Hong Myung-bo has confirmed his 11th consecutive World Cup trip, and is returning home..."Thank you to the fans who supported me"
Hong Myung-bo has confirmed his 11th consecutive World Cup trip, and is returning home..."Thank you to the fans who supported me"
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It's the World Cup now.
The men's soccer team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, won 2-0 in the ninth away match of Group B of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup at Basra International Stadium in Iraq at 3:15 a.m. on the 6th (Korea time).
With the victory, Korea secured 19 points with five wins and four draws, solidifying its No. 1 ranking in Group B. The team will advance to the finals regardless of the remaining one game. Korea will make its 11th consecutive World Cup finals appearance from the 1986 Mexico Games to the 2026 North-China Games.
On the same day, Hong Myung-bo returned home in the afternoon. According to Newsis on Wednesday, Incheon International Airport was filled with crowds to welcome Hong and 26 players. Chairman Chung Mong-gyu also gave a bouquet of flowers to Hong Myung-bo as he welcomed him.
Coach Hong Myung-bo said, "I sincerely thank the fans for their support until late at night. It was a difficult environment, but I was able to get the result because I had a strong desire to advance to the World Cup. I thank everyone."
"We need to do our best until the match against Kuwait on June 10. We need to think more about which player will participate. "There are not so many opportunities to test young players to compete in the World Cup, so those things should go right away," he said, expressing his intention to do his best until the end of the qualifying round.
Regarding the victory in the Iraq match, he said, "There were some concerns in terms of physical and performance. As Iraq is a country banned from traveling, there were also concerns about safety. However, Chairman Chung Mong-gyu operated the chartered plane. The Iraqi Embassy also cooperated a lot. I was able to control the difficult parts and bring the victory."
After a short break, Hong Myung-bo will reconvene on the afternoon of the 8th. He will then prepare for the final 10th home game against Kuwait that will be held at Seoul World Cup Stadium at 8 p.m. on the 10th. 토토사이트
Coach Hong Myung-bo said, "Since it has been decided (to go to the World Cup finals), I think we should go to the World Cup system from this moment on," adding that he vowed to use future games, including the match against Kuwait, as a stepping stone to prepare for the World Cup.