Football greats believe Korea can win World Cup someday

From left, former Korean football players Cha Duri, Cha Bum-kun, Brazilian midfielder Gilberto Silva and Lee Young-pyo pose during the Seoul stop of the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour at CGV Yongsan IPark Mall in Seoul, Friday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

The FIFA World Cup Trophy is the holy grail of football, the sport's ultimate prize that no one other than champions and heads of state may touch.

And when the coveted prize arrived in Seoul on Friday for a two-day visit as part of the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour, to get their hands on it. They stood only meters from the prize on the stage at CGV Yongsan IPark Mall for photo-ops but they might as well have been oceans away.

They all said they hoped to see the day when a younger generation of players from Korea will get to lift the trophy — if not this year, then sometime down the road.

"I have a love-and-hate relationship with this trophy," former striker Cha Bum-kun quipped while looking at the trophy. He played at the 1986 tournament in Mexico and coached Korea at the 1998 tournament in France. "It is something I really wanted to have but never could. But I have hopes that a new generation of players will get to embrace this trophy."

Cha's son, Cha Duri, played at the 2002 and 2010 World Cups, and served on the national team's coaching staff in 2018.

The junior Cha and Lee Yong-pyo, former left back also on hand for the unveiling, came within two wins of hoisting the trophy in 2002, when they helped the upstart Korea reach the semifinals.

Retired Korean football star Cha Bum-kun, left, points to the FIFA World Cup Trophy while standing next to ex-Brazilian midfielder Gilberto Silva during the Seoul stop of the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour at CGV Yongsan IPark Mall in Seoul, Friday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

"I really hope the moment comes when we will lift this trophy, and I think the trust among all the players and the coaches will be the most important thing," Cha Duri said. "They have to believe in each other that they can get the job done, and they also have to savor the opportunity to play at such a big tournament. If everyone plays with a sense of pride and gets on the same page, then nothing is impossible."

Lee, who also represented Korea at the 2006 and 2010 World Cups, said he would like to see new players keep knocking on the door.

"No one expected our team (in 2002) to reach the semifinals. And if we keep taking small steps, then I think winning the World Cup is possible," Lee added. "I will be rooting for our players to do their very best at this year's World Cup."

Koo Ja-cheol, who captained the 2014 World Cup squad and returned for the 2018 tournament, said he had never seen the trophy so up close until Friday.

"It would have been great to get my hands on this when I played," Koo said. "Like Young-pyo said, I want our current group of players to keep pushing and pushing."

Ex-Brazilian midfielder Gilberto Silva poses for the press with the FIFA World Cup Trophy during the Seoul stop of the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour at CGV Yongsan IPark Mall in Seoul, Friday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

Cha Bum-kun said he didn't want this year's World Cup squad to feel too much pressure.

"I just want the players to do the best they can and come away feeling satisfied with their results," he said. "And if they remember that there are so many fans behind them, it will give them an extra boost."

The one former player who was allowed to touch the trophy Friday was Gilberto Silva, a member of the 2002 World Cup-winning Brazilian squad who carried the trophy from Bangladesh as FIFA's global ambassador. Silva played every minute of Brazil's seven matches in their title run.

About five months from the largest World Cup in history, which will feature 48 nations with the United States, Canada and Mexico as co-hosts, Silva said he couldn't wait to see diverse cultures and football styles all converge.

And his dream final would pit his native Brazil against Korea.

"Personally, I think it will be really special to see Brazil and Korea in the final," the former midfielder said. "That's how highly I think of South Korean football's growth and potential. And it will mean a great deal to football fans around the world."

From left, Lee Jun-yup, CEO of Coca Cola Korea; Kim Seung-hee, executive director of the Korean Football Association; former Brazilian player Gilberto Silva and Korean football players Cha Bum-kun, Lee Young-pyo, Cha Du-ri and Koo Ja-cheol pose during the Seoul stop of the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour at CGV Yongsan IPark Mall in Seoul, Friday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul