World Cup within Reach as Asian Qualifying for 2026 Ramps Up

Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur reacts after the English Premier League soccer match between Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur in Newcastle, Britain, 01 September 2024. (EPA)
Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur reacts after the English Premier League soccer match between Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur in Newcastle, Britain, 01 September 2024. (EPA)
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World Cup within Reach as Asian Qualifying for 2026 Ramps Up

Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur reacts after the English Premier League soccer match between Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur in Newcastle, Britain, 01 September 2024. (EPA)
Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur reacts after the English Premier League soccer match between Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur in Newcastle, Britain, 01 September 2024. (EPA)

Son Heung-min's South Korea face Palestine while Japan host old rivals China when the third round of Asian qualifying kicks off on Thursday with the 2026 World Cup tantalizingly close.

The expanded 48-team World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico is looming into view.

The 18 remaining sides in Asia are divided into three groups of six and will play home and away fixtures, with the top two from each pool guaranteed a place at the World Cup.

South Korea will aim to put a turbulent year on and off the pitch behind them with a fast start against the Palestinians in Seoul in Group B.

Iraq, Oman, Kuwait and Asian Cup runners-up Jordan are the other sides in the group.

The Koreans are on their fourth coach of the year in the form of Hong Myung-bo, following the sacking of Jurgen Klinsmann in February and spells for two different caretaker managers.

Skipper Son will undoubtedly be the Koreans' biggest threat but Hong is also looking to the future, giving a first call-up to exciting attacker Yang Min-hyeok.

The 18-year-old will join Son at Premier League Spurs in January.

"We won't have much time to practice before these qualifying matches," said Hong, who first coached South Korea at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where they went out in the group phase.

"For us to take the next step, we'll have to work even harder, and it's important to keep developing young talent in order to be more competitive at the World Cup."

While the Koreans will expect to reach the World Cup for the 12th time, Palestine are making their debut at this stage of qualifying, despite the conflict in Gaza.

Under their Tunisian coach Makram Daboub, Palestine reached the knockout rounds of the Asian Cup for the first time at the start of this year.

Daboub's side went down to Qatar in the last 16 and the hosts went on to beat Jordan in the final to retain their continental crown.

Qatar, the 2022 World Cup hosts, are in Group A and start the latest qualifying round home to the United Arab Emirates on Thursday.

Qatar and Iran will be favorites to qualify from a group that also includes Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and North Korea.

- Mitoma threat -

Group C looks much harder to call.

In the first round of matches in that group, Japan play China while Australia host Bahrain. Ambitious Saudi Arabia, under the Italian coach Roberto Mancini, welcome Indonesia to Jeddah.

Japan and Australia both sailed through the second qualifying round with maximum points and without conceding a goal.

Japan are the highest-ranked team in Asia at 18 in the world and under coach Hajime Moriyasu they beat Spain and Germany at the 2022 World Cup, before going out in the last 16 to Croatia on penalties.

In Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma, Japan have a player who looks back to his scintillating best and returns to the squad after a frustrating few months hindered by injury.

In contrast, China squeezed into the third qualifying round thanks to a superior head-to-head record over Thailand and have only reached the World Cup once, in 2002.

Their Croatian coach Branko Ivankovic warned that heavily fancied Japan will have a fight on their hands when the sides meet in Saitama.

"We're not going to go into any game with our hands up," he said.

The third qualifying round wraps up in June.

The sides that finish third and fourth in each group are still in the hunt for the 2026 World Cup and will go through to the fourth qualifying round.

South Korea's run to the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup, which they co-hosted with Japan, remains the best performance of an Asian team in the history of the competition.



Wimbledon Tennis Tournament Replaces Line Judges with Technology

(FILE) - A line judge follows the action on Centre Court during the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, Britain, 30 June 2016 (re-issued 09 October 2024). EPA/HANNAH MCKAY
(FILE) - A line judge follows the action on Centre Court during the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, Britain, 30 June 2016 (re-issued 09 October 2024). EPA/HANNAH MCKAY
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Wimbledon Tennis Tournament Replaces Line Judges with Technology

(FILE) - A line judge follows the action on Centre Court during the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, Britain, 30 June 2016 (re-issued 09 October 2024). EPA/HANNAH MCKAY
(FILE) - A line judge follows the action on Centre Court during the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, Britain, 30 June 2016 (re-issued 09 October 2024). EPA/HANNAH MCKAY

Wimbledon is replacing line judges with electronic line-calling, the latest step into the modern age by the oldest Grand Slam tennis tournament.
The All England Club announced Wednesday that technology will be used to give the “out” and “fault” calls at the championships from 2025, eliminating the need for human officials to make them, The Associated Press reported.
Wimbledon organizers said the decision to adopt live electronic line calling was made following extensive testing at the 2024 tournament and “builds on the existing ball-tracking and line-calling technology that has been in place for many years.”
“We consider the technology to be sufficiently robust and the time is right to take this important step in seeking maximum accuracy in our officiating,” said Sally Bolton, chief executive of the All England Club. “For the players, it will offer them the same conditions they have played under at a number of other events on tour.”
The move makes the French Open the only Grand Slam tournament without some form of electronic line-calling. The Australian Open and US Open already had eliminated line judges and only have chair umpires on court.
Line judges at Wimbledon were dressed in famously elegant uniforms and, for traditionalists, were part of the furniture at the All England Club.
Bolton said Wimbledon had a responsibility to “balance tradition and innovation.”
“Line umpires have played a central role in our officiating set-up at the championships for many decades,” she said, "and we recognize their valuable contribution and thank them for their commitment and service.”
Line-calling technology has long been used at Wimbledon and other tennis tournaments to call whether serves are in or out.
At the US Open, there has been no line judges — and only chair umpires — since 2021, with Hawk-Eye Live electronic line-calling used for all courts.
The All England Club also said Wednesday that the women's and men’s singles finals will be scheduled to take place at the later time of 4 p.m. local time on the second Saturday and Sunday, respectively — and after doubles finals on those days.
Bolton said the moves have been made to ensure the day of the finals "builds towards the crescendo of the ladies’ and gentlemen’s singles finals, with our champions being crowned in front of the largest possible worldwide audience.”