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Injured star of 2022 World Cup team Cho Gue-sung in race against time to make next tournament

Published: 17 Aug. 2025, 15:49

Korea's Cho Gue-sung, left, celebrates scoring a goal during an Asian Cup round of 16 match against Saudi Arabia at Education City Stadium in Qatar on Jan. 31, 2024. [NEWS1]

Once the breakout star of Korea’s 2022 World Cup campaign, FC Midtjylland forward Cho Gue-sung spent the past 15 months sidelined by a knee injury, a post-surgery infection and a grueling rehabilitation period where he lost 12 kilograms (26 pounds) — a stretch that left his international career in limbo just a year out from the 2026 World Cup.

“I was in the hospital for a month and lost 12 kilograms,” Cho said in a YouTube video shared by the Korea Football Association on Saturday. “I was getting painkillers three to four times a day and couldn’t sleep at night. That was the hardest time I’ve ever had.”

Cho rose to prominence by becoming the first Korean player to score a double at a World Cup, in the 2022 match against Ghana. The striker saw a surge in his Instagram followers afterward and embarked on a career in Europe by joining FC Midtjylland in the summer of 2023.

But an injury suffered at the end of the 2023-24 season required surgery in May 2024, after which he developed a post-surgery infection. Rehabilitation forced him to miss the entire 2024-25 campaign, with the football community raising concerns that he may have to end his career.

Cho, however, made it onto the substitution list for an Europa League qualifier against Fredrikstad on Friday, although he did not feature in the match. That marked the first time he had made it onto the roster in 15 months.

A picture of Cho Gue-sung shared on FC Midtjylland's official Instagram account on Aug. 14 [SCREEN CAPTURE]

“I can sprint now,” Cho said. “I've participated in team training except for the last session, which I skipped to do individual workouts like jumping drills with the strength coach. There’s still some stiffness in my knee when I jump. I didn’t use it for so long, so I’m constantly working on bending and extending it.

“I think I’ll be back in about three to four weeks. I feel like I’m at 80 percent. I just need to fine-tune the little things, and then I’ll be ready to do full training with the team. I’m nearly there.”

Cho also showed off a new look — with short hair, bleached orange like Hanamichi Sakuragi from the Japanese manga “Slam Dunk” (1990-96), and even bleached eyebrows.

“I bought a hair clipper and cut my own hair at home. I do it once a week,” he said. “There’s no special reason. I like being unique. When I had long hair, it felt like I had a character. After I cut it, I looked like everyone else, so I decided to buzz it. I even added a bleached line to my brow because it looked too plain. I’m happy with it — I feel like I’ve found my character again.”

A picture of Cho Gue-sung shared on FC Midtjylland [SCREEN CAPTURE]

He has been leaning on teammate Lee Han-beom. The two often cook and eat meat together at home.

"It was tough without him,” FC Midtjylland manager Thomas Thomasberg said. “He is an incredibly important player for the team. His ability is unbelievable — he’s strong and plays well in the team. I really look forward to him returning because we can utilize his strengths.”

Fans have flooded social media with supportive comments.

“If he lost 12 kilograms in a month, how hard must that have been,” one wrote.

Another said, “He’s a real man. I would have given up, but he’s doing his best,” and, “You’re still young, Gue-sung. Don’t rush. I just want to see you back in shape and healthy.”

Cho expressed his gratitude toward the fans.

“I’m really grateful that so many people haven’t forgotten me and are still cheering me on," he said. "I want to return to the big stage I dreamed about. I’ll prepare well so that I can meet you all again at the World Cup.

“My biggest wish right now is to return to the national team and show everyone what I can do again.”

With less than a year to go until the 2026 World Cup, Korea lacks depth up front aside from KRC Genk's Oh Hyeon-gyu, which could put Cho on the radar of national team manager Hong Myung-bo.

Cho has nine goals across 39 caps and made his last cap against Thailand in March 2024. He has yet to play a game under Hong.

The earliest he can return to the national team is September, when Korea will travel abroad to face the United States and Mexico in friendlies.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY PARK RIN [[email protected]]