Hong Myung-bo's national football team, which recorded its worst-ever performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America, will return home on June 30 without an official arrival ceremony.
The Korea Football Association (KFA) announced today (June 28) that the national team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, will arrive at Incheon International Airport on June 30.
Coach Hong and eight players—Jo Hyeon-woo (Ulsan), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton), Paik Seung-ho (Birmingham City), Kim Moon-hwan (Daejeon), Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), and Seol Young-woo (Red Star Belgrade)—are scheduled to depart from Guadalajara, Mexico, on June 28 and travel through the United States before arriving at Incheon International Airport.
The KFA stated, "There will be no separate arrival ceremony."
This marks the first time since the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup that the national team has returned from an away World Cup without an airport ceremony.
Even after the 2014 Brazil tournament (1 draw, 2 losses), which was previously considered the team's worst World Cup performance, an arrival ceremony was still held.
At that time, fans threw taffy at Coach Hong and the players as they stood before the public.
Excluding the eight players returning with Coach Hong, other members of the squad, including captain Son Heung-min (LAFC), will be traveling separately.
The KFA noted, "The remaining players are expected to return to Korea in small groups by July 1."
South Korea finished third in Group A with 1 win and 2 losses. Failing to rank high enough among the third-place teams, the squad missed out on a spot in the Round of 32.
This tournament saw the number of participating nations expand to 48 for the first time.
By the standards of previous tournaments featuring 32 nations, this result is effectively equivalent to failing to qualify for the main stage.
The South Korean national football team had aimed to reach the Round of 16 in an away tournament for the third time in history and for the second consecutive time, following their achievements in the 2010 South Africa and 2022 Qatar World Cups, but they were unable to reach that goal.