Oh out to create more special World Cup moments for Korea
Striker opens up on Korea Republic's key qualities, cherished childhood memories and his hunger to 'bring joy' to the nation's people at World Cup 2026.
Oh Hyeongyu primed to make to World Cup debut at 2026 showpiece
Korea Republic star speaks exclusively to FIFA
He explains the Taegeuk Warriors’ unique strengths
Korea Republic’s 26-man squad at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ had a unique element about it. Oh Hyeongyu – an inexperienced 21-year-old striker at the time – did not make the cut, but still traveled to Qatar as Korea’s “27th player". According to then-coach Paulo Bento, the decision to involve Oh was to have a prepared plan for potential injuries, whilst also encouraging the development of a young player.
Since Qatar 2022, where Korea reached the World Cup knockout stage for the first time in 12 years, Oh has left Suwon Samsung Bluewings to join Scottish giants Celtic in Scotland, before signing for Genk in 2024.
Oh is also now a regular up front for Korea Republic and has scored six goals in 24 caps. His progress was on full display in September when he started and scored in a 2-2 friendly draw against FIFA World Cup 2026™ co-hosts Mexico.
Coincidentally, Korea Republic and Mexico will clash again at next year's finals in Group A, with the section also including South Africa and either Czechia, Denmark, North Macedonia or the Republic of Ireland.
In an exclusive interview with FIFA, Oh discussed his 2026 prospects, Korea's unique qualities, and watching DVDs of the nation's famous 2002 side who reached the World Cup semi-finals.
Oh Hyeongyu: Since the World Cup will be held across Canada, Mexico and the United States, the thing I was most curious about was where we would actually be playing. When I looked at the fixtures, I saw that we will play all our group matches in Mexico. From a player’s perspective, playing in one location consistently is an advantage. Thinking about that, it gives me a positive feeling.
I do not think there are any easy teams among those that qualify for the World Cup finals. Every opponent will be difficult in its own way. That said, since the tournament will be played in Mexico, I think Mexico will naturally have the advantage of playing at home. Because of that, I expect the match against Mexico to be challenging in many aspects, including the atmosphere.
From what I remember, there were an incredible number of Mexican fans in the stadium when we played in Nashville. I could really feel the atmosphere created by the Mexican supporters. There is a certain enjoyment that comes with playing away matches, both at club and with the national team. When you score in the home team’s stadium as an away team player, everything suddenly goes quiet. From a striker’s point of view, moments like that become another source of motivation and a great feeling. Since I have already scored against Mexico in a friendly, I am really looking forward to that aspect again.
It is very different. When I travelled with the squad to Qatar, I had not really been part of the journey through the Asian qualifiers or the various friendly matches. I only played in the friendly against Iceland before joining the team in Qatar, so I was not deeply involved in the qualification process. This time, I have been part of everything, from the Asian qualifiers through to the friendlies. I am also playing for a European club and competing directly against European players, which has given me new experiences. For me, this will be my first World Cup, but it does not feel like a completely unfamiliar first experience. Because of that, there has been a big change in how I prepare myself and how I approach this stage compared to before.
Looking back at previous World Cups and even earlier tournaments, Korea Republic has always had clear strengths. We have often stayed solid and and then produced almost miraculous results in the final moments. I think that resilience is one of our key strengths. If we focus first on showing a solid defensive foundation and carefully think about how to become more aggressive going forward, I believe Korea Republic can achieve good results. If that happens, we can give the people another source of joy and create another festival for them.
It is still incredibly vivid. Even though I was not on the pitch myself, I think it was one of the happiest moments I have ever experienced both as a footballer and as a fan of the game. It was such a special moment that it easily ranks among the most memorable moments of my life. Wanting to recreate a moment like that once again is another dream for me as a striker.
For me, it has to be the 2002 tournament in Korea and Japan. I do not have a clear memory of watching it live on television, but I had a DVD at home that was a compilation of goals from the 2002 tournament. I used to put that DVD into the player and watch it over and over again while growing up. I can still clearly remember how those goals were scored and in what moments they came. Even though I did not see them live, those videos that I watched repeatedly as a child are very special to me. Korea/Japan 2002 created a moment when our entire nation, after going through difficult times, experienced immense joy together. Recreating that joy once again, and delivering it to the people as a striker, is my dream.
Every player is heading toward the World Cup with big dreams. As both a footballer and as a person, being able to step on to the World Cup stage is a tremendous blessing. At the same time, there is clearly a need to prove yourself in order to earn that place. That is why I try not to waste a single match, a single moment or even a single day of my life. Even when I am alone, I make an effort to live each day with a strong sense of purpose. Above all, I believe staying healthy is the most important thing.