Paik Seung-ho: "Regretful and Sorry... Will Keep Running Toward Bigger Dreams"

National football team midfielder Paik Seung-ho (29, Birmingham City) has expressed his regret over the team's elimination from the group stage of the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup and pledged to bounce back.
Paik shared his thoughts on his social media account today, stating, "From the moment I began preparing for the World Cup until the final day, every single day was an unforgettable and precious time." He added, "Having spent four years fiercely preparing for this tournament, I feel even more regret."
He continued, "I feel regretful and sorry to the fans because I don't think I was able to show everything we had prepared. Nevertheless, I sincerely thank everyone who stayed with us until the end and sent us such passionate support."
Finally, he promised, "I will deeply engrave the experiences and lessons gained from this World Cup and keep running toward my next goals and bigger dreams."
For Paik, this North and Central America tournament was his second World Cup appearance following the 2022 Qatar tournament, and he started in all three of South Korea's group stage matches.
However, South Korea finished third in its group with one win and two losses, failing to advance to the Round of 32 and ending its tournament run early.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.