Riding high, S. Korea looking to stretch winning streak vs. Palestine

It was barely two months ago that South Korea were held to a goalless draw by underdogs Palestine to begin the third round of the Asian qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Boos rained down from disgruntled fans at Seoul World Cup Stadium on Sept. 5, some voicing their displeasure with the controversial hiring of Hong Myung-bo as head coach, and others letting their feelings known about the team's lackluster showing. Defender Kim Min-jae even argued with some fans in the stands after

Nov. 17, 2024

Coach Hong cites single-minded focus as key to success in World Cup qualifying

South Korea men's football head coach Hong Myung-bo took the reins in July under less-than-ideal circumstances, dogged by criticism of an unfair hiring process by the Korea Football Association. He was booed lustily by home fans before, during and after his first match, a World Cup qualifier against Palestine on Sept. 5 in Seoul. That the match ended in a goalless draw only added fuel to the fire. With each passing match, though, Hong has gradually come to be viewed in a different light. Bo

Nov. 15, 2024

Sonny scores in return as S. Korea beat Kuwait for 4th consecutive win in World Cup qualifying

Captain Son Heung-min marked his international return with a goal, as South Korea defeated Kuwait 3-1 for their fourth consecutive victory in the ongoing World Cup qualification round in Kuwait City on Thursday. Son converted a penalty that he had drawn himself at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium during the teams' Group B match in the third round of the Asian qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It was Son's 50th international goal, which put him in a tie for second place on

Nov. 15, 2024

S. Korea coach not decided on Sonny's availability in World Cup qualifier vs. Kuwait

South Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo said Wednesday he has not yet decided whether captain Son Heung-min will play against Kuwait in the upcoming World Cup qualifying match, with the Tottenham Hotspur talisman coming off a long injury layoff. South Korea, world No. 22, will face 135th-ranked Kuwait in their fifth Group B match in the third round of the Asian qualification tournament for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday. The contest kicks off at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium in Kuwait C

Nov. 13, 2024

With Sonny back, S. Korea chasing 4th consecutive win in World Cup qualification

With their longtime captain Son Heung-min back from injury, South Korea will chase their fourth consecutive victory in the ongoing World Cup qualification tournament this week against Kuwait. South Korea, world No. 22, will visit 135th-ranked Kuwait at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium in Kuwait City at 5 p.m. Thursday local time, or 11 p.m. the same night in Seoul. It will be the fifth Group B match for both nations in the third round of the Asian qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. S

Nov. 12, 2024

FIFA President Infantino visits KFA

FIFA President Gianni Infantino paid a visit to the headquarters of the Korea Football Association in Seoul on Monday. Infantino arrived in South Korea earlier Monday to attend the Asian Football Confederation Annual Awards, scheduled to take place in Seoul on Tuesday evening. The KFA said this was Infantino's first visit to its office since 2017, when South Korea hosted the FIFA U-20 World Cup. Infantino met with KFA President Chung Mong-gyu and other KFA officials. He was briefed on the c

Oct. 28, 2024

Legends defy time in friendly match in Seoul

It was a scene more fitting for a classic video game or a daydream than on the actual field: Thierry Henry crossing to Andrei Shevchenko, Alessandro Del Piero dribbling past Fabio Cannavaro before being thwarted by Carles Puyol. But these weren’t pixelated figures on a screen; they were real, flesh-and-blood legends playing in front of some 64,210 fans in Seoul, on Sunday. The Nexon Icons Match at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Sangam-dong, northwestern Seoul, brought together dozens of the bi

Oct. 21, 2024

Son Heung-min's father ordered to pay fine for child abuse

Son Woong-jung, a football coach and father of Premier League star Son Heung-min, was ordered by a local court Friday to pay a fine over charges of abusing young players at his football training center. The Chuncheon District Court in Chuncheon, some 75 kilometers northeast of Seoul, ordered Son Woong-jung, his son Son Heung-yun and another coach at Son Football Academy to each pay 3 million won (US$2,220) in fine. All three were also asked to complete 40 hours of child abuse treatment programs.

Oct. 11, 2024

Barca hoping to return to Camp Nou 'by end of year'

Barcelona are hoping to return to their legendary Camp Nou stadium, currently undergoing modernisation and expansion work, "by the end of the year," club spokesperson Elena Fort said on Monday. The Catalan giants' construction roadmap was presented to the press on Monday, with officials insisting the club was "actively working" to return to the Camp Nou "by the end of the year" with an initial 62,000 capacity, instead of the 105,000 planned at the end of the wo

Oct. 7, 2024

[Graphic News] Chelsea tops transfer spending, surpassing $1.3b

Chelsea Football Club has been named the most expensive soccer team in the world, according to the CIES Football Observatory, a Swiss research center. In its latest report, Chelsea ranked first among the top 100 clubs for spending the most on transfer fees. Since American businessman Todd Boehly acquired the club from Roman Abramovich in 2022, Chelsea has invested approximately $1.39 billion on player transfers. Despite this heavy expenditure, the club finished 12th in the 2022-23 Premier Leag

Oct. 7, 2024

Ulsan extend K League 1 lead with victory over rival club

Two-time champions Ulsan HD FC extended their lead at the top of the K League 1 table with a come-from-behind win over second-place Gimcheon Sangmu FC on Sunday. Yago Cariello scored the tiebreaking goal in the 80th minute to lift Ulsan to a 2-1 victory at Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan, some 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, in the teams' final match of the first phase of the season. With 33 matches in the books, the 12 teams have been split into two tiers: the top six in Final A and the

Oct. 6, 2024

Injured captain Son Heung-min dropped from nat'l team for World Cup qualifiers

South Korea captain Son Heung-min will not play in two World Cup qualifying matches later this month due to a left hamstring injury, the national football federation announced Friday. The Korea Football Association said the national team staff had decided to drop Son from the 26-man squad to "protect the player's health," after Son sustained his injury during a UEFA Europa League match for Tottenham Hotspur against Qarabag on Sept. 26 in London. Son has since missed two matches --

Oct. 4, 2024

FIFA warns S. Korean football body of possible sanctions due to investigation by sports ministry

FIFA has warned the Korea Football Association (KFA) of possible sanctions for violating its obligation to operate independently, in light of an ongoing probe by the sports ministry. A FIFA official confirmed to Yonhap News Agency on Thursday that the global football body had sent a letter to the KFA, referring the South Korean member association to "its statutory obligation to manage its affairs independently and to ensure that its own affairs are not unduly influenced by any third parties

Oct. 3, 2024

Ministry confirms irregularities in national soccer coach hiring

The South Korean soccer association violated multiple regulations in hiring the current and former national team coaches, the Ministry of Culture Sports and Tourism confirmed Wednesday. The ministry, however, said that it remained unclear whether the violations would invalidate the contract of Hong Myung-bo, the current coach who replaced Juergen Klinsmann. "The Korea Football Association had said that all regulations were met in hiring the national team coach, but the probe revealed inap

Oct. 2, 2024

Natl. football head coach rejects claims of preferential treatment in hiring process

Hong Myung-bo, the beleaguered head coach of the South Korean men's national football team, said Tuesday he doesn't think he was given any preferential treatment when he was hired for the job this summer. Hong also defied calls for his resignation over the issue. Hong made these comments during the questioning session by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee of the National Assembly. The coach was among witnesses summoned by the committee, whose lawmakers grilled Hong, Korea Footba

Sept. 24, 2024

KFA Chair denies unfair hiring of national coach

Korea Football Association chief Chung Mong-gyu on Tuesday denied any attempts to plot a “scheme or cover up the truth,” in the hiring of men’s national football team head coach Hong Myung-bo, which has been under suspicion of irregularities. He was summoned to testify before the National Assembly’s Culture, Sports, and Tourism Committee on the allegations that the KFA hired the 55-year-old star football player-turned-coach in July as the head coach of the men’s squ

Sept. 24, 2024

Nexon to host exhibition match featuring soccer legends in Seoul next month

Nexon, the developer behind popular soccer video games FC Online and FC Mobile, said Monday it will host a real-life exhibition match featuring retired soccer legends, including Didier Drogba, Kaka and Rio Ferdinand, at Seoul World Cup Stadium on Oct. 19 and 20. The Icon Match is a collaboration between Nexon and the Korean soccer YouTube channel Shoot for Love. It will showcase former star players featured in Nexon’s games as part of the Icon Class -- a collection of legendary soccer play

Sept. 23, 2024

Assembly to review disputed appointment of national soccer team coach

The controversy-ridden appointment of men's national soccer team head coach Hong Myung-bo will be reviewed by the National Assembly on Tuesday morning, during the sports committee's assessment of the current issues in the sports circles. Hong, Korea Football Association chief Chung Mong-gyu, and KFA Technical Director Lee Lim-saeng who headed the coaching selection, were chosen to be witnesses in the questioning by the members of the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee. The

Sept. 22, 2024

Ex-Premier Leaguer Lingard apologizes for unlicensed e-scooter riding

FC Seoul’s soccer player Jesse Lingard posted an apology Tuesday for riding an electric scooter without having a driver’s license or wearing a helmet. Lingard revealed a video on his Instagram story with the caption “Safety first always,” where he said “Obviously I was on an e-scooter yesterday, I was driving around for a couple of minutes on an e-scooter. The policy, you know, I didn’t know the rules of the policy of wearing a helmet, of having a license as w

Sept. 18, 2024

'Keep IU off the grass': Soccer fans oppose K-pop concerts at World Cup Stadium

  From Madison Square Garden in New York to Wembley Stadium in London, the biggest sports arenas and stadiums in major cities often double as concert venues. But holding concerts at Seoul World Cup Stadium is being challenged by some soccer fans complaining that nonsports events there have crucial detrimental effects on the field. A self-proclaimed fan of Son Heung-min on Sept. 11 posted a petition on the state-run e-People website, calling for the cancellation of the K-pop superstar IU's c

Sept. 17, 2024