▲ On the 19th, at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, OGFC’s Park Ji-sung sprinted across the pitch during the OGFC vs. Suwon Samsung Legends match. ⓒ Shoot For Love
[SPOTV News = Suwon, Reporter Cho Yong-un] Park Ji-sung (45), a living icon of South Korean soccer, offered candid advice to the next generation preparing for the 2026 North American World Cup. Drawing on his experience as a former national team captain, he stressed that this moment belongs to the players.
Park scored at every World Cup he played in, becoming the first Asian player to score in three consecutive tournaments. He also captained South Korea at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, helping lead the team to a memorable round-of-16 finish on foreign soil.
On the 19th, Park spoke with reporters at Suwon World Cup Stadium about how the national team should prepare for the North American World Cup. That day he featured in an exhibition match for OGFC, a side made up of former Manchester United teammates, against the Suwon Samsung Legends. Teaming up with former stars like Rio Ferdinand and Edwin van der Sar, Park gave fans a nostalgic evening before shifting his focus to the upcoming tournament where his juniors will carry the torch.
Above all, Park emphasized staying physically fit. “The most important thing is that call-ups come after the season ends, so you have to stay healthy and keep your fitness,” he said. “Every player’s situation is different. The key is how well each player can get their condition up before joining the national team.”
He was underscoring that after a long club season, a player’s ability to restore their physical rhythm quickly will determine their effectiveness in a short tournament like the World Cup. With many players based in Europe, Hong Myung-bo’s squad faces the challenge of recovering from lengthy club campaigns and arriving in peak form for national duty.
▲ On the 19th, at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, OGFC’s Park Ji-sung sprinted across the pitch during the OGFC vs. Suwon Samsung Legends match. ⓒ Shoot For Love
He also argued that individual preparation is the bedrock of team performance. “The national team is a team, but if individual players aren’t in good condition, the team can’t perform well,” Park said. “I hope players stay fit as they prepare for the World Cup.”
Hong’s side has spent nearly two years building cohesion, so the team’s tactical readiness should be near completion by the time final preparations wrap. From here, each player must be able to deliver maximum energy if the squad is to build the momentum needed for a landmark quarterfinal run on foreign soil.
Park’s counsel carries extra weight because his career backs it up. In the 2002 World Cup co-hosted by South Korea and Japan, his chest-trap and winning goal against Portugal were decisive in the country’s run to the semifinals. In 2006 in Germany he scored a dramatic equalizer against France, and in 2010 he added a late clincher against Greece—consistently delivering in decisive moments after timing his conditioning right ahead of the tournaments.
▲ The national team’s final roadmap for the North American World Cup, including the pre-tournament camp, begins in mid-May. Coach Hong Myung-bo plans to announce the final roster on May 16 before departing for the United States. ⓒ Korea Football AssociationThe ball is now in the younger players’ court. Coach Hong will officially name the final World Cup roster on May 16, just over a month from now. Two days later, on May 18, Hong and the core domestic contingent will fly to the pre-tournament camp in Salt Lake City, Utah.
They’ll train there through June 4, then move to their base camp in Guadalajara, Mexico. That’s when the conditioning work Park stressed will need to be completed. Hong’s squad opens its World Cup campaign on June 12 against the Czech Republic, and they’ll be aiming to fuel a historic push to the quarterfinals on foreign soil.
