Son feels like a boy again as Korea's World Cup opener looms

The opener: Korea vs Czechia, Friday night

Your World Cup starts Friday night against Czechia in Group A (1) (2) (4) (5) (6). It is the opening round of the tournament, and South Korea go in knowing Mexico already played South Africa in today's earlier Group A match. No new injury news, no leaked lineup – just the biggest game of the year. A result here changes the whole group dynamic.

Son: 'I feel like a young boy again'

Fourth World Cup. Same feeling. Son Heung-min told reporters he still gets the same rush he had as a kid dreaming of this stage: "I'm very happy to be back on the World Cup pitch, which is something I dreamed of from a very young age. Whether it's my first World Cup or fourth World Cup, I feel like a young boy again. This is the stage of dreams" (3). That is your captain speaking. When a player with 100-plus caps and a Premier League golden boot still talks like a debutant, you know the fire is real.

Kim Seung-gyu's sacrifice hangs over this tournament

The goalkeeper made the hardest call of his career – staying with the squad in Mexico while his daughter was born. He has said publicly that strong results on the pitch are the only way to make that absence count. Kim is heading into his fourth World Cup, and his experience between the posts will be central to how far this team goes. That storyline is not going away.

Fan reactions

The Reddit threads are buzzing with the Mexico–South Africa result setting the table for Group A. Most posters have South Korea finishing second behind Mexico, though a few see an opening if Korea handle Czechia on Friday. The matchday 1 preview thread has the energy of fans who know this opener is the pivotal 90 minutes of the group stage – win it, and the path to the knockout rounds is in your own hands. Read the preview thread