▲ South Korea's national football team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, poses for a group photo.
The South Korean national football team, preparing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, took a group photo in high spirits on the day before departing for their final destination of Guadalajara, Mexico.
On June 4 (local time), the team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, gathered at the Zions Bank Training Center in Herriman, near Salt Lake City, Utah, to take the photo against the backdrop of the majestic Rocky Mountains.
Standing proudly in the very center was Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), the key playmaker and next-generation ace of South Korean football.
He was positioned directly behind coach Hong, the "leader" sitting in the middle of the front row.
Captain Son Heung-min (LAFC) sat second from the left in the front row, smiling brightly.
In addition to the 26 players on the final World Cup roster, goalkeeper Yoon Ki-wook (FC Seoul) and midfielder Kang Sang-yoon (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors), who joined as "training partners," were also present.
They will accompany the team on their journey as members of the national squad.
Cho Wi-je (Jeonbuk), who initially joined the Salt Lake City pre-camp as a training partner but was called up as a replacement after Cho Yu-min (Sharjah) was sidelined due to injury, and Lee Gi-hyeok (Gangwon FC), a surprise addition to the final roster, were also among the 28 players.
The Zions Bank Training Center is where the national team has been sweating it out for the past 15 days or so.
To adapt to the high-altitude environment of Guadalajara, their final destination and base camp, the South Korean team set up their pre-camp and trained in Salt Lake City, which sits at an altitude of 1,460 meters above sea level.
After securing a 5-0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago and a 1-0 win against El Salvador during the pre-camp, the national team will depart for Guadalajara on a chartered flight the following day in high spirits.
In Guadalajara, they will adjust to the local environment and fine-tune their tactics before playing their fateful first group stage match against the Czech Republic at Guadalajara Stadium on Friday, June 12, at 11:00 AM KST.
(Photo courtesy of the Korea Football Association, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.