The head of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) also welcomed a new home for Korean football. FIFA president Gianni Infantino sent a congratulatory message on the opening of Korea Football Park, calling it "a very special moment for Korean football."
On the 8th (Korea time), Infantino conveyed his congratulations to the Korea Football Association and those involved via his social media service (SNS). He said, "I congratulate Jeong Mong-gyu, president of the Korea Football Association, and everyone on the opening of Korea Football Park," adding that "this is a very meaningful moment in the history of Korean football."
He went on to express high expectations for the role of Korea Football Park. Infantino said, "There is nothing more important than ensuring players can train and grow in the best possible environment," and evaluated that "Korea Football Park will become a hub for youth and elite player development going forward."
He also mentioned that construction was supported through the FIFA Forward program promoted by FIFA. He said, "I am proud that the FIFA Forward program could contribute to the creation of Korea Football Park."
Infantino gave a high evaluation of the growth of Korean football. He said, "When I visited Korea in person, I confirmed that excellent progress has been made in many areas, including women's football and youth football," and added, "These efforts have translated into results on the international stage, once again showing that Korea is a football power representing Asia."
He did not forget to cheer for both the women's and men's national teams. Infantino said, "I congratulate the women's national team for qualifying for the FIFA Women's World Cup finals for the fourth consecutive time," and said, "I hope the men's national team, which will appear in the FIFA World Cup finals for the 11th consecutive time, achieves good results."
Korea Football Park held an opening ceremony on the 7th and began official operations. The event was attended by Jeong Mong-gyu, acting mayor of Cheonan Kim Seok-pil, Second Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Kim Dae-hyun, Governor Kim Tae-heum of Chungcheongnam-do, Ryu Seung-min, coach Hong Myung-bo, and Sanjiban Balasingham, Director General of UEFA member association relations at FIFA.
Korea Football Park is a large sports complex with a total area of about 145,000 pyeong and project costs of about 400 billion won. It includes a main stadium capable of hosting international matches and an indoor football stadium, as well as a total of 11 football fields—six natural turf and five artificial turf—four futsal courts and five tennis courts.
Support facilities for teams also attract attention. Accommodations with 82 rooms, a hydrotherapy room, sauna, fitness center, high-performance center, and dining facilities have been built. In addition, a sports center with a swimming pool and basketball court is scheduled to open this summer, and the football history museum is scheduled for completion in December 2028.
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