Hong Myungbo's Squad Arrives in Guadalajara, Czech Team Sets Up Base Camp in Fort Worth, USA

South Korea and the Czech Republic, who will face each other in the first match of the group stage at the 2026 North and Central America World Cup, both entered their respective base camps on the same day, officially beginning their preparations for the showdown.

The South Korean national soccer team, led by head coach Hong Myungbo, arrived at The Westin Guadalajara Hotel in Guadalajara, Mexico, the match venue, at around 4 p.m. local time on the 5th. On the same day, the Czech national team, led by head coach Miroslav Koubek, settled into the Sheraton Hotel in Fort Worth, Texas, United States.

Coach Hong Myungbo and the South Korean players entered The Westin Guadalajara Hotel amid an enthusiastic welcome from more than 500 fans. There is strong goodwill toward South Korean soccer in Mexico, largely thanks to the “Miracle of Kazan” at the 2018 Russia World Cup group stage final, when South Korea defeated Germany. That result allowed Mexico, who were in the same group, to narrowly advance to the round of 16 in second place.

The South Korean players took the day off to rest after arriving, and at 3 p.m. on the 6th, they will participate in a 'community training' organized by FIFA at Chivas Valle Verde, their base camp training ground. This event is similar to the open training sessions that the Korea Football Association holds for fans during home A matches.

South Korean national football team captain Son Heung-min entered the accommodation on the 5th (local time) in Guadalajara, Mexico, where the first group stage match of the 2026 North and Central America World Cup is being held, receiving a warm welcome from local fans. Photo by Yonhap News

The Czech Republic played their final pre-World Cup friendly against Guatemala on the previous day at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey. They then flew to Dallas Love Field Airport in Texas and traveled on to Fort Worth.

Ranked 39th in the FIFA World Rankings, the Czech Republic qualified for the World Cup finals for the first time in 20 years, since the 2006 tournament in Germany (where they were eliminated in the group stage), by advancing through the European playoffs.

Because they only secured their spot on April 1, their preparations for the tournament have been less than ideal. Unlike South Korea, which set up its base camp at the match venue in Guadalajara, the Czech Republic was preassigned to Fort Worth as one of the European playoff winners. The Czech team faces the disadvantage of having to travel long distances, as two of their three group stage matches will be held in Mexico. They may also face difficulties in adapting to high-altitude conditions.

Guadalajara Stadium, the venue for the Group A first-round match between South Korea and the Czech Republic, will host the game at 11 a.m. KST on June 12. The stadium is located at an altitude of 1,571 meters above sea level. The South Korean team set up a preliminary camp in Salt Lake City, United States, which is at an altitude of 1,460 meters, on May 18 and completed their altitude training there before moving to Guadalajara.

In contrast, the Czech national team plans to move to Guadalajara only shortly before their first group stage match. Until then, they will train at Texas Health Mansfield Stadium in Mansfield, near Fort Worth. Mansfield, Texas, is known to be at an altitude of about 300 meters above sea level.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.