Every trial became blessing in disguise: Dad behind Korea’s new World Cup hero
"Compared to four years ago, the situation is completely different. The emotion I feel now is beyond words." The voice of Oh Hyeon-gyu's father, Oh Hae-seon,57, was noticeably hoarse. It was no surprise — earlier that day, he had shouted his son's name louder and more passionately than at any other moment in his life. Oh Hyeon-gyu, 25, who plays for the Turkish club Beşiktaş, became the hero of Korea's 2–1 victory over the Czech Republic on June 12 (Korea time) at Estadio Guadalajara in Zapopan, Mexico, scoring the decisive go-ahead goal in the 35th minute of the second half in their opening Group A match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Meeting reporters at a hotel in Guadalajara after the match, Oh Hae-seon said, "When my son traveled to the 2022 Qatar World Cup as a reserve player without an official squad number, I remember thinking, 'I wish the final roster could include 27 players instead of 26.' Looking back, that experience became tremendous motivation for him and ultimately helped make him the hero he was today." Yet being a reserve player four years ago was far from the greate
