"73 Successful Passes, He Toyed with the Czech Midfield"... Hwang In-beom's 'Crazy Stats' Stun Dutch Media [2026 FIFA World Cup]

[Financial News] Rotterdam, the heart of the Netherlands, has been set ablaze by the name of a midfielder wearing South Korea's red jersey. A player once reduced to tears on the bench after being ruled out for the season by a chronic injury has now returned like magic on the World Cup's biggest stage, and even major Dutch media outlets in the home of Total football are rising to their feet in applause.
On the 12th, after Hong Myung-bo's South Korea national football team defeated the Czech Republic 2-1, leading Dutch outlets ran major stories praising the overwhelming performance of Hwang In-beom, who plays for Feyenoord Rotterdam, and showered him with acclaim.
The Netherlands' highest-circulation daily, De Telegraaf, highlighted on its front page that "South Korea completed a stunning comeback against the Czech Republic led by Feyenoord Rotterdam's Hwang In-beom." The paper also emphasized that Feyenoord's official channels were quickly sharing his standout performance and brilliant chip shot, celebrating his rise as the club's new star. AD offered a similar verdict. It said, "The Feyenoord midfielder emerged as the hero of a perfect match, scoring a picture-perfect equalizer and providing the assist for the winning goal."
What stands out most is the detailed statistical analysis by the Dutch edition of the sports outlet Eurosport. The media outlet focused on the sheer control behind Hwang In-beom's dazzling attacking return of one goal and one assist.

Hwang attempted as many as 81 passes on the day and completed 73 of them accurately to his teammates. That was the clear best mark among all players on the pitch for either side. It is a stark statistic that shows he did not merely hover around the box, but completely dismantled and controlled the Czech midfield through ball retention under pressure and tempo management.
What makes the performance even more moving is the difficult road he has traveled over the past few months. In the second half of this season, Hwang had to endure a long and lonely rehabilitation process after suffering a severe foot injury that kept him out of club matches. Eurosport also said, "For him, after such a long rehabilitation, this World Cup match against the Czech Republic became the perfect comeback game," giving deep meaning to his story of overcoming injury.
Rising above the despair of injury and proving his tactical value to the fullest under Mexico's blazing sun, Hwang In-beom has drawn a wave of praise from foreign media at the center of European football. The acclaim pouring in from abroad is a glittering coronation, signaling that he has fully emerged as a commander of a level beyond Asia.
jsi@fnnews.com Jeon Sang-il Reporter