Captain Son Heung-min says poor pitches for home matches have hurt South Korea’s 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.
South Korean authorities have said they will inspect elite-level football pitches across the country after national skipper Son Heung-min blamed poor playing surfaces for hurting their World Cup hopes.
Bad pitches have been a running theme in South Korean football, with former Manchester United and England forward Jesse Lingard, now at FC Seoul, also weighing in on the debate.
Two home World Cup qualifiers this month were moved away from Seoul because of the state of the capital stadium’s turf, but Son also criticised the replacement venues.
“When we’re at home, we’re supposed to enjoy the best playing conditions possible but things have not improved at all,” Son told reporters after Tuesday’s disappointing 1-1 draw with Jordan in Suwon.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said on Thursday it will conduct a thorough inspection of pitches at all 27 K League stadiums starting in April.