KOR
▲ The South Korean national football team players are running during a training session at Chivas Valle Verde in Zapopan, near Guadalajara, Mexico, on the 15th (local time), ahead of their second match against Mexico in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The South Korean national football team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, has completed its final training session ahead of the second match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage.
On June 18 (Korea Standard Time), one day before the Group A match against Mexico, the team held a training session at the Chivas Valle Verde training facility in Zapopan, near Guadalajara, Mexico.
During the session, which was open to the media for the first 15 minutes, all 28 players, including Bae Jun-ho (Stoke City) and Kim Tae-hyeon (Kashima Antlers) who have recovered from injuries, as well as two training partners, participated in the full schedule without any issues.
At the start of the training, the players and coaching staff gathered in the center of the pitch for a serious discussion, appearing to solidify their resolve.
Following this, the team began their warm-up under the guidance of the physical coach.
The players loosened up with various coordination drills, including jumps, forward and backward running, and zigzag sprints, while shouts of encouragement echoed across the training ground with more intensity than usual.
South Korea is set to face Mexico in their second Group A match on June 18 at 7:00 PM local time (June 19 at 10:00 AM KST).
As both South Korea and Mexico secured three points in their respective first matches—defeating the Czech Republic and South Africa, respectively—to lead Group A, this upcoming clash is expected to be a de facto battle for the top spot in the group.
Furthermore, if South Korea defeats Mexico, it will mark a historic milestone as the first time in the nation's football history to achieve two consecutive wins in the group stage of a World Cup.
Previously, South Korea's only streak of consecutive wins in the World Cup occurred during the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, when the team defeated Portugal in the third group stage match (1-0) followed by a victory against Italy in the Round of 16 (2-1, after extra time).
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.
