South Korea players focus on recovery after Czech win, to rest with families Sunday

By Jung Yoon-hee, The Herald Business

South Korea's players are focusing on recovery training Saturday after their thrilling victory over the Czech Republic in their opening 2026 North America World Cup match. A full rest day is planned for Sunday, when the squad will spend time with family members who have traveled to Mexico.

The team held its recovery session at Chivas Valle Verde in Zapopan, their base camp training ground, on Saturday. The squad will not hold a team training session Sunday, a team official said. "Today we only do recovery training, and tomorrow the players will rest completely — they'll have time with their families," the official said.

The Korea Football Association has run a "family invitation support program" since the 2022 Qatar World Cup to boost players' motivation and psychological well-being.

Under the program, each of the 26 squad members receives two double rooms at the host city hotel. The association also provides two first-class match tickets per player per game — covering every match from the group stage opener through the last game — so families can watch in person throughout the tournament.

After their day off, the players will reconvene at Chivas Valle Verde on Monday to begin preparations for their second group-stage match against host nation Mexico.

The Group A showdown between South Korea and Mexico kicks off at 10 a.m. Friday at Guadalajara Stadium in Zapopan.