South Korea Win Historic Fourth Straight Men's Football Gold, Japan Defend Women's Title

South Korea and Japan split the Asian Games football golds, with the South Korean men winning a historic fourth straight title and Japan's women successfully defending theirs on penalties.

In the men's final at Toyota Stadium, South Korea's Swansea City forward Eom Ji-sung struck against the run of play in the 61st minute to earn a 1-0 win over hosts Japan, who had Uche Nwadike stretchered off with a knee injury in the first half. It is South Korea's fourth consecutive men's gold, following Incheon 2014, Jakarta-Palembang 2018 and Hangzhou 2022, and the third straight final they have won against Japan. The victory also secures the South Korean squad military service exemptions under national law.

In the women's final two days earlier, hosts Japan beat North Korea 5-3 on penalties after a 2-2 draw through extra time, with Yuzuho Shiokoshi scoring the decisive spot kick. It was Japan's fourth Asian Games women's title, extending a rivalry in which the two sides had shared the previous six editions' gold medals three apiece before this result.