Countdown almost over for South Korea

South Korea captain Son Heung-min, center, trains at Zions Bank Training Center in Herriman, Utah, May 27. Newsis

It’s almost time. The countdown to the 2026 World Cup has gone from years to months to weeks, and now it is just days away. On June 11 (local time), South Korea will kick off its 11th successive appearance on the global stage — only Brazil, Argentina, Germany and Spain have longer streaks — against the Czech Republic in the Mexican city of Guadalajara. Then there are games against co-host Mexico and South Africa.

The mood in the country has not been especially positive, but it is time to get excited —this is, after all, the World Cup. It is still the biggest sporting event on the planet. The most famous players are descending on North America, including Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi, Jude Bellingham, Erling Haaland and Korea's own Son Heung-min. The expansion from 32 to 48 teams has been criticized by many, but one thing is for sure: There will be many games — 104 in total — for those that have the time to watch.

How many of those games the Taegeuk Warriors will play remains to be seen. In the past, getting out of the group and into the Round of 16 was seen as success. Now there is a Round of 32. Failing to get that far would not go down well back home.

Coach Hong Myung-bo and his men have been preparing for some time now near Salt Lake City ahead of their move to Mexico. A 5-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago was welcome after some poor results in recent months.

Selecting low-ranked opposition could be seen as a sign of weakness, but playing a stronger team and risking another loss could have been seriously damaging to the squad's already fragile confidence. Son Heung-min scored twice, and even a seasoned player like him would have been pleased to find the target after a dry spell in front of goal for his club LAFC.

Unfortunately, central defender Cho Yu-min sustained an injury that means he will miss the tournament. It is obviously a huge blow for the 29-year-old who was set to start against the Czechs. “I wanted to help the team in any way possible, but I couldn't, so I am sorry. I am also sorry for leaving first," said the UAE-based player.

"I will take all the bad misfortunes that come to the team back to Korea, and leave only my sincere preparation. I sincerely hope that no one else gets injured and that everyone achieves a good performance and great results at the World Cup."

As Cho said, one hopes there is no more bad luck to befall the team. There is better news about Hwang In-beom. The influential midfielder seems to be back after picking up an injury for Feyenoord in the Netherlands. If Hwang can attain full fitness and sharpness, then coach Hong will be feeling much better.

So it’s a mixed bag, as it often is when the World Cup is just days away. The real test is about to start.