Lee offers consolation to national football team after World Cup group-stage elimination
Korea men's national football team depart their lodgings in Guadalajara, Mexico, Sunday (local time). Yonhap
President Lee Jae Myung offered words of consolation to the men's national football team Wednesday after the country failed to advance beyond the group stage at this year's FIFA World Cup.
The president left the message on social platform X, formerly Twitter. Korea was eliminated from the 2026 FIFA World Cup after securing a 2-1 win against the Czech Republic, followed by 1-0 losses to both Mexico and South Africa.
"I extend my deep consolation to the Korean football team players, who must have heavier hearts than anyone," Lee wrote. "Captain Son Heung-min and other national team members have indeed gone through great hardship."
"(I cannot imagine) How futile they must have felt about the reality that this whole journey ended just in a few days," the president said, praising the players for not giving up until the end and giving their all on the pitch. "Regardless of the competition results, they are Korea's proud national players."
"Genuine cheering means not letting go of our hold on the players' hands despite disappointing results," the president added, pledging efforts to help the latest loss become a foundation for a bigger leap forward for Korean football.