Asian Cup delay means more uncertainty for Korean football

The Asian Football Confederation announced on Tuesday that the Asian Cup would move from January to December 2027, leaving Korea’s national team without the tournament that was expected to help determine interim coach Robert Moreno’s future. The postponement followed missile strikes in Saudi Arabia and removes a planned high-pressure test of Moreno before the Korea Football Association decides whether to retain him. It also leaves questions about the team’s direction and reported divisions among players unresolved.

Korea was due to play Yemen in Jeddah on Jan. 10, just weeks before the tournament was scheduled to begin.

Moreno was appointed in September through the end of November and was given six games to demonstrate his ability; four had produced two wins, one draw and one loss.

Korea’s last Asian Cup title came in 1960.

The team’s remaining two games under Moreno’s initial arrangement are against Saudi Arabia and Qatar in Qatar later in November.

Captain Son Heung-min is 34, and the article says he is slowing down; it also reports divisions among senior players over the team’s direction.

Published Nov 3, 2026 5:21 pm KST

Korean national football team interim head coach Robert Moreno looks on prior to an international friendly match between Korea and Uzbekistan at Yongin Mireu Stadium in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, Oct. 6. Yonhap

The postponement of the Asian Cup from January to December 2027 is not a surprise, but it does create issues for Korean football, adding more uncertainty to the national team.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) made the announcement on Tuesday. Saudi Arabia, the host nation, has come under attack from the Yemen-based Houthis. Missile strikes on airports and other targets in Riyadh, Jeddah and elsewhere meant that it was not the right time to host a major international football tournament.

The AFC made the right call with just weeks left before Korea was due to play against Yemen in Jeddah on Jan. 10. It, at least, ends the growing uncertainty and speculation around whether the tournament would go ahead and means that everyone has clarity — off the field at least. On it, the decision creates complications for the 24 participating teams, especially Korea. The Taeguk Warriors have an interim coach in charge. Robert Moreno was given the job in September until the end of November on an interim basis.

The Spanish coach was also given six games to show what he could do. Four of those have taken place already and saw wins against Ecuador and Uzbekistan, a draw with Venezuela and a loss against Uruguay. There are two games coming up later this month against Saudi Arabia and Qatar in Qatar.

The idea was that if Moreno performed well, then his contract would be extended to cover the Asian Cup, a tournament that Korea has not won since 1960. A good showing in Saudi Arabia would mean the former coach of Spain would get a longer deal and look toward qualification for the 2030 World Cup.

It is fairly safe to assume that Moreno would have been given an extended deal to cover the Asian Cup but now, there is no tournament for the coach to prove himself. It gives the Korea Football Association (KFA) a tough decision to make.

Given the disaster of the World Cup and the subsequent events in Korean football, it is important to have some stability around the national team and to start planning for the future.

Taking a few months to get the coaching appointment right was reasonable enough. The Asian Cup would have been the perfect chance to really look at how Moreno navigates a high-pressure tournament situation. Moreno's appointment also marked the end of a four-year cycle after the 2022 World Cup and the start of a new one.

Now though, nobody knows. Does the KFA keep Moreno on temporarily or does it give him the job on a long-term contract? What about the players?

Korean national football team captain Son Heung-min passes the ball during an international friendly match between Korea and Uzbekistan at Yongin Mireu Stadium in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, Oct. 6. Yonhap

Korean national football team captain Son Heung-min is now 34 and slowing down, the forward will not be any faster when he is 35. There are reported divisions within the team with some senior players wanting a change in direction, and a postponement could be a blessing in disguise. But perhaps the Asian Cup, when everyone is thrown together for a few weeks, could have helped sort everything out.

Everything is now up in the air, adding to the general uncertainty and instability around Korea’s national team.

亚洲足球联合会周二宣布，亚洲杯将从2027年1月延期至12月举行，这意味着韩国国家队将错过这项原本被认为有助于决定临时主教练罗伯特·莫雷诺未来去留的赛事。此次延期是由于沙特阿拉伯遭受导弹袭击，也使得韩国足协在决定是否留任莫雷诺之前，原本计划对他进行一次高压考验。此外，这也使得有关球队发展方向以及球员内部矛盾的疑问仍悬而未决。

韩国原定于1月10日在吉达与也门队进行比赛，距离锦标赛开幕仅几周时间。

莫雷诺于9月至11月底被任命，并被给予六场比赛来证明自己的能力；其中四场比赛的战绩为两胜一平一负。

韩国上一次获得亚洲杯冠军是在1960年。

根据莫雷诺最初的安排，球队剩余的两场比赛将于 11 月下旬在卡塔尔对阵沙特阿拉伯和卡塔尔。

孙兴慜队长今年 34 岁，文章称他状态下滑；文章还报道了队内老队员对球队发展方向存在分歧。

发布于2026年11月3日下午5:21（韩国标准时间）

10月6日，在京畿道龙仁市龙仁美乐体育场举行的韩国与乌兹别克斯坦国际友谊赛前，韩国国家足球队临时主教练罗伯特·莫雷诺在场边观战。（韩联社）

亚洲杯从2027年1月推迟到12月举行并不令人意外，但这确实给韩国足球带来了问题，也给国家队增加了更多的不确定性。

亚洲足球联合会（亚足联）周二宣布了这一消息。东道主沙特阿拉伯遭到也门胡塞武装的袭击。利雅得、吉达等地的机场和其他目标遭到导弹袭击，这意味着现在并非举办大型国际足球赛事的合适时机。

距离韩国队原定于1月10日在吉达对阵也门的比赛仅剩几周时间，亚足联做出了正确的决定。这至少结束了围绕该赛事能否如期举行的日益加剧的不确定性和猜测，意味着场外的情况已经明朗。但在场内，这一决定给24支参赛球队带来了新的挑战，尤其是韩国队。太极虎队目前由临时主教练执教。罗伯特·莫雷诺于去年9月被任命为临时主教练，任期至11月底。

这位西班牙教练还获得了六场比赛的时间来证明自己的能力。其中四场已经进行完毕，球队战胜了厄瓜多尔和乌兹别克斯坦，与委内瑞拉战平，负于乌拉圭。本月晚些时候，球队还将客场挑战沙特阿拉伯和卡塔尔。

当时的设想是，如果莫雷诺表现出色，他的合同就会延长，涵盖亚洲杯——韩国自1960年以来就未曾赢得过这项赛事。在沙特阿拉伯取得好成绩意味着这位前西班牙主教练将获得一份更长的合同，并着眼于2030年世界杯的参赛资格。

可以相当肯定的是，莫雷诺原本会获得一份续约合同，以执教亚洲杯，但现在，由于没有比赛可供他证明自己，韩国足协（KFA）面临着艰难的抉择。

鉴于世界杯的惨败以及随后韩国足球发生的一系列事件，国家队保持稳定并开始规划未来至关重要。

花几个月时间敲定教练人选是完全合理的。亚洲杯本应是检验莫雷诺如何在高压赛事中应对的绝佳机会。莫雷诺的任命也标志着2022年世界杯后四年周期的结束和新周期的开始。

但现在，谁也不知道答案。肯尼亚足协会暂时留住莫雷诺，还是会和他签一份长期合同？球员们又会作何反应呢？

10月6日，在京畿道龙仁市龙仁美乐体育场举行的韩国与乌兹别克斯坦国际友谊赛中，韩国国家足球队队长孙兴慜传球。（韩联社）

韩国国家足球队队长孙兴慜如今已34岁，速度有所下滑，这位前锋35岁时速度恐怕不会再更快了。据报道，队内存在分歧，一些老队员希望球队改变方向，而比赛延期或许是因祸得福。但也许亚洲杯能让所有队员齐聚一堂几周，从而有助于理清所有问题。

现在一切都悬而未决，这加剧了韩国国家队整体上的不确定性和不稳定性。