Fatherhood fuels Kim's World Cup dream

For South Korea goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu, 36, of FC Tokyo, the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the fourth of his career. The youngest member of South Korea's goalkeeping corps at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Kim is now the most experienced player in the national team setup. Having already said this will be his final World Cup, he recently found fresh motivation. On June 4, while attending South Korea's pre-World Cup training camp in the United States, he became a father for the first time. His wife, former model Kim Jin-kyung, 29, gave birth to a daughter in South Korea.

Speaking at South Korea's base camp in Zapopan, Mexico, on Monday, Kim said he felt sorry for not being able to stay with his wife and newborn daughter. "When our daughter was still in her mother's womb, I used to joke that I hoped she wouldn't take only after me. She seems to have inherited the best of both of us," he said. "I hope we can achieve a good result at the World Cup and make it a special gift for my wife and daughter."

Kim was South Korea's first-choice goalkeeper throughout the group stage and round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, starting all four matches. But two knee injuries after the tournament pushed him out of contention for the No. 1 spot. After a long recovery that included surgery and rehabilitation, he returned to international duty in a 2-2 draw against Mexico in September last year, his first appearance for South Korea in nearly 20 months. "At this time last year, I never imagined I would make the final World Cup squad because of the injury," Kim said. "After getting through such a difficult period, this opportunity feels like a gift."

The 2026 World Cup in North America will feature 48 teams, up from 32, with the knockout stage beginning in the round of 32. The expanded format will add 16 single-elimination matches compared with the 2022 tournament in Qatar, making penalty shootouts an even more important factor. During his K League career with Ulsan, Kim built a reputation as a dependable penalty stopper. His career penalty-concession rate in the K League stands at 63%, compared with 71% for Jo Hyeon-woo, 35, of Ulsan, who is also competing for South Korea's starting goalkeeper role.

"I've always been confident when it comes to penalties and shootouts," Kim said. "Playing in frequent shootouts in Japan's J League has given me greater confidence and sharpened my instincts in those moments." Much of that experience came through the J League's special "100-Year Vision League" competition.

As the J League prepares to switch to an August-to-May calendar beginning with the 2026-27 season, it staged the "100-Year Vision League" during the first half of this year to help players maintain match sharpness ahead of the World Cup. Each club played 18 matches between February and June, with one distinctive feature: draws were not permitted. If a match remained level after regulation time, it went straight to a penalty shootout. The format was designed in part to maximize players' exposure to shootouts and avoid repeating Japan's World Cup disappointments from the spot. Japan reached the round of 16 at both the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar but was eliminated on penalties each time. Two of the three goalkeepers expected to represent Japan at the 2026 World Cup currently play in the J League.

FC Tokyo, with Kim in goal, won four of its six shootouts in the competition. Kim noted that many modern penalty takers wait until the last possible moment to read a goalkeeper's movement before striking the ball. "In the end, it comes down to the mental battle," he said. "Whoever handles that part better usually has the edge."


Bae-Jung Kim wanted@donga.com