South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo returns home after worst-ever World Cup exit

South Korea national team head coach Hong Myung-bo and several players returned home Tuesday after the squad was eliminated in the group stage of the 2026 North America World Cup.

Hong and nine players arrived at Incheon International Airport on Tuesday morning after completing their World Cup schedule.

South Korea finished third in Group A with one win and two losses for three points, then fell to 10th among the 12 third-place teams, missing out on the round of 32. With the tournament expanded to 48 nations, South Korea finished ranked 34th overall — the lowest in the country's World Cup history.

The team had aimed to reach the round of 16 for a second consecutive away World Cup following the 2022 Qatar tournament, with a further goal of the quarterfinals, but both fell short.

After their third group-stage match against South Africa at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, Mexico, on June 25, the squad waited at their base camp in Guadalajara for results from other groups. Once elimination was confirmed, they began a bitter journey home.

Hong, who announced his resignation at a training facility in Mexico the previous day, returned Tuesday alongside goalkeeper Cho Hyun-woo (Ulsan), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton), Baek Seung-ho (Birmingham City), Kim Moon-hwan (Daejeon), Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), Seol Young-woo (Red Star Belgrade) and Oh Hyeon-gyu (Besiktas).

Despite the team arriving in the early hours of the morning, more than 200 fans and YouTubers gathered at the airport. Loud shouting filled the arrivals hall even before Hong appeared, after word spread that the flight had landed.

The jeering grew louder as Hong, the players and officials — including national team support director Park Hang-seo and Korea Football Association executive director Kim Seung-hee — entered the arrivals hall.

Hong left the arrivals hall without responding to reporters' questions, including whether he had anything to say to fans.

The players departed first in cars waiting outside the gate, while a bus carrying association officials left the airport shortly after.

Ahead of the team's return, posts appeared online hinting at threats against Hong, but no physical confrontations took place.

Captain Son Heung-min (LAFC) and other remaining players are traveling back in smaller groups and are all expected to return by July 1.

It is customary for the squad to be welcomed with a homecoming ceremony at the airport after a World Cup, but no such event was held this time. It is the first time since the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup — which South Korea co-hosted — that the national team has returned from an away World Cup without an airport welcome ceremony.