Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo gives instructions to his players during their Group A match against Mexico at the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Estadio Guadalajara in Zapopan, Mexico, Thursday (local time). Yonhap
ZAPOPAN, Mexico — Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo praised his players for their effort following a 1-0 loss to Mexico on Thursday at the FIFA World Cup, saying they now need to shift their focus to their final group stage match instead of dwelling on the defeat.
Korea looked to be in control of the match but conceded the match's lone goal five minutes after the restart at Estadio Guadalajara in Zapopan, western Mexico. Goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu came off his line to grab a header by Raul Jimenez in the air but then crashed into the back of his own defender, Lee Gi-hyuk, on the way down. Luis Romo was in the right spot at the right time for El Tri, as he slotted home the ball that had spilled loose.
"The result is quite disappointing but the players executed their plans well overall," Hong said. "It's a shame we conceded the goal the way we did but the players gave their best effort."
Hong said he hadn't yet spoken to the team about the fateful play and he speculated that Kim and Lee had a communication breakdown.
