Seol Young-woo Named in 'Worst Asian XI' by Japanese Media; Foreign Outlet Says Legal Action Threat 'Fueled Public Anger'

It has been reported that South Korean national team player Seol Young-woo was included in the 'Worst XI' of the World Cup, as selected by a Japanese media outlet.

The Japanese media outlet Football Channel selected and announced the 'Worst XI' among Asian nations that participated in the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America.

Seol Young-woo was the only South Korean player to be named on the list.

The outlet criticized him, stating, "Seol Young-woo, who represents the standard of a modern fullback, was expected by the South Korean public to be a key player to lead the national team to greater heights." It added, "However, the quality of his performance shown at the World Cup was low, and expectations turned into disappointment, and then into hatred."

The outlet further commented that he "became a symbol of the chaos the South Korean national team fell into during this tournament."

The media also highlighted the barrage of malicious comments directed at Seol following the team's loss against South Africa in the final group stage match on June 25.

Football Channel noted, "From the player's perspective, there are unfortunate aspects," adding, "He had to constantly move between positions—right wingback, left wingback, and right wingback—throughout the group stage, and his role remained unclear."

However, it also pointed out, "While playing without hesitation is Seol's strength, it is also true that in this tournament, he gave the impression of playing as if he were constantly hitting the brakes."

Football Channel also analyzed that public anger intensified after Seol announced his intention to take legal action against malicious commenters immediately following the match against South Africa.

At the time, Seol's agency stated that they were continuously monitoring posts and comments related to Seol and that they planned to respond firmly to illegal acts, including malicious slander, without any leniency or settlement.

Football Channel pointed out, "The announcement of legal action, which came while the team was waiting for results to see if they could advance as a third-place team, resulted in causing even greater controversy."

Reported by Kim Minjeong | Video by Na Hong-hee | Graphics by Lee Soo-min | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.