Kim Seung-gyu on World Cup heroics: 'Video call with my newborn daughter gave me strength'

Goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu (36, FC Tokyo), whose spectacular saves secured South Korea's first win at the 2026 World Cup, dedicated the victory to his newborn daughter.

South Korea came from behind to beat Czech Republic 2-1 in their Group A opener at Guadalajara Stadium in Zapopan, Mexico, on Friday morning Korea time. Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord) equalized before Oh Hyeon-gyu (Besiktas) scored the winner after the Koreans had fallen behind 0-1.

Kim made two crucial saves late in the match to preserve the three points.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Kim said the conceded goal could have left the defense and goalkeeper shouldering the blame. "It was a game we were controlling, and the opponent didn't have many chances, yet we conceded first," he said. "If the game had ended like that, it could have become the responsibility of the defenders or the goalkeeper. They scored the winner, and I'm glad I was able to contribute even a little to the team with my saves at the end."

On the goal South Korea conceded, Kim said Czech Republic's long throws had been flagged in the team's analysis. "The pattern was to pick up second balls — a tall player would draw in our tall defenders, and the players arriving behind them were also physically strong," he said. "So even though we knew the pattern, we still got caught by it."

Kim also drew strength from a video call with his newborn daughter before the match. He has not yet been able to meet her in person. "I had a video call with my daughter before we left for the game today," he said. "Until now I had only seen her sleeping, but today, strangely, she had her eyes wide open and we really looked at each other. I think that gave me a lot of energy."

Kim also shared his thoughts on playing at altitude in the Guadalajara region.

"When we first arrived, for about a week it was hard to judge distances — with shot speed and when we kicked the ball," he said. "But now I've adapted and it wasn't a big problem during the match."

This tournament marks Kim's fourth World Cup, making him one of the squad's most experienced players.

He began his professional career at Ulsan HD in the K League 1 before moving abroad, with stints at Vissel Kobe and Kashiwa Reysol in Japan and Al-Shabab in Saudi Arabia. He currently plays for FC Tokyo in Japan's J1 League.

Kim married model Kim Jin-gyeong in June 2024, and their daughter was born June 4. World Cup preparations kept him away from his wife's side at the moment of the birth.

현대차, 임협 교섭 결렬…노조, 25일 파업 찬반투표

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