completely new attacking trio with the creative Lee Kang-in of PSG on the right.

The familiar 3-4-2-1 formation built around a solid back three was kept intact. Hwang In-beom of Feyenoord Rotterdam and Paik Seung-ho of Birmingham City continued to anchor the midfield, while the defensive line of Lee Han-beom of FC Midtjylland, Kim Min-jae of FC Bayern Munich and Lee Ki-hyuk of Gangwon FC lined up together for a third straight match.
Kim Seung-gyu of FC Tokyo, despite his mistake in the previous match against Mexico, retained Hong's full trust and kept his place in goal.
To maximize width and pace on the flanks, Seol Young-woo of Red Star Belgrade was moved back to his natural position at right wingback, while Lee Tae-seok of Austria Vienna, the son of Lee Eul-yong, was surprisingly inserted on the left to rebuild the team's high-speed lanes.

South Korea, currently second in Group A with one win and one loss for three points, can secure second place with even a draw against South Africa. That would send the team to Los Angeles, the home of Son Heung-min and a pilgrimage site for 300,000 Korean residents, for a highly anticipated round-of-32 clash with Canada, the Group B runner-up.
If South Korea slips to third place and advances as a wild card, the team would face a much tougher path, heading to Boston or Seattle and potentially meeting global title contenders such as Germany much earlier than expected.
jsi@fnnews.com Jeon Sang-il Reporter