South Korea's national football team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, will play its final friendly match against El Salvador ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
The El Salvador Football Association announced the fixture through its official social media channels on Monday, Korea time. The friendly is scheduled for 5 p.m. local time on June 3 at America First Field in Sandy, Utah.
El Salvador, ranked 100th in the FIFA world rankings, failed to qualify for the upcoming World Cup. The team previously faced Korea in a friendly in Daejeon in June 2023, when the two sides played to a 1-1 draw. "The pre-tournament training camp and the two friendlies during this period will be focused on high-altitude adaptation. We selected our opponents with that priority in mind," a Korea Football Association official said.
Hong's squad will announce its final World Cup roster on the 16th before setting up a pre-tournament training camp in Salt Lake City, Utah, on the 18th. The team will then move to its main base camp in Guadalajara, Mexico, on June 5, making the match against El Salvador its last dress rehearsal before heading to the tournament venue.
America First Field, where the El Salvador friendly will be held, sits at an altitude of 1,356 meters. The conditions are similar to those at Akron Stadium in Guadalajara, which stands at 1,571 meters and will host Korea's first and second group-stage matches at the World Cup. The team plans to use the friendly against El Salvador to gain real-match experience at high altitude.
The Korea Football Association is reportedly in final-stage discussions over details such as the match time and venue. "We are in last-minute consultations over details including the match time and venue," a KFA official said.
