A world evaluated by football... A World Cup stage stronger than diplomacy

*This content was translated by AI.

With the opening of the 2026 FIFA North American World Cup, the globe is ablaze with fervent football passion. The Taeguk Warriors, led by Coach Hong Myung-bo, have started smoothly. They began the tournament on a high note with a 2-1 comeback victory against the formidable European team Czech Republic in their first group stage match. Although a second match against host nation Mexico remains, the current momentum suggests ample possibility of advancing to the round of 32. Of course, fans' expectations are likely far higher.

If I were to name the ultimate sports event after a long career as a sports journalist, it would undoubtedly be the World Cup over the Olympics. Football is, quite literally, the 'People's Game,' a sport for all. Thanks to its simple rules—11 players using their feet and heads to score goals over 90 minutes of two halves—it is easily understood by anyone. Referee decisions and match regulations are also relatively clear. Even the offside rule, once a source of much controversy, has become far more intuitive with the introduction of advanced electronic review systems. Football is a sport that is easy to play and easy to watch. As a global sport, football's popularity knows no bounds. World Cup broadcasting rights fees are far higher than those of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Summer Olympics, and FIFA's Gianni In Pan-ti-no (Chairman) has even proposed holding the World Cup every two years instead of four, demonstrating its immense influence.

What I felt most strongly while visiting World Cup venues is that the World Cup is not merely a football tournament. On this stage, economic power, military strength, and even the size of a nation's territory hold little significance. Even a small country can earn the respect of the world if it plays football well, while a superpower may struggle to attract attention if it fails to make its presence felt in football. The World Cup is a place where nations are evaluated not by their status, but by their football prowess.

I vividly experienced this truth in Leipzig, Germany, during the 2006 World Cup when South Korea and France played their second group stage match. South Korea, trailing against France, the favorite with Zinedine Zidane leading the team, managed to secure a 1-1 draw thanks to Park Ji-sung's dramatic equalizing goal in the final moments of the second half.

After the match, I visited a pub in downtown Leipzig with my companions, where the reaction toward Korean fans was astonishing. German fans, French fans, and even fans from other European countries approached us to shake hands and congratulate us on our performance. Everywhere, I saw people clinking beer glasses to express their respect for Korean football.

However, the atmosphere changed once again shortly after fans wearing Brazil jerseys entered the pub. While there was some playful staging, European fans in the pub simultaneously raised both hands, cheering and shouting "Brazil! Brazil!" It felt like a ceremony welcoming envoys from the kingdom of football. Watching this, I thought, "Playing football well means receiving such treatment at the World Cup."

I witnessed a similar scene at the 2022 Qatar World Cup. When I went to cover the third-place match and the final, I could easily see fans wearing Argentina jerseys on the streets and in the subway. Qatari citizens and fans from other countries who met them clapped and wished them victory. In terms of economic power or political influence, Argentina cannot be considered a global superpower. Yet, seeing how it earns the respect and envy of the entire world through football alone, I once again realized the power of sports.

The pride felt by our people after experiencing the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup semi-final miracle would not have been different. Since then, South Korea has produced world-class stars representing Asian football: Park Ji-sung and Son Heung-min. When discussing football with foreign sports journalists or fans, it is almost impossible to talk about Asian football without mentioning these two players. The footprints left by these two players, who helped Asian football—once considered a peripheral region—earn rightful recognition on the global stage, were by no means small, and this is an achievement that all our people can share in pride.

At this World Cup, Curaçao, a small island nation in the Caribbean with a population of just around 150,000, made history by qualifying for the tournament for the first time. Although they suffered a heavy 1-7 defeat to Germany in their first match, many people learned of Curaçao's existence for the first time through this tournament. This alone is a symbolic example of the power of the World Cup.

The World Cup, the greatest sports festival on Earth, is not merely a competition to determine winners and losers. A single goal can change a nation's image, and a single victory can instill immense pride in its people. It can achieve national public relations effects that hundreds of diplomats working for years would struggle to attain, all within a single match.

For South Korea, which already experienced this through the 2002 semi-final miracle, this first victory in the current World Cup carries meaning far beyond simply three points. It is a process of once again imprinting the name "South Korea" on the global stage.

Now, attention turns to the match against Mexico. If South Korean football can once again demonstrate its unique fighting spirit and organizational strength, it will leave a strong impression on the world football community.

The truth I confirmed in a small pub in Leipzig, on the streets of Qatar, and at countless World Cup venues is one.

The World Cup is a stage where nations are evaluated not by their economic scale or military power, but by how much hope and pride they bring to their people and what kind of emotion they inspire in the world. It is the greatest sports stage that places small nations at the center of the world, instills pride in their people, and connects people across the globe into one. That is the World Cup.

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*This content was translated by AI.