Head coach Hong Myung-bo of the Korea men's national soccer team said ahead of the Czech match, Korea's first game of the 2026 North and Central America World Cup, that there was no negligence in preparing for the tournament. Captain Son Heung-min said he hopes what the players have prepared will come to fruition, vowing a win in the opener.
Hong said at an official news conference at Guadalajara Stadium in Zapopan, near Guadalajara, Mexico, on the 11th (Korean time), the World Cup is the stage of dreams for soccer players, adding, our team was not negligent while preparing for this tournament. I hope the dedication and effort the players have shown, and the time we have built together, will show in tomorrow's match and lead to a good result.
Korea will face the Czech Republic in the Group A opener of the 2026 North and Central America World Cup at 11 a.m. on the 12th at the same venue. It is the first match of the tournament. After the opener against the Czech Republic, Korea will play host Mexico and South Africa in order.
Hong expressed satisfaction with the players' physical condition, saying, overall, the condition is fine, and all preparations end today. We will prepare well for the remaining training. Asked if he had a message to deliver to the players before the match, he said, I have shared many talks with the players and delivered many messages, adding, there is no need to add anything today or tomorrow. All team messages have been delivered and the players understand.
The starting lineup for the Czech match is effectively set. Hong said, From yesterday afternoon to this morning I thought a lot about the best 11, adding, it was all done before lunch. Tomorrow's best 11 is decided. The starting lineup will be announced 90 minutes before kickoff.
He expressed satisfaction with how the team adapted to altitude. To prepare for Guadalajara, which sits at about 1,570 meters above sea level, the national team held a pre-tournament camp in Salt Lake City, Utah. Hong said, From the moment we arrived at the U.S. pre-camp, we have been continuously checking, adding, at first, each player had different physical conditions and there were gaps, but now, overall, we have adapted perfectly. He added, I don't know what result we will bring, but the players will have a sense of relief and confidence that they have adapted to the altitude.
This World Cup is Hong's second as national team head coach. He led Korea at the 2014 Brazil World Cup but was eliminated in the group stage with one draw and two losses. Hong said, I am honored to participate in my second World Cup, adding, although we failed in the 2014 tournament, I believe we have prepared well for this World Cup based on the experience we have gained. He added, The result is unpredictable, but we have created an atmosphere where the players can feel excited, have fun, and be energetic.
He was cautious in forecasting the opener. Hong said, I don't know exactly about external evaluations, adding, what matters is how much the players can do in the first match. Internally, we are positive. He added, It seems like it's the first time Korea is playing on World Cup opening day, so the world's attention will be on us, and said, I hope the players approach the match as comfortably as possible. I can't reveal our tactics, but we will play with our own plan.
Captain Son Heung-min also shared his determination for the opener at the same news conference. Son said, I am grateful to be able to play again on the World Cup stage I dreamed of since I was young, adding, we have been training with the players since the U.S., and we worked harder than necessary. I hope it leads to a good result, and we will do our best to achieve a good result.
This tournament is Son's fourth World Cup after Brazil 2014, Russia 2018, and Qatar 2022. He said, My mindset for the World Cup is the same. It's a stage where I dream like a child, adding, while we showed a good performance at the Qatar World Cup, there was pain before that. We are preparing with good memories.
On the squad's mood, he said, It has been good ever since we assembled. There were no issues at all, adding, looking at the players, I think they have done more than what they needed to do for the national team. At times, I even had to calm them down a bit. He added, I hope what we have prepared will blossom. I think we are fully deserving.
He was cautious in assessing the Czech team's strength. Son said, I want to be careful evaluating the Czech Republic, adding, since they beat a strong team in the playoffs to get here, I consider them a strong team. They have many players in good leagues and a lot of experience. He added, I think we need to show more than 100% to win.
As for the spotlight on a head-to-head with Czech forward Patrik Schick, he said, This isn't an individual sport, so I am only focused on the national team's victory, adding, he is such a good player that we need to be careful, but since it's a match between the Republic of Korea and the Czech Republic, I am only thinking about what can help the team.
He drew a line at the question of whether this tournament could be his last World Cup. Son said, I have never concluded that it would be my last World Cup, adding, no matter who says what, my decision matters most. I will make a good decision and choose.
Czech head coach Miroslav Koubek warned of Korea's attacking power. At the official pre-match news conference for the Korea game, Koubek said, Son Heung-min is a legend of Korea, adding, Korea is a team with excellent offense and is stacked with outstanding forwards who can threaten the Czech Republic. He added, however, there are excellent players in the Czech Republic as well, and said, we will be able to cope fully with Korea's strong attack.
Regarding criticism that the Czech team entered Guadalajara just before the match and thus had little time to acclimate to altitude, Koubek said, It's a question we always hear, adding, we don't want to be discouraged by a lack of time to adapt to altitude. Soccer is about adapting to the given circumstances.