South Korea captain Son Heung-Min is preparing for his fourth FIFA World Cup as his team open Group A against Czechia at Estadio Guadalajara on Thursday evening, with the 33-year-old still central to South Korea's plans.
Son Heung-Min Leads South Korea Again
Son enters the 2026 World Cup as South Korea's most experienced player, with 144 international caps. ESPN reported that he is 39 caps ahead of Lee Jae-Sung, the next most experienced player in the squad, and remains the player around whom South Korea's attack is expected to turn.
The LAFC forward said at Wednesday's prematch news conference that returning to the World Cup still carries the same pull it had when he was younger. His phrase, "like a young boy again," is neat enough for a headline, but the more important part for South Korea is that the workload still follows him.
Group A Opener Against Czechia Carries Weight
South Korea have failed to win their opening match at the past three World Cups. That pattern has mattered. They went out in the group stage in 2014 and 2018, and in 2022 they needed a dramatic late win over Portugal to reach the round of 16.
Son was part of that 2022 escape, assisting the 91st-minute winner against Portugal. Four years later, the first match against Czechia offers South Korea a chance to avoid starting another tournament with immediate pressure on the table. Group A will not wait politely while a team finds its rhythm.
Hong Myung-Bo Gets Another World Cup Chance
South Korea coach Hong Myung-Bo is also back on a familiar stage. He managed the national team at the 2014 World Cup, when South Korea earned only one point and produced their weakest World Cup campaign since 1998.
Hong said South Korea had accumulated experience since that failure and were well prepared for this tournament. That claim will be tested quickly in Guadalajara. For Son and South Korea, the opener is not just ceremonial noise around a fourth World Cup appearance. It is the first chance to make sure this campaign starts with evidence rather than optimism.