'This is Seoul, not Monterrey' Overwhelming Korean Support... Hong Myung-bo's Team Faces South Africa Amid One-Sided Cheers [World Cup On-Site Issues]

*This content was translated by AI.

It feels as if one has arrived at Seoul World Cup Stadium. The atmosphere at Estadio BBVA, just before the decisive group stage final match, is anything but ordinary. Despite the match taking place on the other side of the globe in Mexico, the venue was filled with passionate cheers chanting for South Korea.

The South Korean national football team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, will face South Africa in the final third match of the 2026 FIFA CONCACAF Gold Cup Group A qualifiers at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, Mexico, at 10 a.m. (Korea time) on the 25th.

From before the match began, the stadium and its surroundings were already bathed in red with the fervor of a home game. Thirty minutes before kickoff, when a video introducing South Africa's starting lineup was displayed on the large scoreboard, the venue was relatively quiet. However, 20 minutes before kickoff, as the names and faces of South Korean players began to appear on the scoreboard, the stadium erupted in cheers.

Fans filling the stands simultaneously let out deafening cheers, chanting 'Korea! Korea!' Even with a naked-eye view of the stands, the red uniforms symbolizing South Korea overwhelmingly dominated, while the green uniforms of local Mexican fans were also visible. In contrast, the yellow uniforms symbolizing South Africa were sparsely scattered among the vast stands.

The fervor reached its peak especially when world-class star players were introduced. When the name of Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), who firmly anchors the national team's defense, was called, the loudest cheers erupted, shaking the scoreboard. Similarly, when Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), a key midfielder, was introduced, equally massive cheers enveloped the stadium. Captain Son Heung-min (LAFC), who was excluded from the starting lineup for this match and listed on the bench, received no separate introduction by the stadium announcer.

According to the Korea Football Association, it is estimated that at least 2,000 Korean supporters gathered for this match against South Africa, including 510 official supporters from the Red Devils and approximately 1,500 overseas Koreans in the local area. The scale of the away support group continues to grow with each tournament. For the Red Devils, the number increased from 340 in the first match and 410 in the second, surpassing 500 for this final match, further boosting their firepower.

This was capped by the powerful overseas Korean infrastructure in Monterrey, the battleground. Currently, about 300 major corporations and their partner companies, Han Guk-eul (CEO), have established operations in and around Monterrey, and the number of resident overseas Koreans alone reaches approximately 5,000.

According to information confirmed through the South Korean Consulate, more than 800 overseas Koreans have already purchased official tickets, and many others from areas outside Monterrey, including Mexico City, joined to watch the match away. With the full support of local Mexican football fans who cheered for South Korea in previous matches, South Africa found itself trapped in what was essentially a vast hostile territory.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.