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

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

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 Korea Football Association (KFA), which remains without a clear path forward. StarNews examines the root causes of this crisis in Korean football and diagnoses the road ahead for 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 prior, under former coach Paulo Bento, a solid system built on established 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, once proven competitive on the global stage, plummeted into its worst dark period in just four years, insiders and outsiders alike pointed to the KFA's opaque administration and the collapse of internal checks and balances as decisive factors.

In the four years since the 2022 Qatar World Cup Round of 16, only four head coaches — including both permanent and interim appointments — have led the South Korean national team. As major tragedies unfolded consecutively, including the first failure to qualify for the Olympic Games in 40 years and an early exit from the 2023 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar's semifinals, the KFA's direction remained consistently wavering.

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

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 semifinals after a lackluster performance. Subsequently, reports emerged from 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 and rapidly acknowledging the rumors, effectively 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 — it operated entirely within the system. However, since Klinsmann's appointment, the entire structure collapsed. Information leaked unchecked within the team, causing direct harm to the players. Expecting results amid such systemic instability was nearly impossible."

Even after Klinsmann's dismissal, 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 failed repeatedly due to irreconcilable differences over salaries, detailed conditions, and football philosophies. As time grew critically short ahead of the 2026 World Cup Asian third qualifying round, tensions peaked. Ultimately, just after narrowing down three final candidates, Jeong Hae-seong Jeon (Chairman) abruptly resigned, triggering a crisis.

In response, Source B stated: "To properly establish a national team system, the independence and continuity of the Power Strengthening Committee are essential. Players, coaching staff, and association officials must coordinate swiftly, but internal stability has completely collapsed. Regardless of an individual coach's capabilities, it is difficult to build a sound system under such circumstances."

Following Jeong Hae-seong Jeon (Chairman)'s resignation, 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 Hong Myung-bo's appointment after so-called "bakery interviews" — informal meetings conducted without formal background checks or 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 KFA has left many questions unanswered, which is regrettable. Even starting with high expectations, managing the national team is not easy." The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism also initiated 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 declining. 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 regarding 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 European coaches handled actual operations," sparking controversy over the so-called "face-madam" issue. Although the KFA deleted the article and attempted damage control, doubts persisted.

Hong Myung-bo's campaign, launched amid the KFA's unilateralism, collapsed systems, cooling fan support, and internal fractures, ultimately became the prelude to the predicted tragedy of the North America and Central America World Cup disaster.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original