Son Heung-min Feels Like A Young Boy Again Ahead Of South Korea's World Cup Opener

Son Heung-min is preparing for a fourth World Cup finals appearance, and South Korea arrive with strong history and high hopes. South Korea are about to start another campaign on the global stage, carrying the best World Cup qualification record in Asian football and a squad built around Son’s influence in attack.

South Korea open their Group A schedule on 11 June against Czechia, in the second match of the tournament. Co-hosts Mexico face South Africa in the opener. The meeting with Czechia is their first at a World Cup, adding a fresh tactical test at the start of South Korea’s campaign.

This World Cup marks South Korea’s 12th appearance at the finals, more than any other Asian national team. It is also their 11th consecutive World Cup, a sequence stretching back to 1986. Only Brazil, Germany, Argentina and Spain hold longer active streaks of qualification for the finals.

The longer run stands out when compared with other global contenders. Brazil are on 23 straight World Cup appearances, while Germany have 19. Argentina arrive with 14 in a row and Spain with 13. South Korea remain the leading Asian side in that group, underlining their consistency across several generations.

South Korea come into the tournament after a smooth AFC qualifying phase for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Across 16 qualifiers, they stay unbeaten, recording 11 wins and five draws. That record highlights a defence that rarely concedes and an attack shaped around Son’s finishing and creativity.

Son is central to that productivity. During the 2026 qualifying campaign, Son has 14 direct goal involvements. The captain scores 10 goals and provides four assists. At World Cups, Son has been involved in four of South Korea’s last 10 goals, with three scored and one created, showing reliable output in major tournaments.

South Korea World Cup 2026 captain Son Heung-min’s mindset

Son describes the personal meaning of this World Cup with clear emotion. "I'm very happy to be back on the World Cup pitch, which is something I dreamed of from a very young age," Son said in Wednesday's pre-match news conference. "Whether it's my first World Cup or fourth World Cup, I feel like a young boy again. This is the stage of dreams."

Son also reflects on the attitude needed within the squad. "It's not something that can be expressed in one word. Whether it's the first, fourth or sixth World Cup, our mindset must be the same when we participate in the World Cup. The atmosphere, right from the beginning now, is no problem at all. And whenever I see my teammates working so hard for the team, for Korea, sometimes I even have to calm them down. We're very prepared and I hope that we will get a good result because I'm sure they [his teammates] deserve it."

The build-up includes strong interest at home, with coverage confirmed for the Czechia match.

South Korea World Cup 2026 head-to-head with Czechia

Although this is their first World Cup clash, South Korea and Czechia have met three times before in friendly fixtures. Those games bring one win each and one draw. The latest encounter was in June 2016 in Prague, when South Korea secured a 2-1 victory, giving useful reference for both coaching staffs.

Across history, that small sample leaves the head-to-head record evenly balanced. Both teams now test those earlier conclusions on a bigger platform and under more pressure. For South Korea, the match also serves as an early chance to confirm their form, validate qualifying displays and back up Son Heung-min’s optimism with results.