Oh Hyeon-gyu fulfills four-year vow with winner

At Guadalajara Stadium in Zapopan, Mexico, where South Korea opened its 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign against the Czech Republic on June 12, striker Oh Hyeon-gyu of Besiktas entered the match in the 69th minute with the score tied 1-1, replacing captain Son Heung-min of LAFC. Eleven minutes later, he delivered the decisive moment.

Racing onto a low cross from Hwang In-beom of Feyenoord, Oh slid in at the near post and guided a left-footed finish into the net, sealing South Korea's 2-1 comeback victory in his World Cup debut.

Oh was not feeling his best before kickoff. His temperature rose to 38 degrees Celsius after lunch, leaving him unsure whether he would even be able to contribute.

"I wondered whether I'd really be able to play and whether I'd be able to help the team," Oh said. "The medical staff took great care of me, and thanks to them I was able to score. Maybe I was sick just so I could score this goal." He laughed as he said it. Four years ago at the World Cup in Qatar, Oh did not even have a squad number.

After Son suffered a fracture around his eye less than three weeks before the tournament, Oh traveled with the team as a reserve in case the captain's recovery was delayed. Known as the "27th Taegeuk Warrior" because he was outside the official 26-man squad, Oh devoted himself to helping his teammates prepare.

But after training sessions, he would return to his room and write a simple note in a notebook: "Four years later, I'll come back wearing No. 18."

The jersey carries special significance in South Korean soccer. Legendary strikers Hwang Sun-hong and Lee Dong-gook both wore the number during their international careers.

Since the Qatar World Cup, Oh has continued his development in Europe, playing for Celtic in Scotland, Genk in Belgium and Besiktas in Turkiye. During the 2025-26 Turkish league season, he scored six goals in 13 appearances.

Since Hong Myung-bo became national team manager in July 2024, Oh has scored six goals in 15 international appearances and secured a place in South Korea's World Cup squad. Against the Czech Republic, he showed why he is regarded as the next striker capable of carrying on the No. 18 tradition.

South Korea fell behind in the 59th minute when Ladislav Krejci of Wolverhampton scored for the Czech Republic. Hwang equalized eight minutes later. Then came another twist in Oh's journey.

The player who traveled to Qatar as an emergency backup entered in place of Son, who struggled to make an impact, and scored the winner.

"This is my first World Cup, but I was around the team four years ago and saw how the senior players handled everything, so I wasn't nervous," Oh said. "I've improved a lot since Qatar. I feel confident when I play against European defenders, and I believed I could score."

Family sacrifice also played a part in Oh's rise. His father, Oh Hae-seon, runs a loach soup restaurant in Namyangju, just outside Seoul. In a previous YouTube appearance, Oh joked that while other babies were eating baby food, he was eating rice mixed with loach soup.

"I've probably eaten more than 10,000 bowls," he said. "That's the secret behind my strength and physicality."

To watch his son's World Cup debut, Oh Hae-seon temporarily closed the restaurant and flew to Mexico. His KakaoTalk profile message reads: "My wish is to be the family of the happiest soccer player in the world."

Speaking by phone with this newspaper, he said, "It's impossible to describe how happy I am to watch my son score the winning goal on a stage as big as the World Cup."

Before the match, he offered simple advice. "Just enjoy it. When you're playing on a stage this big, you have to clear your mind and enjoy the moment."

After the match, Oh thanked his family. "A month from now, when the World Cup is over, I hope my parents won't have to worry about opening the restaurant," he said. "I want to keep performing well in the remaining matches and make sure they can live more comfortably in the future."


Bae-Jung Kim wanted@donga.com