[Nagoya AG] Eom Ji-sung's Decisive Goal... Korean Football Defeats Japan for Unprecedented Fourth Consecutive Asian Games Title

Eom Ji-sung Secures 1-0 Victory with 61st-Minute Goal
Military Service Exemption for 20 Players, Including Eom Ji-sung and Bae Jun-ho
Eom Ji-sung Crowned Top Scorer and Top Assist Provider with Four Goals and Four Assists

The South Korean under-23 (U-23) national football team has achieved an unprecedented fourth consecutive Asian Games men's football championship.

Led by head coach Lee Min-sung, South Korea secured a 1-0 victory over Japan in the men's football final at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held on the 3rd at Toyota Stadium in Japan, thanks to the decisive goal scored by Eom Ji-sung in the 16th minute of the second half.

With this, South Korea has claimed the top spot for the fourth consecutive time, following the 2014 Incheon, 2018 Jakarta-Palembang, and 2022 Hangzhou editions. After becoming the first team ever to win three consecutive men's football gold medals at the Asian Games with victory at the delayed 2022 Hangzhou tournament held in 2023, South Korea has now extended the winning streak to four. In total, South Korea has won the championship seven times, the most in history, leaving Iran, in second place with four wins, far behind.

South Korea has also defeated Japan in the Asian Games final for the third consecutive time. In the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang final, they overcame Japan 2-1 after extra time. Then, in 2022 Hangzhou, they came from behind to win 2-1, and this time, they prevailed 1-0. In Asian Games matches against Japan, South Korea has now recorded six consecutive victories and leads the historical head-to-head with nine wins and just one loss.

Eom Ji-sung, the scorer of the decisive goal, netted his fourth goal of the tournament to become the top scorer. He also led the competition with four assists, claiming the assist leader title as well.

South Korea's under-23 national football team players, who defeated Japan 1-0 in the final against Japan at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held on the 3rd at Toyota Stadium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, are taking a commemorative photo. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Lee Young-jun started as the centre-forward. In the second line, Eom Ji-sung and Bae Jun-ho were joined by Yang Min-hyeok, who returned to the starting lineup. Captain Lee Gi-hyuk, who had missed the semifinal against China due to a foot infection, was back in midfield alongside Lee Seung-won. The four-man defense featured Bae Hyun-seo, Kim Ji-soo, Shin Min-ha, and Choi Seok-hyun, while Kim Jun-hong guarded the goal.

Bae Jun-ho and Eom Ji-sung's active movement helped South Korea set the early tone. In the 5th minute, Eom Ji-sung pressed hard near the halfway line, stole the ball from Japan, and dribbled solo into the penalty box. Eom got a shot off between the tightly packed Japanese defenders, but the ball soared over the crossbar.

Japan immediately responded. In the 9th minute, Ishii Hisatsugu drove down the right flank to win a corner kick. On the resulting corner, a Japanese defender got his head to the ball, but it flew just over the bar.

From the start, both teams battled fiercely for control. Kim Ji-soo and Japan's forward, Nwadike Uche Brian Seio, collided hard while contesting a high ball, and tensions flared between the two.

In the 17th minute, South Korea pressed for another opening. Bae Jun-ho unleashed a powerful right-footed shot from just outside the penalty area, but it deflected off the Japanese defense and went out.

Midway through the first half, Japan made the first substitution due to injury. Forward Nwadike was stretchered off, replaced by Fukunaga Yuya. After entering, Fukunaga injected new energy into the Japanese attack.

In the 29th minute, Lee Seung-won was shown a yellow card while stopping a quick Japanese counterattack.

In the 37th minute, Yokoyama Yumeki made a surging run down the left wing and delivered a sharp cross, unsettling the South Korean defense. When the ball was switched to the far side, Fukunaga collected it and shot with Eom Ji-sung in close pursuit. The strike deflected off Eom's inner thigh, changing direction and narrowly missing the post. Fukunaga threatened again moments later with a first-time shot from outside the box after a loose ball was spilled, putting pressure on the South Korean goal.

Early in the game, South Korea created chances through Eom Ji-sung and Bae Jun-ho, but as the half progressed, Japan found more success attacking down the flanks with Yokoyama and Fukunaga. Despite both teams fighting intensely, neither managed to score in the first half, which ended 0-0. Possession was evenly split at 50-50, with Japan leading in shots 3-2, though neither side recorded a shot on target.

The first shot of the second half also came from Japan. Fukunaga broke into the penalty area and shot with his right foot, but the ball flew over the crossbar. In the 54th minute, Yokoyama got on the end of a cross from the right for a golden chance, but his shot missed the goal.

With Japan’s sustained pressure, coach Lee Min-sung made his first change in the 57th minute, replacing Lee Gi-hyuk with Hwang Do-yoon to try to shift the momentum. During the early part of the second half, Japan had three shots, while South Korea had yet to register one.

However, in the 61st minute, Eom Ji-sung changed the flow in an instant. Yang Min-hyeok, battling past a Japanese defender on the right wing, managed to get in a cross. Japanese goalkeeper Araki Rui dived to parry but could not clear far enough. Eom Ji-sung controlled the ball inside the box, cut past a defender with his right foot, then struck with his left to find the net.

Eom Ji-sung scored the opening and decisive goal in the 16th minute of the second half during the men's football final against Japan at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held on the 3rd at Toyota Stadium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Photo by Yonhap News

Immediately after the opener, South Korea survived a close call. In the 63rd minute, Umeki Rei delivered a threatening pass across the mouth of the goal from the right, but Kim Ji-soo made a vital block by throwing his body in the way. In the 66th minute, coach Lee Min-sung substituted Yang Min-hyeok for Kang Sang-yoon.

The contest continued to go back and forth. In the 69th minute, Bae Jun-ho dribbled through the middle before finding Lee Young-jun in the box, but the Japanese keeper raced off his line to smother the attack. Japan countered immediately, with Yokoyama cutting in from the left for a powerful right-foot strike, but Kim Jun-hong handled it safely.

In the 78th minute, South Korea faced their biggest scare of the night. Ishii Hisatsugu received the ball just outside the box and hit a sharp right-footed shot that slammed against the goalpost and bounced out. Japan’s follow-up attack saw a dangerous cross delivered from the right, but Ishibashi Sena, charging in, couldn’t make solid contact.

Japan threw everything forward in search of an equalizer in the closing stages. However, South Korea’s defense, anchored by Kim Ji-soo and Shin Min-ha, remained focused until the end, and Kim Jun-hong in goal stayed resolute. Ultimately, thanks to Eom Ji-sung’s decisive strike, South Korea defeated Japan 1-0 and completed an unprecedented fourth consecutive Asian Games men's football championship.

With the exception of Lee Young-jun, Lee Seung-won, and Kim Jun-hong, who had already fulfilled their mandatory military service, 20 players will receive exemptions from military duty thanks to this gold medal. The tournament also provided a solid stepping stone for European-based players such as Eom Ji-sung, Bae Jun-ho, and Yang Min-hyeok to more stably continue their careers.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.