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| Coach Hong Myung-bo and his coaching staff / Photo=DB |
[Sports Today reporter Lee Sang-pil] Hong Myung-bo’s squad, preparing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, departs today (18th) for Salt Lake City to begin a pre-tournament training camp.
Coach Hong Myung-bo’s South Korea national team will leave Incheon International Airport Terminal 2 on the afternoon of the 18th, bound for Salt Lake City, Utah, where the team will hold its pre-camp.
Joining Coach Hong and his staff on the flight are players who are already in the final roster and traveling to camp: Bae Jun-ho (Stoke City), Um Ji-sung (Swansea City), Lee Dong-gyeong (Ulsan Hyundai), Baek Seung-ho (Birmingham City), Kim Jin-kyu (Jeonbuk Hyundai), Lee Ki-hyuk (Gangwon FC), Kim Moon-hwan (Daejeon Hana Citizen), Jo Hyeon-woo (Ulsan Hyundai), Song Bum-keun (Jeonbuk Hyundai), training partner Jo Wi-je (Jeonbuk Hyundai), Yoon Ki-wook (FC Seoul), and Kang Sang-yoon (Jeonbuk Hyundai).
The remaining players will join the camp in sequence after completing their club commitments.
South Korea secured a place in the World Cup for the 12th time overall and for the 11th straight tournament. Drawn into Group A, they will face Mexico, the Czech Republic and South Africa. South Korea plays the Czech Republic on June 12 and Mexico on June 19 at Akron Stadium in Guadalajara (elevation 1,571 m), then meets South Africa on June 25 at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, Mexico.
With two group matches scheduled at high altitude, acclimatization is Hong’s top priority. The team has chosen Salt Lake City (elevation 1,460 m) for its pre-camp because its conditions are similar to Guadalajara. South Korea will play friendlies against Trinidad and Tobago (FIFA ranking 102) on May 31 and El Salvador (ranked 100) on June 3.
After the Salt Lake City camp, the squad will relocate to Guadalajara, the base camp and site of their first two group matches, to finalize preparations ahead of the tournament.
▲ 2026 World Cup final roster (26 players)
-Goalkeepers (3): Jo Hyeon-woo (Ulsan Hyundai), Kim Seung-gyu (FC Tokyo), Song Bum-keun (Jeonbuk Hyundai)
-Defenders (10): Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), Jo Yoo-min (Sharjah FC), Lee Han-beom (FC Midtjylland), Kim Tae-hyun (Kashima Antlers), Park Jin-seop (Zhejiang FC), Lee Ki-hyuk (Gangwon FC), Lee Tae-seok (Austria Wien), Seol Young-woo (Red Star Belgrade), Jens Castrop (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Kim Moon-hwan (Daejeon Hana Citizen)
-Midfielders (10): Yang Hyun-jun (Celtic), Baek Seung-ho (Birmingham City), Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord), Kim Jin-kyu (Jeonbuk Hyundai), Bae Jun-ho (Stoke City), Um Ji-sung (Swansea City), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Lee Dong-gyeong (Ulsan Hyundai), Lee Jae-sung (Mainz), Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain)
-Forwards (3): Oh Hyun-kyu (Besiktas), Son Heung-min (LA FC), Cho Gue-sung (FC Midtjylland)
-Training partners (3): Kang Sang-yoon (Jeonbuk Hyundai), Yoon Ki-wook (FC Seoul), Jo Wi-je (Jeonbuk Hyundai)
[Sports Today reporter Lee Sang-pil sports@stoo.com]
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