▲ Oh Hyeon-gyu, who led the team to victory with a comeback goal, is congratulated by Korea Football Association President Chung Mong-gyu.
Korea Football Association (KFA) President Chung Mong-gyu, who is set to step down, has shared words of encouragement for the Taeguk Warriors following their comeback victory against the Czech Republic in the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while also asking fans for their continued support.
On Saturday, President Chung posted a photo taken before the Korea-Czech Republic match on his social media account, writing, "In the sweltering heat of Mexico on the other side of the globe, our national team has decorated their first match with a valuable victory. Although we conceded the first goal and faced a challenge early in the game, our players used their strong mental fortitude to remain calm until the end and achieved a comeback win."
He added, "I send my unsparing applause to the players for beautifully overcoming the pressure of the grand stage that is the World Cup and maintaining their focus until the very end."
The South Korean national football team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, secured a 2-1 comeback victory against the Czech Republic in their Group A opener of the North and Central America World Cup, held at the Estadio Akron in Zapopan, Mexico, on this day, thanks to consecutive goals from Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord) and Oh Hyeon-gyu (Beşiktaş).
President Chung watched the match in person from the VIP box alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino and others.
After the match, he went down to the pitch to personally congratulate the players.
"I sincerely thank the national team players and coaching staff for getting off to a great start, and the football fans who sent their passionate cheers from both the local stadium in a foreign land and back in Korea, forgetting the time difference," Chung said.
He concluded his post by saying, "I ask for your continued support and encouragement for the national team so that they can continue to achieve good results in the remaining journey."
On May 29, President Chung made a surprise announcement regarding his resignation, stating, "I intend to step down from the position of KFA President after the North and Central America World Cup."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.