'Predicted Tragedy': North America and Central America World Cup Failure, Where Did Korean Football Begin to Collapse? [Founding Issue ①]

*This content was translated by AI.

Korean football has faced chaos and crisis, from the collapse of the national team system to the mass resignation of top officials, and the ongoing administrative turmoil of the Football Association still struggling to find a way out. StarNews examines the root causes of the crisis facing Korean football and diagnoses the path toward restoring broken trust and achieving normalization. Editor's Note

Following the disastrous performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America and Central America, Korean football has plunged into uncontrollable chaos. Just four years ago, under former coach Paulo Bento, a system built on solid processes and systematic support had secured qualification for the Round of 16 at the 2022 Qatar World Cup — yet that entire framework has now vanished without a trace.

Amid speculation about why the national team, which had proven its competitiveness on the global stage, plummeted into its worst dark period in just four years, figures both inside and outside the football community pointed to the Football Association's opaque administration and the collapse of internal checks and balances as decisive factors.

In the four years since the Round of 16 at the Qatar World Cup, only four head coaches — including permanent and interim appointments — have led the South Korean national team. As major tragedies unfolded one after another, including the first failure to qualify for an Olympic Games in 40 years and a quarterfinal exit at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar, the direction of the Korea Football Association (KFA) remained consistently wavering.

The tragic turning point was the appointment of former coach Jürgen Klinsmann in 2023. Launched under the unilateral decision-making centered on Chung Mong-kyu Jeon (Chairman), with the Power Strengthening Committee's official verification process completely neutralized, the Klinsmann era was marked by endless controversies — including a lack of tactical planning and frequent stays abroad — which ultimately undermined even the basic discipline of the national team. The principles of player management and information security that had been rigorously maintained during the four-year Bento tenure vanished entirely.

The fallout erupted at the 2024 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar early that year. The national team, confident of winning its first title in 64 years, was eliminated in the quarterfinals after a lackluster performance. Subsequently, reports emerged through foreign media outlets such as those in the UK about discord between Son Heung-min (34) and Lee Kang-in (25). Rather than addressing the issue, the KFA drew criticism for unusually quickly acknowledging the rumors and using the players as scapegoats.

A source close to the association's internal affairs stated: "In the past, the national team built a system over approximately four years and developed concrete plans for Asian qualifiers. Internal information was strictly controlled; for instance, the 2022 Qatar World Cup squad list never even reached senior leadership — everything operated within the system." He added, "But since Coach Klinsmann's tenure, the entire structure collapsed. Information leaked unchecked within the team, causing direct harm to the players. Expecting results when the system was shaken was nearly impossible."

Even after former coach Klinsmann was dismissed, the KFA continued its hasty administration. Unable to secure a permanent head coach, the association spent five months under interim coaches Hwang Sun-hong and Kim Do-hoon. Negotiations were held with foreign coaches including Park Ji-sung, Jesus Casas, and others, led by former Jeon Ryeok-gang-hwa (Chairman) Jeong Hae-seong, but disagreements over salaries, detailed conditions, and football philosophies led to repeated breakdowns. As time grew increasingly tight ahead of the third round of Asian qualifiers for the North America and Central America World Cup, tensions reached a peak, culminating in the sudden resignation of final candidate Jeong Hae-seong Jeon (Chairman) immediately after narrowing down the three top contenders.

In response, Source B stated: "To build a proper system for the national team, the independence and continuity of the Power Strengthening Committee are essential. Players, coaching staff, and association officials must coordinate quickly, but internal stability has completely collapsed." He further noted, "Regardless of an individual coach's capabilities, establishing a complete system is difficult under such circumstances."

After Jeong Hae-seong Jeon (Chairman) resigned, the KFA's lawless opaque administration reached its peak. Lee Im-saeng, former Chief Technical Officer without official authority, took over operations and pushed through the appointment of former coach Hong Myung-bo following so-called "bakery interviews" — informal meetings conducted without in-depth interviews.

Park Ju-ho, who participated as a member of the Power Strengthening Committee, exposed the unfairness of the internal selection process, drawing sharp criticism from legends including Park Ji-sung and Lee Young-pyo. Park Ji-sung expressed frustration: "The Football Association has left many questions unanswered. It's not easy to lead the national team even when starting with high expectations." The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism also launched a special audit, warning that the KFA had failed to uphold its own rules and procedures.

However, the KFA rejected the audit findings and resorted to legal battles. The launch of Hong Myung-bo's team amid fairness controversies led to cold indifference from fans. Starting with the match against Palestine in September 2024, attendance began to decline. By October 2025, when Paraguay played in Seoul, attendance dropped to just 22,206 spectators — the lowest in a decade. The November match against Bolivia in Daejeon also failed to sell out, with over 7,000 seats remaining empty. The national team faced unprecedented isolation, even failing to hold a pre-World Cup domestic departure ceremony.

As the World Cup approached, internal disputes arose over role distribution within the coaching staff. Joao Arroso, the senior coach, stated in an interview with Portuguese media outlet "Bola na Hede" that "the association wanted a Korean coach to serve as the public face while a European coach handled actual operations," sparking controversy over the so-called "face-maker" arrangement. Although the KFA deleted the article and attempted damage control, doubts remained unresolved.

The voyage of Hong Myung-bo's team, launched amid the KFA's unilateral decisions, collapsed systems, cooling fan support, and internal fractures, ultimately became the prelude to a predicted tragedy — the North America and Central America World Cup disaster.

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*This content was translated by AI.