Hong Myung-bo's team arrives in Guadalajara, the battleground city... local fans waving the Taegeukgi cheer, "SON!"

Hong Myung-bo's squad, which is targeting the first-ever away quarterfinal berth in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, has arrived in Mexico, the site of its decisive matches, and has begun full-scale acclimation. Although the team is in the heart of Mexico, one of its group-stage opponents, the warm welcome from local fans made the training ground feel almost like home.
The South Korea national team, led by Hong Myung-bo, held its first training session in Mexico on June 6 local time at Verde Valle Training Facility in Zapopan, near its base camp in Guadalajara. The session was organized as a FIFA Community Training event, and more than 800 local Mexican fans packed the venue.
Even though the crowd was overwhelmingly made up of local Mexicans rather than Korean residents, the atmosphere at the training ground did not feel foreign. Fans waved miniature Taegeukgi flags and cheered loudly for the Taeguk Warriors. The crowd included children with Taegeukgi painted on their faces and families wearing South Korea national team jerseys. In particular, when captain Son Heung-min of LAFC walked around the pitch to greet fans, chants of "SON!" erupted from all over the stands. Despite the friendly mood, the training itself was intense and game-like. After a light warm-up, the team split into two sides and played a fast-paced mini-game.
The main focus was to sharpen central passing patterns to break through the opponent's compact, deep defensive block. The session reflected Hong's careful tactical intent to reduce the team's reliance on predictable wing play, a weakness that has long been pointed out, and to maximize the synergy with central attacks.
The recovery of injured players is also encouraging. Bae Jun-ho, who was left out of training after hurting his ankle in a hard tackle during the match against Trinidad and Tobago, ran at high speed on his own that day, signaling a positive step toward full recovery. Excluding Lee Tae-seok, the left back who is dealing with calf discomfort, 25 players took to the field. Key center back Kim Min-jae of Munich did not push himself, and after a light warm-up, he left early to manage his condition.
The team plans to use the remaining time to adapt to the altitude and raise its tactical sharpness to the highest level as it prepares for its opening Group stage match against the Czech Republic on June 12.