SEOUL– South Korea released squad numbers for their players at the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar on Tuesday, with captain Son Heung-min getting his usual No. 7.
The Korea Football Association (KFA) confirmed shirt numbers for the country’s 26 players, set to compete at the quadrennial tournament that kicks off on the weekend. South Korea’s first match in Group H, against Uruguay, is Nov. 24.
Son, the Tottenham Hotspur star named to his third straight World Cup team, will don No. 7 for the second consecutive tournament. He wore No. 9 in Brazil in 2014.
Among other returnees from 2018, goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu will once again wear No. 1, but fellow goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo switched from No. 23 to No. 21. Jo’s teammate at Ulsan Hyundai FC, defender Kim Tae-hwan, will have No. 23 on his back instead.
Center back Kim Young-gwon will play with No. 19 on his back for the second straight World Cup. Left back Hong Chul will also have the same number as 2018, No. 14.
Midfielder Hwang Hee-chan will don No. 11 once again, while another midfielder, Lee Jae-sung, switched from No. 17 to No. 10.
Of the 26 players, 18 have been named to the World Cup squad for the first time.
As of Tuesday, 25 players have arrived in Doha. Son, who is recovering from a facial injury following a collision with an opposing player during a match earlier this month, is scheduled to land in Qatar early Wednesday.
The following is the full list of the numbers for South Korean players, in numerical order:
Goalkeepers: Kim Seung-gyu (1), Song Bum-keun (12), Jo Hyeong-woo (21)
Defenders: Yoon Jong-gyu (2), Kim Jin-su (3), Kim Min-jae (4), Hong Chul (14), Kim Moon-hwan (15), Kim Young-gwon (19), Kwon Kyung-won (20), Kim Tae-hwan (23), Cho Yu-min (24)
Midfielders: Jung Woo-young (5), Hwang In-beom (6), Son Heung-min (7), Paik Seung-ho (8), Lee Jae-sung (10), Hwang Hee-chan (11), Son Jun-ho (13), Na Sang-ho (17), Lee Kang-in (18), Kwon Chang-hoon (22), Jeong Woo-yeong (25), Song Min-kyu (26)
Fowards: Cho Gue-sung (9), Hwang Ui-jo (16)
Source: Yonhap News Agency