From veterans to newcomers, Taegeuk Warriors pass the torch at 2026 World Cup

When Park Ji-sung handed his captain’s armband to Ki Sung-yeung and bid farewell to the South Korean men’s national soccer team in 2011, soccer fans saw a symbolic passing of the torch from one generation to the next.

Now at the 2026 World Cup, fans may be witnessing a similar moment.

Perhaps one that could shape Korean soccer for the next decade.

This year’s World Cup has brought together two generations of Korean soccer talent.

On one side of the field are the veterans who have defined Korean ...