{
  "id": 1645529,
  "title": "Venues set for 4 men's football friendly matches",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/venues-set-for-4-mens-football-friendly-matches-1645529",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-18T05:52:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/sports/20260818/venues-set-for-4-mens-football-friendly-matches"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Korea Football Association (KFA) announced on Tuesday the venues for the four upcoming men's friendly football matches to be held on home soil. The four cities of Suwon, Seoul, Ulsan, and Yongin will each take turns hosting the matches during the September-October FIFA international match window.\n\nEach match is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. The opponents for these matches were announced on July 28 and August 5. On September 24, Korea, currently ranked 32nd, will host Ecuador, who are 25th in the rankings, at the Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, located approximately 35 kilometers south of Seoul in Gyeonggi Province. This will be the first men's senior international match for Suwon since March 2025.\n\nSubsequently, on September 28, Korea will face Uruguay, the world No. 20 team, at the Seoul World Cup Stadium. This will be the first men's international contest held in the capital city since November. On October 2, Venezuela, ranked 47th, will visit Korea to play at the Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan, located around 310 kilometers southeast of Seoul. Ulsan had not hosted an international match since March 2023.\n\nFour days later, on October 6, Korea will host 60th-ranked Bolivia at the same venue in Ulsan.",
  "summary": "The national football federation on Tuesday announced the venues for the four upcoming men's friendly matches on home soil, with four different cities set to take turns serving as the host. The Korea Football Association (KFA) said the cities of Suwon, Seoul, Ulsan and Yongin will host the four friendlies during the September-October FIFA international match window. All matches will kick off at 8…",
  "key_points": [
    "Four men's football friendly matches set in Korea",
    "Venues: Suwon, Seoul, Ulsan, Yongin",
    "Matches scheduled for September-October window"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Hosting top-tier opponents in multiple cities signals a strategic effort by Korea to showcase its football and stadiums, boosting the sport's domestic profile and fan engagement.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Venues set for 4 men's football friendly matches",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/venues-set-for-4-mens-football-friendly-matches-1650747",
        "published": "2026-08-18T06:27:02.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}