Former South Korean national team coach took the blame for the team's failure at the 2026 World Cup
Former South Korean national team head coach Hong Myung-bo stated that he takes full responsibility for the team’s poor performance at the 2026 World Cup, after which the South Korean national team failed to advance from the group stage.
Following the team’s early exit from the tournament, the coach resigned and later testified at a hearing of the South Korean National Assembly’s Committee on Culture, Sports, and Tourism, where the activities of the Korea Football Association (KFA) were discussed.
During the hearing, the former coach stated that the head coach is always responsible for the team’s final result.
“I was the head coach, and this position is ultimately judged by results. Since our performance at this World Cup was unsuccessful, I take full responsibility for everything,” Hong Myung-bo emphasized.
He also apologized to the fans and expressed his gratitude to the players for their efforts during the tournament.
“I want to express my apologies and gratitude to the players who fought until the very end, despite the difficult situation. I feel a great sense of responsibility for not being able to repay them with results,” said the former coach.
During the parliamentary hearings, lawmakers also heard from former Korean Football Association (KFA) President Chun Mong-kyu, who likewise acknowledged responsibility for the national team’s poor performance.
“I am sorry for the series of controversies and the disappointing result at the World Cup. As the head of the KFA, I feel a deep sense of responsibility and regret that I did not live up to the fans’ expectations,” Chun stated.
A separate topic of the hearings was the circumstances surrounding the appointment of Hong Myung-bo as head coach of the national team in 2024. Lawmakers drew attention to a potential conflict of interest, as the coach and the then-president of the KFA had attended the same university.
However, Hong Myung-bo and Chung Mong-kyu categorically denied that personal acquaintances or having attended the same university could have influenced the decision to appoint the head coach.
Following a disappointing performance at the 2026 World Cup, the work of the Korean Football Association’s leadership and the process of appointing the coaching staff became the subject of a separate parliamentary inquiry.
This was reported by Korean media.
As a reminder, FIFA plans to change the governance model for its major soccer tournaments. The organization is establishing a new company to which the commercial rights to the World Cups will be transferred, and it intends to sell a portion of the company’s shares to investors. One of the main contenders to participate in the project is said to be the fund of American billionaire Joshua Kushner—the brother of Ivanka Trump’s husband.
However, this initiative has already sparked debate within the soccer community. According to the publication, UEFA fears that the creation of a new commercial structure will further strengthen FIFA’s influence on global soccer and could affect European club tournaments. No official agreement has been reached yet, but according to sources cited by The New York Times, preparations for a large-scale reform are already underway.
