Taeguk Warriors to skip traditional send-off friendly ahead of World Cup
Published: 05 May. 2026, 18:27
Hong Myung-bo, center, manager of the Korean men's national football team, watches players during a training session at the MK Dons training ground in Milton Keynes, Britain, on March 24. [YONHAP]
Korea’s national football team will skip its traditional send-off friendly before the World Cup, which is set to kick off next month in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
It marks the first time in 40 years, since the 1986 tournament in Mexico, that the team will depart without a match that doubles as a send-off event.
Some have questioned whether the decision reflects an attempt by the Korea Football Association (KFA) to avert public scrutiny of manager Hong Myung-bo, who has recently faced mounting criticism over his “experimental” approach and poor performances.
The association, however, dismissed the claim, describing the move as a strategic choice focused on performance rather than a publicity event.
“We firstly considered the tight schedule and the need to adapt to high-altitude conditions,” the KFA said.
Korea has been placed in Group A, one of the earliest groups to begin play.
The Korean starting lineup poses ahead of a friendly against Austria at Ernst-Happel-Stadion in Vienna on March 31. [YONHAP]
It will face the Czech Republic in its opening match on June 12 — the second earliest of the tournament, scheduled six days ahead of matches in Group L, the last of the 12 groups.
With players only able to assemble for
the national team
from May 25,
the window of time to train together is narrow, and frequent intercontinental travel for a squad largely made up of players from clubs outside of Korea would take a toll on their condition, according to the KFA.
If players such as Kim Min-jae of Bayern Munich, Lee Kang-in of Paris Saint-Germain and Son Heung-min of Los Angeles FC reach continental club finals, they would not join the national team until early June.
Given these circumstances and with only around five K League players expected to be included in the 26-man squad, the association appears to have concluded that a domestic friendly would offer little benefit in terms of both performance and public interest, like the one against Iceland in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, four years ago
Adapting to high altitude is considered the most pressing challenge. Korea will play its first two group-stage matches in Guadalajara, which sits at an elevation of 1,571 meters (5,154 feet) above sea level.
The body requires at least 10 days to two weeks to adjust to such conditions, according to experts. With a gradual increase in training intensity key to adaptation, high-intensity practice and a match serving as part of a domestic send-off event could do more harm than good.
Son Heung-min, center, celebrates after scoring during a match between Korea and Bolivia at Daejeon World Cup Stadium on Nov. 11, 2025. [NEWS1]
The coaching staff will announce the final squad on May 16, just two days before departing for Salt Lake City in the United States to begin a 20-day pretournament training camp, as they believe arriving at the venue as early as possible is the best option.
As part of preparations for high-altitude conditions, the team plans to play a friendly against El Salvador in Sandy, Utah, on June 4. The likely venue, the America First Field, sits at an elevation of 1,356 meters, roughly 100 meters lower than the Salt Lake City training base at 1,460 meters, and about 200 meters lower than Guadalajara.
The plan follows the “live high, train low” principle, where players stay at higher altitudes while conducting intensive training at relatively lower elevations.
Instead of a send-off ceremony, the association has arranged alternative opportunities to engage with fans.
The final squad announcement will be broadcast live on a large media facade on KT’s Gwanghwamun building, and a fan event in collaboration with Nike will allow supporters to run through Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul wearing the national team’s uniform.
Japan's national team, on the other hand, will hold a send-off event combined with a friendly against Iceland in Tokyo on May 31 before departing for the United States. It will play its opening match against the Netherlands on June 15, three days after Korea’s opener.
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 LIN [
[email protected]
]
댓글
0