The die is cast, and only the decisive battle remains. South Korean football looks to a new chapter under the leadership of Hong Myung-bo. With exactly 30 days until the opening of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, the head coach and his coaching staff are fully focused on finalizing their strategy. After observing the K League 1’s 14th round in person, Hong will announce the final World Cup squad later this week.
《A ‘New Generation’ Takes Flight: Can Hong Myung-bo’s Team Roar in North America?》
Taking the helm for a second time in August 2024, Hong endured a challenging 19-month period. Tasked with rebuilding team unity, which had crumbled under his predecessor Jürgen Klinsmann, and securing a long-term vision, he faced unexpected external pressures. Controversies over procedural legitimacy during his appointment, stemming from administrative disarray within the Korea Football Association, saw him labeled a victim in audits but alienated by the public.
However, strong backing from key players like Son Heung-min (LAFC), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), and Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) helped him steer the team with responsibility. Not only did he guide South Korea to become the only Asian team undefeated in the third qualifying round (6 wins, 4 draws), securing an 11th consecutive World Cup appearance, but he also boldly integrated younger talents like Oh Hyun-gyu (Beşiktaş), Eom Ji-sung (Swansea City), and Bae Jun-ho (Stoke City), who had been overlooked under foreign coaches. This injected fresh energy into the previously stagnant lineup, fostering healthy competition and securing the team’s future. This World Cup will see the synergy of Korea’s present and future stars.
Hong Myung-bo, once dubbed the ‘eternal libero’ and a key figure in the 2002 semi-final miracle, has left a deep footprint as a player. As a coach, he led the U-20 team to the quarterfinals in 2009 and secured an Olympic bronze in 2012. Yet, his first taste of failure came in 2014 when he was hastily appointed as a firefighter for the Brazil World Cup, only to exit in the group stage. Now, after leading Ulsan HD to back-to-back K League titles (2022-2023), his leadership has matured. He is determined to transform the tears of Brazil into cheers across North America.
《Key Missions for Competitiveness: Perfecting the Three-Back and Conditioning》
The advance party, led by coaches and staff, will depart for the pre-camp and high-altitude training base in Salt Lake City, USA, soon. After two friendly matches (against Trinidad & Tobago and El Salvador), they will enter the final battle venue, Guadalajara, Mexico, in early June. The fateful Group A opener against Czech Republic is scheduled for June 12 at the Akron Stadium in Guadalajara. Historically, in the three World Cups where Korea reached the round of 16 or beyond (2002, 2010, 2022), they never lost their first match (2 wins, 1 draw). Even in this expanded 48-team tournament, where the top three of each group advance, the first game still determines whether the path is smooth or thorny.
The core of securing competitiveness lies in perfecting Hong’s Plan A: the three-back formation and the team’s overall conditioning. In the pre-camp, the focus will be on solidifying the three-back, which has shown inconsistency. Additionally, set pieces, a key to success, must be refined. Since the match at Akron Stadium sits at an altitude of 1,571 meters, maximizing player conditioning in Salt Lake City (1,460 meters) is also crucial.
《Captain Son Heung-min Dreams of His Finest Moment》
With the additional hurdle of a 32-team knockout phase in this expanded World Cup, the team is eyeing uncharted territory: breaking the ‘curse of the Round of 16.’ For Son Heung-min, heading into his fourth and likely final World Cup, the longing is immense. He envisions his greatest moment in this tournament. With three goals from previous World Cups, one more would make him the all-time leading Korean scorer in the tournament, surpassing Ahn Jung-hwan and Park Ji-sung (both with 3 goals). With 54 international goals, a strong performance could also challenge the record of 58 goals held by the legendary Cha Bum-kun. Twelve years ago, as the youngest member of the national team, Son cried in Hong’s arms after an exit. Now, as a veteran, he dreams of a joyful embrace.
