'Just one of them needs to be out': Lee Seung-woo opens up about World Cup snub

Lee Seung-woo, 28, of Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, who was left off South Korea's final World Cup roster, said he could not help wondering what it would have been like to be there with the team.

On Wednesday, Lee appeared on the YouTube channel "No Bbaggoo Tak Jae-hoon" and spoke candidly about missing out on the tournament.

Lee named Eom Ji-sung, Bae Jun-ho, Son Heung-min and Hwang Hee-chan as players who compete for his position. When host Tak Jae-hoon asked whether both Son and Hwang would need to be absent for Lee to make the squad, Lee quipped, "Only one of the two needs to be out" — drawing laughter.

He also expressed regret watching former FC Barcelona youth teammates Marc Cucurella and Dani Olmo prepare to play in this World Cup, recalling the time they shared on the pitch as youngsters.

Lee said he became fluent in Spanish within a year of joining Barcelona, adding with a laugh that whenever he and Lee Kang-in want to complain about the national team coach, they always do it in Spanish.

He made no secret of his desire to return to the national team. "If I can't make it as a player, I can work as an interpreter — my Spanish is good enough," he said. "I have no injuries. The role doesn't matter. Just put me on the pitch."

Lee also shared his outlook on South Korea's upcoming matches. "I think they'll use a back four against Czech Republic and a back three against Mexico," he said. "With the current squad, I think we can definitely beat Czech Republic. If we win the first game, I think we'll have a really strong run."

South Korea, coached by Hong Myung-bo, opens Group A play against Czech Republic on Friday at 11 a.m. Korean Standard Time at Estadio Guadalajara in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Gangnam decked out in blue for the World Cup — OB Brewery opened its "Cass FIFA World Cup Fan Base Camp" on Thursday to mark the tournament, featuring beer cans engraved with national team players' signatures and viewing party spaces.

강남 장식한 파란 ‘카스 건물’…월드컵은 이미 시작됐다 [르포]

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