Jung Kook, one of the BTS members, performed at the opening ceremony of the Qatar FIFA World Cup. He became the first Korean artist to perform at a World Cup ceremony and fans were in love with his performance.
Before his performance, he visited the South Korean training camp and wished the players for their performance during the World Cup. He photographed the whole team with the jersey before sharing his message with the team. Although his message was motivating, it also showed some concerns for the players.
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Son Heung Min’s mask and the message from Jung Kook
Jung Kook wanted the players to stay away from injuries. This concern resulted from the injury Son Heung-min suffered during Tottenham’s match against Marseille in the UEFA Champions League.
He said, “I hope our players don’t get injured. And, also, not only just me but our members (BTS) and all the people in Korea, are cheering for you. So I hope you have the strength and achieve the result you want. I also have a performance tomorrow, and even while performing, while thinking of our players, I too will try to do my best performing. Really, please don’t get hurt and I hope you can have strength.”
Son’s participation in the World Cup was doubtful, but the South Korean captain recovered in time after undergoing surgery on his fractured left eye. Son’s injury resulted from a clash with Olympique Marseille player Chancel Mbemba. He trained and took part in the game against Uruguay with a carbon mask on his face.
ALSO READ: “Best WC Song” – BTS Fans Raise the Roof for Jungkook Ahead of Qatar FIFA World Cup
The absence of Son through injury would have been an enormous loss for South Korea. They have the toughest group in the World Cup with Portugal, Uruguay, and Ghana placed alongside them in Group H. His recovery after surgery has boosted the confidence of the team and they held Uruguay in their opening match.
How has South Korea fared in the FIFA World Cup?
South Korea appears for the 11th time in the FIFA World Cup this year. The South Koreans made their debut in 1954 and have qualified for every edition since 1986. They got past the group stage only on the previous two occasions and finished 4th, their best performance to date, in 2002.
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World Cup Preview: 🇰🇷 South Korea
Coach: Paulo Bento
Players to watch
D Kim Min-Jae
M Son Heung-Min
M Hwang Hee-ChanSchedule
vs 🇺🇾 Uruguay 11/24
vs 🇬🇭 Ghana 11/28
vs 🇵🇹 Portugal 12/2Previous World Cup appearances: 10
Best finish: 2002 (4th) pic.twitter.com/NUQTBHb4uo
— Sidelines – Soccer / Football ⚽ (@SSN_Futbol) November 20, 2022
They went into the semis in the 2002 edition. A 2-1 win over Italy was their biggest win of the campaign. The second occasion they went past the group stage was in 2010 when they got knocked out of the round of 16 by Uruguay. In the last edition, they shocked the number one team and reigning champions, Germany.
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Can the South Korean team go past the group stage for the third time in their history?