▲ Head coach Hong Myung-bo of the South Korean national football team, competing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, watches his players train at Chivas Valle Verde in Zapopan, near Guadalajara, Mexico, on the 8th (local time).
The South Korean national football team has decided to skip the pitch inspection session at the venue for its first match against the Czech Republic in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The national team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, announced that it will not participate in the grass adaptation session originally scheduled for the afternoon of tomorrow (the 11th) at Guadalajara Stadium.
In previous tournaments and standard international matches, both teams typically hold press conferences and official training sessions at the stadium the day before the match.
For this tournament, however, official training sessions are being held at each team's respective training grounds.
Instead, teams are usually given time to step onto the pitch to get a feel for the grass.
However, the South Korean team has decided to forgo this opportunity.
A team official explained, "We decided not to attend the pitch inspection because the grass at the stadium is identical to the grass at our current training ground."
Guadalajara Stadium, the venue for South Korea's first and second group stage matches, is the home stadium of the prestigious Mexican league club CD Guadalajara.
The South Korean team's training ground is also the training facility for CD Guadalajara.
Not only is the type of grass the same, but because the management entity is also the same, the pitch conditions are nearly identical.
The national team will face the Czech Republic at Guadalajara Stadium on the 12th at 11:00 a.m. (Korea Standard Time).
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.