Mexico City, June 29: South Korea’s head coach, Hong Myung-bo, has resigned following the team’s early exit from the FIFA World Cup 2026. The team was eliminated in the group stage after a promising start.
South Korea began the tournament with a 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic. However, they faced consecutive 1-0 defeats against Mexico and South Africa. These losses made their path to advancement extremely difficult. Despite finishing third in their group, they failed to qualify as one of the best third-placed teams and were thus eliminated from the tournament.
In a press conference, the 57-year-old coach took full responsibility for the team’s failure. He apologized to the nation’s football fans and announced his resignation from the national team head coach position. Hong stated, “I sincerely apologize to all Koreans who have always supported our national team. I tried to fulfill this responsibility with complete honesty, but I could not deliver the results that people expected. That is why I am resigning.”
He emphasized that the final results are what matter most for a head coach, and he did not succeed in achieving them. Hong also expressed gratitude to his coaching staff and colleagues who worked diligently alongside him. He took charge of the South Korean national team for the second time in 2024. During his tenure, the team played 26 matches, winning 15, losing 6, and drawing 5. Previously, he served as head coach from 2013 to 2014.
Before becoming a coach, Hong was one of South Korea’s legendary players, having played 136 international matches for his country. He began his coaching career in 2009 and later took on the national team responsibilities. In his farewell message, Hong expressed that although he is stepping down as coach, his love for Korean football will never diminish. He remains confident that the team will make a strong comeback in the future and will always stand by the national team as a supporter.
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