AL RAYYAN, Qatar -- Aware of South Korea's checkered history at the FIFA World Cup, South Korea head coach Paulo Bento said Wednesday he doesn't think his players should put any burden on their own shoulders. Bento and his 26-man squad will open their 2022 World Cup against Uruguay at 4 p.m. Thursday at Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, just west of Doha. Against the 14th-ranked Uruguay, South Korea, at No. 28, will be the underdogs. At his prematch press conference at the Main Media Centre,

AL RAYYAN, Qatar -- Injured South Korean captain Son Heung-min will be able to play against Uruguay in the team's first World Cup match on Thursday, head coach Paulo Bento said on the eve of the contest. "Sonny will be able to play," Bento said at his prematch press conference at the Main Media Centre in Al Rayyan, just west of Doha, on Wednesday. Son has been training while wearing a protective mask, after suffering fractures around his left eye in a collision with an opposing player

After strong start at Serie A's Napoli, Korean centerback aims to impress in his World Cup debut

The National Police Agency said Wednesday it will dispatch around 600 personnel to a mass street cheering event for the South Korean men's soccer team's first game at the FIFA World Cup being played in Qatar on Thursday. A total of eight squads of riot police and 41 additional police officers will be deployed to maintain order at Gwanghwamun Square, located in Jongno, central Seoul, where fans plan to gather. The Seoul municipal government decided Tuesday evening to allow the Red Devil

DOHA -- Uruguay may be favored against South Korea when they square off in their first Group H match this week, but that does not mean the South Americans will take their Asian foes lightly, Uruguay midfielder Lucas Torreira said Tuesday. "We are always facing each match with the same mentality, no matter if it is South Korea or Portugal," Torreira said after a training session at Al Erssal Training Site in Doha, referring to two of Uruguay's three opponents in the group stage of

Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-min is a one of the best-known players in the world of soccer, but the 30-year-old striker has said one match stands out in his memory, and for a very particular, personal reason. Read on to find what match it was, plus a couple of other tidbits about the South Korean superstar that fans may not be familiar with. Son's finest hour Son has said that his finest moment was the South Korean national team beating Germany 2-0 in the final group-stage match of t

DOHA -- As South Korea prepare to kick off their 2022 FIFA World Cup against Uruguay on Thursday, all eyes will be on their captain, Son Heung-min, or, more specifically, his face. The Tottenham Hotspur talisman has been training with a protective mask covering his injured face in Qatar. He suffered multiple fractures around his left eye in a collision during a match on Nov. 1 and underwent surgery three days later. The opening Group H match between South Korea and Uruguay will be played exactly

DOHA -- When South Korea stunned then-defending champions Germany 2-0 in the group stage of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, knocking the European giants out of the tournament, it left a bitter taste in the mouth of many fans in the proud football nation. Lothar Matthaus, one of football's all-time greats, was no exception. In a media roundtable on Monday in Doha, with Yonhap News Agency as the only South Korean outlet, Matthaus was asked about that fateful match in 2018. Before the quest

DOHA -- Recovering from a facial injury that has limited him in the buildup for the FIFA World Cup, South Korean captain Son Heung-min headed the ball for the first time in training on Monday. Son and the rest of the South Korean team returned to Al Egla Training Site in Doha on Monday, after enjoying their first day off Sunday. The Taegeuk Warriors' first match in Group H is against Uruguay at 4 p.m. Thursday at Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, just west of Doha, or 10 p.m. the same da

The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 kicked off Sunday, and the South Korean national team is now putting the final touches ahead of its first game against Uruguay on Thursday. South Korea faces an uphill battle with powerhouses like Portugal and Uruguay in the same group, who are widely considered contenders for the coveted World Cup. Ghana is hardly a pushover either, despite being the lowest FIFA-ranked team of the group at No. 61, with stars like Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey in the mix. Koreans

DOHA -- Ahead of what should be his FIFA World Cup debut against South Korea this week, Uruguay goalkeeper Sergio Rochet feels he is prepared to stare down the opposition's top offensive weapon, Son Heung-min. And even if Son, who's recovering from multiple facial fractures, cannot play, Rochet believes other South Koreans will pick up the slack and not miss a beat. And he will be ready for them too. "Son Heung-min is a player of high quality. I've been watching him and study

AL KHOR, Qatar -- The streak has ended. Qatar are now the first FIFA World Cup host country to lose their opening match. No host nation had ever dropped their first match at the quadrennial tournament, dating back to 1934, until Sunday night, when Ecuador crashed Qatar's party with a 2-0 victory in the opening Group A showdown. Captain Enner Valencia grabbed a brace for Ecuador at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, about 50 kilometers north of Doha, where Qatar did not put a shot on target. Qatari

The 2022 FIFA World Cup kicked off on Sunday with BTS star Jungkook performing a new single in an opening ceremony built on a message of inclusion and diversity. Jungkook, a member of the award-winning K-pop group, performed the song "Dreamers" with Qatari singer Fahad Al-Kubaisi at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, some 50 kilometers north of Doha. "Dreamers," produced by Grammy Award winner RedOne at Katara Studios in Doha, is the latest single off the official World Cup soundtra

With the FIFA World Cup just around the corner, stocks related to chicken are performing strongly on the Korean stock market in anticipation of a surge in demand. As of 2 p.m. Friday, Kyochon F&B shares were trading at around 12,600 won apiece on the main Kospi bourse, up 2 percent from the previous close. That is nearly 27 percent higher from a month ago. The operator of Kyochon, one of the most popular chicken brands in South Korea, has mounted a strong rally since Oct. 13 when it dipped t

Official supporters club for national soccer team asks for use of Gwanghwamun Plaza