"Dad, please keep the shop closed for one more month"... The heartwarming love behind the World Cup winner's goal [2026 FIFA World Cup]

[The Financial News] For many South Korean fathers in their 40s and 50s, feelings for their children are always deep and tender, whether on or off the pitch. A boy who once chased a soccer ball with tiny feet has grown up to become the hero of a thrilling winning goal on the World Cup stage watched by the entire world. The quiet devotion of one father, who set aside his livelihood to witness that breathless moment in person, is moving football fans deeply.
When Oh Hyeon-gyu of the South Korea national football team, led by coach Hong Myung-bo, scored a miraculous come-from-behind winner in the team's 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic in the opening Group A match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Guadalajara Stadium in Mexico on the 12th, the entire city of Namyangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, his hometown, erupted in celebration.
The place drawing the most attention was a small chueo-tang restaurant in Hopyeong-dong, Namyangju. It is the workplace run by Oh Hyeon-gyu's father, who has poured his sweat into the business. But the shutter is now firmly down. A large banner across the front of the shop reads, "We will be cheering for the World Cup from June 8 to 30. We apologize for any inconvenience caused by your visit." To watch his son's first World Cup appearance with his own eyes and cheer as loudly as he could, he boarded a flight to faraway Mexico with his family.

Neighbors describe Oh Hyeon-gyu's father as the very image of a quiet Korean father. He never went out of his way to boast to others that his son was a national team player. Instead, he simply hung a photo of his son in one corner of the shop and showed his love in the way that mattered most, from deep within his heart.
Nearby merchants were smiling broadly as well. Kang Jin-seop, the owner of a nearby makguksu restaurant who has often seen Oh Hyeon-gyu visit his father's shop, could not hide his emotion. "There is nothing more prideful for us local residents than seeing our Hyeon-gyu, who grew up in Namyangju, score at the World Cup," he said. "Right after the winning goal, I sent a congratulatory message to his father. I hope our national team keeps winning so that Hyeon-gyu's father has to keep the shop closed for much longer than just a month."

Born in Wabu-eup, Namyangju, and having honed his skills at Maseog Elementary School, Maetan Middle School, and Maetan High School, Oh Hyeon-gyu has long carried the hopes of those around him. Behind every fierce contest in the world of sport are the unseen tears and sweat of the families who raise the players. Because his father shut the doors of his livelihood and traveled to the scorching fields of Mexico, Oh Hyeon-gyu's feet, wearing the Taegeuk mark, were able to shine more freely than ever.
jsi@fnnews.com Jeon Sang-il Reporter