The 2002 World Cup in South Korea was one of the strangest, loudest, most-disputed tournaments in the sport's history — and at the center of it was a Korean team that beat Portugal, beat Italy, beat Spain, and made the semifinals against Germany. The captain of that side was a defender named Hong Myung-bo. Twenty-four years later, Hong is the manager of the national team, and the country is asking, gently, whether lightning can strike twice.
Probably not. But Korea arrives in 2026 with one of the most credible Asian squads of the modern era. Son Heung-min — captain, all-time top scorer, now playing his club football for LAFC after a decade at Tottenham — is on his fourth and almost certainly final World Cup. Around him: Lee Kang-in at PSG, Kim Min-jae at Bayern Munich, Hwang Hee-chan at Wolves. This is a squad that, on paper, can hang with anyone in the group stage.
The Group E draw is brutal — Portugal, Uruguay, and Ghana — and Korea will need every bit of the running and pressing that has defined them since 2002. They're the team most likely to surprise on a humid Sunday afternoon in Atlanta or Houston. They're also the team that hasn't won a knockout match in 24 years. Son knows. Hong knows. The Red Devils, all in red, will be there.
Week 1 Update: South Korea got exactly the start they needed — a 2-1 win over Czechia in a match that was tighter than it should have been. The Red Devils are top of Group A alongside Mexico, and Hong Myung-bo's homecoming is off to the kind of start that makes a country dare to remember 2002.
Matchday 2 Update: A 1-0 loss to Mexico — and the 2002 parallels just got a reality check. South Korea are on three points with one match left, still in a strong position to qualify, but the aura of invincibility lasted exactly one game. Son was quiet when it mattered. The Red Devils need a result against South Africa to guarantee safe passage, and Hong knows it.
Matchday 3 Update: A 0-1 loss to South Africa — and the 2002 parallels died for good. South Korea finish 3rd in Group A with 3 points: won the opener against Czechia, then lost to both Mexico and South Africa. Whether they advance depends on the third-place table. Son's fourth World Cup may not get a fifth match.
