![Son Heung-min arrives at the South Korea national team's hotel in Monterrey, Mexico, on Sunday (local time), ahead of the team's third and final Group A match at the 2026 North America World Cup. [Yonhap]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/06/22/rcv.YNA.20260622.PYH2026062200970001301_P1.jpg)
South Korea's national football team has arrived in Monterrey, Mexico, where they will play their final group-stage match at the 2026 North America World Cup.
The squad checked into a hotel in Monterrey on Monday (Korean Standard Time) and immediately began preparations for their Group A finale against South Africa, scheduled for June 25 at 10 a.m.
Monterrey is in the grip of sweltering heat, with temperatures hovering around 35 degrees Celsius and high humidity — conditions the team will have to endure in both training and the match itself.
Despite the heat, around 100 fans and Korean residents gathered outside the hotel roughly two hours before the team's arrival to welcome them. A handful of Japanese fans who had been in the city for their team's match against Tunisia the previous day also showed up to cheer on the South Korean side.
A digital display at the hotel entrance flashed a welcome message in hangul alongside the South Korean flag, and fans erupted in cheers as the team bus pulled up under a police escort.
The atmosphere grew particularly electric when Son Heung-min stepped off the bus. Fans chanted the names of individual players — "Oh Hyun-gyu, fighting!" and "Kim Seung-gyu is the best!" — while a traditional Mexican music band serenaded the arrivals.
Players responded with brief smiles and nods to the crowd. Head coach Hong Myung-bo, the coaching staff and support team chief Park Hang-seo followed, each greeted by cheering fans as they made their way inside.
South Korea opened the tournament with a 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic but fell 1-0 to host nation Mexico in their second match, leaving them on three points. South Africa sit bottom of the group on one point and must win to have any hope of advancing.
If South Korea avoid defeat against South Africa on Thursday, they will secure a top-two finish in Group A and advance to the round of 32.
betterj@heraldcorp.com
