World Cup 26: Mexico beats South Africa in opener SEOUL, June 12 (AJP) - SEOUL, June 12 (AJP) — The 2026 FIFA World Cup opened in Mexico City on Thursday with a lavish ceremony blending Mexican cultural imagery, global pop performances and the increasingly commercial face of the expanded 48-team tournament. Shakira and Burna Boy performed “Dai Dai,” the official song of the tournament, while the broader opening lineup included J Balvin, Maná, Los Ángeles Azules, Alejandro Fernández, Be June 12, 2026

South Korea set to face Czechia in must-win World Cup opener SEOUL, June 11 (AJP) - This year's FIFA World Cup kicked off its month-long football extravaganza on Thursday, launching the largest tournament in the sport's history. Featuring 48 teams in 104 matches hosted by three countries of Canada, Mexico, and the U.S., the quadrennial event will be staged in North America until July 19, when the final match will decide the winner. What makes it starkly different from previous World Cups is that it features three separate opening c June 11, 2026

South Korea as slight favorite over Czech Republic in World Cup group stage: Opta SEOUL, June 10 (AJP) - South Korea is viewed as a slight favorite over the Czech Republic in their first group-stage match on Friday (in Korean time) at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to a revised forecast by football statistics firm Opta. Opta said Wednesday that its supercomputer gave South Korea a 42.9 percent chance of beating the Czech Republic in the Group A match. The Czech Republic's chance of victory was estimated at 31.1 percent, while the probability of a draw st June 10, 2026

The wildcard in Team Taegeuk Warriors  SEOUL, May 29 (AJP) - When Hong Myung-bo named his squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup last month, most of the coverage landed in the same place: Son Heung-min, captain, icon, almost certainly making his fourth and final appearance at the tournament. The farewell tour angle wrote itself. But scroll past the familiar names — Son, Lee Kang-in, Kim Min-jae, Hwang Hee-chan — and one entry reads differently. Bae Jun-ho, 22, Stoke City, attacker. Not a household name. Not y May 29, 2026

KFA chief Chung Mong-gyu to step down after 2026 World Cup SEOUL, May 29 (AJP) - Chung Mong-gyu, president of the Korea Football Association, said Friday he will step down after the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, ending his 13-year tenure at the helm of South Korean football. In a statement released two weeks before the tournament opens, Chung said he intends to resign after the World Cup, calling support for the national team his final duty as head of the association. "I intend to step down as president of the Korea Footb May 29, 2026

Naegohyang becomes first N. Korean club to win Asian women's football title SEOUL, May 23 (AJP) - North Korea’s Naegohyang Women’s Football Club defeated Tokyo Verdy Beleza of Japan on Saturday to win the Asian women’s club football title. Naegohyang beat Tokyo Verdy 1-0 in the final of the 2025-26 Asian Football Confederation Women’s Champions League (AWCL) at Suwon Sports Complex, with captain Kim Kyong-yong scoring the winner in the 44th minute. The victory made Naegohyang the first North Korean team to win the tournament and w May 23, 2026

AJP Watch: The night Suwon lost more than a ball match SEOUL, May 21 (AJP) - The rain never stopped in Suwon on Wednesday night. Cold rain swept across the stands, soaked the banners and turned the pitch slick beneath the floodlights. Still, hundreds of South Koreans remained in their seats in plastic ponchos, pounding balloon sticks and chanting for a North Korean football club playing in the South for the first time in years. By the end of the night, Suwon FC Women had lost more than a semifinal. Suwon FC Women, led by May 21, 2026

Son Heung-min heads to fourth World Cup as Korea names 26-man squad SEOUL, May 17 (AJP) - Son Heung-min will lead South Korea to his fourth and possibly final World Cup after head coach Hong Myung-bo named the 26-man squad for the 2026 tournament on Saturday. Hong announced the roster in Seoul, selecting three forwards, 10 midfielders, 10 defenders and three goalkeepers for the June 11-July 19 World Cup in North America. South Korea competes in Group A against Czechia, South Africa and Mexico, with all three group-stage matches to be played in May 17, 2026