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Korea coach sees no easy opponent in World Cup group

Published: 06 Dec. 2025, 10:11 Updated: 06 Dec. 2025, 10:55

National team coach Hong Myung-bo speaks with reporters following the draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the Kennedy Center in Washington on Dec. 5. [YONHAP]

Though Korea avoided a top-10 opponent in the group stage of next year's FIFA World Cup, national team coach Hong Myung-bo said on Friday that there is no easy opponent.

At the draw for the big tournament held at the Kennedy Center in Washington earlier in the day, Korea ended up in Group A with Mexico, South Africa and a winner of one of four European playoffs.

Mexico is the highest-ranked team in that group at No. 15, seven spots ahead of Korea. South Africa is No. 61, and Denmark at No. 21 is the top-ranked nation from the European playoffs in March that can join Group A.

The participating teams were divided into four “pots” based on their FIFA ranking positions from November. The six teams that emerged from the European and interconfederation playoffs all placed into Pot 4. Korea is in Pot 2. The three co-hosts, Mexico, Canada and the United States, were automatically put in Pot 1, regardless of their ranking, alongside the likes of world No. 1 Spain, defending champion Argentina and perennial contenders Brazil and France.

Korea had the fortune of drawing Mexico, the second-lowest ranked team, from Pot 1, and South Africa, the lowest-ranked nation from Pot 3, while avoiding world No. 12 Italy, the highest-ranked team remaining in the European playoffs.

“I guess you could say this is a bit of a good thing for us,” Hong told reporters after the draw when asked about not having to face a South American or European power. “However, the home field advantage can play a huge role. When I think about the times when we were the home team [...] the home field advantage can help teams do even more than they’re capable of. There is no one that we can consider an easy team.”

Korea has four wins, three draws and eight losses against Mexico, including a 3-1 defeat in the group stage of the 1998 World Cup in France and a 2-1 loss in the group phase of the 2018 tournament in Russia.

The two countries ended in a 2-2 draw in a friendly match in September this year in Nashville.

National team coach Hong Myung-bo attends the FIFA World Cup 2026 draw at the Kennedy Center in Washington on Dec. 5. [YONHAP/AFP]

“Back then and even today, Mexico is a great team,” Hong said. “Compared to the past, though, we have more experienced players. Mexico has the home advantage, but we will prepare for that match the best we can.”

Korea has never faced South Africa before and last played Denmark in 2009.

“South Africa has played really well over their past five matches, so we will have to keep an eye on that,” Hong said. “We expect either Denmark or Ireland to come out of that playoff, and we will be monitoring their matches to analyze those teams as well.”

With the World Cup having expanded from 32 teams to 48 for the first time, the knockout stage format has also changed. The top two nations from each group will punch their direct tickets and will be joined by the eight best third-place teams.

When asked to predict knockout-bound teams from Group A, Hong said, “I'd like Korea to be one of them.”

“The important thing is how well we can play to our strengths and adjust to our surroundings,” Hong added.

One benefit of getting slotted into Group A for Korea is that its players will have to travel less than those of other teams. Korea will play all three group matches in Mexico, including the first two at the same stadium, Estadio Guadalajara near Guadalajara, and the final one at Estadio Monterrey in Monterrey.

Many other teams will have to make cross-border trips between the United States and Canada or between the United States and Mexico in the group stage.

“For us, this will be a Mexico World Cup,” Hong said with a smile.

Former National Basketball Association star Shaquille O'Neal picks Korea during the draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the Kennedy Center in Washington on Dec. 5. [YONHAP/REUTERS]

The coach, though, voiced other concerns about the location.

“We have to play the first two matches at a high altitude, about 1,600 meters [5,249 feet] above sea level, and the third match will be in a hot and humid place,” Hong said. “It will take at least 10 days or as long as two weeks to adapt to such a high altitude. We will probably have to get there as soon as our squad is assembled.”

Group A teams will all play on the first day of the tournament — June 11 of next year — giving them less time to prepare than those in other groups. However, they will be afforded six days of break before their second matches, something that only two co-hosts, the United States and Canada, will enjoy, while the remaining countries will get four or five days off between the first two matches.

“It's a bit unfortunate we will have less time to train, but everyone in our group will be in the same boat,” Hong said. “We will have extra rest after the first match. And we will have to approach every game like it's war.”

Yonhap