Japan will meet the Republic of Korea in the men’s football gold-medal match at the 2026 Asian Games. The finalists emerged from separate semifinals on September 30, setting up a new contest for the title.
The Japan–South Korea final is scheduled for Saturday, October 3 at Toyota Stadium. Kickoff is listed for 19:30 Japan Standard Time (16:00 IST). The organizer still marks it as a scheduled match, not a result.
Japan claimed its place after a 1-1 semifinal draw with Uzbekistan. It won the subsequent penalty shootout 9-8; the result decided who would take the remaining place in the gold-medal match.
The Republic of Korea reached the final by beating China 2-1 in the other semifinal. That result and Japan’s shootout win are confirmed on the organizer’s completed-match page and in independent reporting.
The meeting is still ahead. No winning score, line-up or player availability has been established in this article. For tournament-wide dates and background, see 4xSports’ Asian Games 2026 guide.
Image credit: Original 4xSports AI-generated editorial illustration, not a photograph of the match. Bae Jun-ho’s likeness was guided by Timmy96’s 2025 CC0 portrait on Wikimedia Commons; the Japanese footballer is an unnamed representative figure.
