Once an unnumbered reserve, Oh Hyeon-gyu eyes national team future at 2026 FIFA World Cup

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Once an unnumbered reserve, Oh Hyeon-gyu eyes national team future at 2026 FIFA World Cup

Published: 25 Jun. 2025, 14:23 Updated: 25 Jun. 2025, 19:37

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Oh Hyeon-gyu, 24, a striker for the Korean national football team and Belgian club Genk, poses for photos during an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo on June 23 in southern Seoul. [KIM KYOUNG-ROK]

Three years ago, footballer Oh Hyeon-gyu was an unnumbered reserve for the Korean national football team. In 2025, he is one of the most promising talents, helping lead the team to swift passage through the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“I don’t want to lose the good condition I was in last season. I’m just excited to get the new season started," Oh told the JoongAng Ilbo in an interview, visibly excited to get back to training on June 23.

The 24-year-old striker for the Korean national football team and Belgian club Genk was undergoing physical training at the S&C Physical Center in Bangbae-dong, southern Seoul, while in Korea. Before flying back to Belgium on June 25, he also scheduled a ground training session.

Though his break has lasted just over two weeks, his schedule has been filled with nothing but workouts — and he’s loving it.

Oh scored four goals in the third round of Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States. On June 6, he teamed up with Jeon Jin-woo of Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors to score in an away match against Iraq, then celebrated by reenacting a "shoeshine" routine they used to perform when playing together at Suwon Samsung Bluewings in 2022.

Posting a photo of the two in national team uniforms on social media, Oh wrote, “Jin-woo, this was our dream.”

Footballer Oh Hyeon-gyu's Instagram story, reading, “Jin-woo, this was our dream,″ in a picture taken along with Jeon Jin-woo of Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors [SCREEN CAPTURE]

“We used to say, ‘Maybe someday we’ll make it to the national team. Why not us?’” Oh said. “If he assists me for a goal at the World Cup finals [...] just imagining it gives me chills.”

Oh tore his left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) as a first-year high school student. Told by doctors that the ligament was about 10 to 20 percent intact, he chose not to undergo surgery in the hope of a natural recovery. At age 19, after joining the military team Sangmu, he began experiencing severe knee pain following a boot camp. A hospital visit revealed the ligament was completely gone.

“They said if I had surgery, I’d be discharged on medical grounds — but I wanted to see it through,” he said.

Remarkably, his speed never declined despite the injury.

“I thought, ‘If I can run like this without an ACL, I could’ve been even faster with one,’” he said. In Belgium, where his stamina stands out, teammates call him a “machine.”

Despite primarily coming off the bench last season, Oh scored 12 goals. In the Belgian Pro League, he netted nine goals in 610 minutes — a rate of one goal every 68 minutes, the best goal-to-minute ratio in the league.

Oh Hyeon-gyu, 24, a striker for the Korean national football team and Belgian club Genk, poses for photos during an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo on June 23 in southern Seoul. [KIM KYOUNG-ROK]

“I’ve come to master playing as a substitute,” he said. “I try to read the game before coming in, and I feel the thrill when defenders show signs of fatigue.”

His trademark goal celebration — pointing at his wrist like he’s checking a watch — is his way of saying, “Look at the time — even now, I delivered.”

Thorsten Fink, Genk’s head coach, previously mentored Son Heung-min during his time at Hamburg.

“Before I joined Genk last year, Son told me Fink is a good coach and would like me,” Oh said.

Midfielder Kevin De Bruyne also launched his European career at Genk. Oh is expected to replace Toluwalase Arokodare — who is likely to transfer to Manchester United — as the starting striker. With the club qualifying for the UEFA Europa League, the fixture list will be packed.

Oh Hyeon-gyu, center, celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal against Iraq during the Asian qualifier group B match for 2026 World Cup between Korea and Iraq at Yongin Mireu Stadium in Yongin, Korea, on Oct. 15, 2024. [AP/YONHAP]

“I want to be a core player and compete in every tournament,” Oh said. “Scoring 20 goals may sound like a lot, but I don’t think it would fully satisfy me. I scored 12 last season with limited minutes — if I play full-time, I need to at least double that.”

Three years ago at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Oh was an unnumbered reserve, accompanying the team in case Son couldn’t play due to injury. After the group stage match against Portugal, he was the one who checked the result of the Uruguay-Ghana match on his phone and delivered the news to his teammates.

“This time, I want us to advance without depending on other teams,” he said. “Wearing a numbered jersey and playing on the big stage — that would be a dream come true. I currently wear No. 9 for the national team. To keep this spot, I just have to play better.”

Oh’s family struggled financially when he was young. Determined to join a team that didn’t require membership fees, he worked tirelessly to earn a spot in the Suwon youth program at the Maetan middle and high schools. Now a regular for the national team, his sights are firmly set on the 2026 World Cup.

“When I was six, we had CDs of Korea’s 2002 World Cup matches at home,” he said. “I remember rewinding over and over to watch Coach Hwang Sun-hong’s goal against Poland. Like him, I want to score at the World Cup.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY PARK LIN [[email protected]]