Korea Joongang Daily
Korea JoongAng Daily

Hong faces call-up conundrum as Taeguk Warriors lack clear first-choice striker

With only 50 days left before the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off, national football team manager Hong Myung-bo faces a call-up conundrum up top, with no clear first choice ahead of the final squad announcement on May 16.

2026-04-22

JTBC, KBS finalize deal to jointly broadcast 2026 FIFA World Cup

Cable network JTBC has reached an agreement with national broadcaster KBS to jointly broadcast the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 in North America, the broadcaster said Monday, allowing the football tournament to reach a wider audience in Korea.

2026-04-20

No Korean match officials will be present for fourth straight FIFA World Cup

No Korean referee will work at the upcoming FIFA World Cup in North America, making it the fourth consecutive time the country will not have match officials at football's showpiece competition.

2026-04-10

Son Heung-min bags goal, drags doubters in Concacaf Champions Cup win over Cruz Azul

Son Heung-min finally shook off the ghost of a goalless past 11 matches in a 3-0 victory over Cruz Azul in a Concacaf Champions Cup match on Tuesday.

2026-04-08

Korea drops to No. 25 in FIFA rankings following 2 consecutive losses

On the heels of two consecutive losses, Korea has dropped three spots to No. 25 in the latest FIFA rankings released Thursday.

2026-04-02

Shocking 4-0 loss to Ivory Coast a wakeup call for Korea ahead of 2026 World Cup

Korea’s national football team suffered a shocking 4-0 defeat to Ivory Coast in a friendly, raising serious concerns ahead of the North and Central America World Cup.

2026-03-29

Son urges teammates to learn from 4-0 drubbing by Ivory Coast

With Korea trying to pick up the pieces after a 4-0 loss to Ivory Coast in their friendly match in England on Saturday, captain Son Heung-min insisted the team must use the occasion as a learning experience.

2026-03-29

Taeguk Warriors go into final World Cup tune-ups with star casualties, selection questions

The Taeguk Warriors head into their final tune-up fixtures before the 2026 FIFA World Cup with key players Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in at less than 100 percent, testing the squad's depth and potentially opening doors to others.

2026-03-24

Warriors are red, violet is new: Nike unveils Korean national team's World Cup kit

The Warriors are red, violet is new: Nike unveiled the Korean national football team uniforms for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday, with designs that tap into tradition and culture.

2026-03-19

Iran wants to move its World Cup matches from U.S. to Mexico. FIFA is sticking to its schedule.

Iran is in talks to move its World Cup matches from the U.S. to Mexico amid safety concerns following comments from President Donald Trump. FIFA stated that changes to the schedule, agreed upon months ago, are unlikely.

2026-03-18