South Korea to face Venezuela, Uzbekistan in October friendlies without permanent head coach

South Korea's men's national football team, currently without a head coach, will take on Venezuela and Uzbekistan in back-to-back internationals in October.

The Korea Football Association announced Tuesday that the national team will play friendlies against Venezuela on Oct. 2 and Uzbekistan on Oct. 6. Venues and kickoff times for both matches have yet to be confirmed, the association said.

FIFA reduced the number of annual international windows from five to four following the 2026 North and Central America World Cup. The move aims to cut long-distance travel for players and ensure adequate training time to sharpen tactical preparation. As a result, the September and October windows were merged into a single 16-day period, meaning the national team will play four matches in one call-up cycle.

Venezuela, South Korea's first October opponent, are ranked 47th by FIFA. The South American side finished eighth in CONMEBOL qualifying for the 2026 North and Central America World Cup and failed to reach the tournament.

Uzbekistan, the second opponent, are ranked 60th by FIFA. They made their World Cup debut at the North and Central America tournament — the first time the Central Asian nation had reached the finals — but were eliminated in the group stage before the round of 32. South Korea hold a strong head-to-head record against Uzbekistan, with 11 wins, four draws and one loss.

Opponents for the two September friendlies, which precede the October double-header, have not yet been decided. With the head coach position currently vacant, all four matches will be played under an interim manager.

The Korea Football Association said it will make a separate announcement and proceed with the formal process of appointing a permanent head coach as soon as details are finalized.