Goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu, at his 4th World Cup, vows strong showing for newborn daughter

Kim Seung-gyu, the 36-year-old goalkeeper for South Korea's national football team and FC Tokyo, has pledged to deliver a strong performance at the 2026 World Cup as a gift to his wife and their newborn daughter.

Speaking to reporters Monday before a training session at Chivas Valle Verde in Zapopan, near Guadalajara, Mexico, Kim — the starting goalkeeper for coach Hong Myung-bo's squad — laid out his ambitions for what he expects to be his final World Cup.

"I want to approach this as if it were my very first World Cup," Kim said. "I hope to finish with the most memorable result — the best result of my career."

He said a serious injury last year had left him wondering whether he would ever play in a World Cup again. "There was a dark period when I wasn't sure I could even keep playing football," he said. "I feel like overcoming that difficult time has given me this great gift. I want to finish with a better result than at any of my previous three World Cups."

Kim first made South Korea's World Cup squad at the 2014 Brazil tournament and has appeared at four consecutive editions — Brazil, Russia 2018, Qatar 2022 and now the 2026 North America tournament — a milestone matched among current squad members only by Son Heung-min. The veteran goalkeeper has earned 87 caps for the national team.

"Even though this is my fourth World Cup, I feel the same excitement as the first," Kim said. He stressed the importance of the opening match, saying its result would set the tone for the rest of the tournament. "Carrying too much pressure stops you from playing to your ability, so staying calm is key," he added, drawing on his experience.

Kim also had personal news to share. While the team was at its pre-tournament camp in Salt Lake City, his wife gave birth to their daughter. He said he was determined to repay her for enduring childbirth without him by her side.

"My daughter was born recently, and I feel terrible that I couldn't be there for my wife and her," Kim said. He vowed to return to South Korea with a strong result, saying he wanted to come home with his head held high as a father.

Asked who the baby resembled more, Kim smiled with evident satisfaction. "When she was still in the womb, I kept saying please don't take only after me," he said. "It looks like she came out a nice mix of both of us."

‘퇴근 넥타이부대 합세’ 저녁 밥까지 걸렀다…나흘 밤 넘는 올림픽공원 집회 [세상&]

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