{
  "id": 17021269,
  "title": "Players at center of friction controversy called up for men's football friendlies",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/29/players-at-center-of-friction-controversy-called-up-for-mens-football-17021269",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-29T06:52:04.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/sports/20261029/players-at-center-of-friction-controversy-called-up-for-mens-football-friendlies"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Cheonan — All key individuals embroiled in the dispute over alleged disagreements within the South Korean men's national football team have been chosen for the forthcoming friendly matches on November 13 against Saudi Arabia and November 17 against Qatar in Doha. Head coach Robert Moreno unveiled his 26-man squad, which includes defender Kim Min-jae, midfielder Hwang In-beom, and winger Hwang Hee-chan. These three players reportedly expressed their intention to retire from international football following their recent match against Uzbekistan on October 6, citing dissatisfaction with long-time captain Son Heung-min. Son, however, remains part of the squad. At a press conference in Cheonan, Moreno affirmed that Son would continue as the team's captain. Moreno also stated that he has consulted with all the players, making his selections based solely on their recent performances and potential contributions to the national team. Each player on this list was selected due to their demonstrated abilities.",
  "summary": "CHEONAN — All principal figures caught in the controversy surrounding apparent friction on the men's national football team were selected for the upcoming friendly matches Thursday. Robert Moreno, temporary head coach for the Taegeuk Warriors, named his 26-man squad for matches against Saudi Arabia on Nov. 13 and Qatar on Nov. 17 — both set to take place in Doha. The list included defender Kim…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yonhap News",
        "title": "Players at center of friction controversy called up for men's football friendlies",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/29/players-at-center-of-friction-controversy-called-up-for-mens-football-17020611",
        "published": "2026-10-29T05:48:26.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}