Korea beat Iraq 3-2 in thrilling World Cup qualifier

Korea triumphed over Iraq with a score of 3-2 in a thrilling 2026 World Cup qualifier held at Yongin Mireu Stadium on Tuesday, marking their third consecutive victory under new head coach Hong Myung-bo

Korea's Oh Se-hun, second from left, celebrates with his teammates during a 2026 World Cup qualifer against Iraq at Yongin Mireu Stadium in Yongin, Gyeonggi on Tuesday. [YONHAP]

YONGIN, Gyeonggi — Korea beat Iraq 3-2 in a 2026 World Cup qualifier at Yongin Mireu Stadium in Yongin, Gyeonggi on Tuesday, breaking the deadlock with two goals in the second half to reclaim their lead and win their third straight match under new manager Hong Myung-bo.

Korea ended the first half 1-0 and conceded the equalizer in the early minutes of the second half, but scored two goals and secured the win despite Iraq’s final effort in stoppage time.

Striker Oh Se-hun started in lieu of Joo Min-kyu, who lacked impact against Jordan last week. Fellow striker Oh Hyeon-gyu, however, did not make it into the starting XI despite his goal against Jordan.

Bae Jun-ho also started as a left winger in the absence of Hwang Hee-chan and Eom Ji-sung, who both sustained injuries during the qualifier against Jordan, benching replacements Lee Seung-woo and Moon Seon-min.

Bae seemed to fit in the lineup, displaying good positioning skills in the early going and recording a shot in the third minute. His agile movements forced the Iraqi defenders to shift to a more aggressive stance.

The midfield was cohesive around central midfielder Hwang In-beom, who made contributions both in defense and attack. He provided well-timed passes to the front and even attempted a mid-range shot himself, although none of those efforts turned into the opening goal.

Oh Se-hun possessed the ball a few times, but failed to latch on crosses properly to create a chance in front of goal.

The Taeguk Warriors controlled possesion, eventually breaking through in the 41st minute when Oh tapped in a ball from Bae inside the penalty area to open the scoring.

That goal marked Oh’s first national team goal and Bae’s first assist for the senior squad in his first start for Korea.

But Iraq quickly leveled the playing field, with Aymen Hussein scoring an over-head kick goal in the 50th minute. Multiple defenders including Kim Min-jae were unable to snatch the ball in the penalty area before Hussein found the opportunity.

Iraq's Aymen Hussein kicks the ball during a 2026 World Cup qualifer against Korea at Yongin Mireu Stadium in Yongin, Gyeonggi on Tuesday. [YONHAP]

Two substitutes Moon and Oh Hyeon-gyu, who came on in the second half, then proved that Hong made the right call.

Moon broke through defense from the left flank to get the ball to the penalty box that Oh tapped in to reclaim Korea’s lead in the 75th minute. That goal was Oh’s second straight goal for Korea after his first against Jordan last week.

Veteran midfielder Lee Jae-sung also scored his second consecutive goal for Korea in the 83rd minute, capitalizing a tidy cross with a flying header to make it 3-1.

Lee’s goal still didn’t suck the life out of Iraq, with Ibrahim Bayesh scoring in stoppage time through a header from a corner kick that ended the game at 3-2.

Tuesday’s win moves Korea three points clear of No. 2 Iraq in Group B. The victory comes despite the absence of regular captain Son Heung-min, who is out with an injury.

Tuesday’s fixture wraps up the October international break for Korea, with the third round of qualifiers continuing in November and through next year.

Korea need to finish the third round of qualifiers as Group B winners or runners-up, as only the top two teams from the three groups in Asia directly qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

The Taeguk Warriors have secured three wins and one draw in the third qualifying round under Hong, who took the helm in July.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]