2026 북중미 월드컵의 서막: 홍명보호의 출사표와 손흥민의 라스트 댄스 > K-wave Trends

Coach Hong Myung-bo has put the painful memories of the 2014 Brazil World Cup behind him and worked hard to prepare for this tournament. Coach Hong, who attended the press conference, expressed deep trust in the players' dedication and effort, indicating that all strategic planning has been completed, including the selection of the best 11. In particular, the systematic pre-camp held in Salt Lake City, USA to overcome the high altitude environment of Guadalajara, which is 1,570 meters above sea level, provided psychological relief and confidence to the players. Coach Hong acknowledged that Mexico would enjoy the home advantage, but expressed his firm determination to put all his efforts into the upcoming match against the Czech Republic. His key plan is to learn from the failure of 12 years ago and present lively and exciting soccer in a world of competition where the outcome is unpredictable.

Son Heung-min, the symbol and captain of Korean soccer, maintained the pride of Asian soccer by proudly being named one of the ‘26 key stars’ attracting attention from around the world at this tournament. Foreign media outlets, including Yahoo Sports, analyzed that although Son Heung-min has recently suffered a silence in scoring, if his sense of goal is revived, Korea's chances of passing the group stage will increase dramatically. Son Heung-min himself also called the World Cup ‘the stage of my childhood dreams’ and expressed his solemn determination to risk his life in every game. He drew a line with the speculation raised by some that this is the ‘last World Cup’, saying it is a matter for his own decision, but the leadership and performance he will show both on and off the field is expected to be the most important key for Korea to occupy the round of 32.

The supercomputer of statistics specialist Opta gave a positive outlook, predicting a 42.9% chance of Korea winning the first game against the Czech Republic. This is a significantly higher figure than the Czech Republic's victory probability of 31.1%, and serves as the basis for predicting that Korea's probability of passing the group stage and advancing to the round of 32 is over 70%. These data may be just numbers, but considering the trends of the past 10 years, FIFA rankings, and the current composition of the national team's offensive line, it proves objective power superiority. However, as the World Cup stage is always full of surprises, how the offensive line led by Cho Kyu-sung and Son Heung-min will attack the tall Czech defense team will be a decisive variable that will determine the direction of the game.

World Cup fever is burning even outside the stadium. Large-scale street cheering will be held in places such as Seoul's Gwanghwamun Square and Ttukseom Hangang Park, starting with the match against the Czech Republic on the 12th, and official partners such as Hyundai Motor Company have collaborated with gaming platforms Rocket League and Fortnite to extend the excitement of the World Cup to the digital world. However, on the other hand, administrative difficulties occurred, such as many foreign fans having difficulty entering the country due to visa issuance regulations by the U.S. authorities, which put a damper on the festival atmosphere. Although U.S. President Donald Trump has personally taken the initiative to encourage entry into the country through legal procedures, high barriers still exist for those wishing to watch the World Cup. Nevertheless, marketing activities such as McDonald's launch of World Cup-specific sets are further heightening the excitement of the global festival and uniting the global community.