Kim Seung-gyu (36, FC Tokyo) appears set to claim the national team's starting goalkeeper position at the 2026 North and Central America World Cup, following the 2022 Qatar tournament.
Kim spoke at a press conference held Sunday at Chivas Valle Verde in Zapopan, near Guadalajara, Mexico, where the South Korean national team trains. The remarks are interpreted to mean he has been chosen as the starting goalkeeper for the tournament over Cho Hyun-woo (35, Ulsan).
Kim, who is making his fourth World Cup appearance since the 2014 Brazil tournament, said of first-round opponent the Czech Republic, "They have many crosses and many tall players," adding, "My role is to come out actively when aerial balls fly in and help the defenders." Regarding adapting to high altitude, he said, "There are cases where a ball I thought I had stopped goes in off my hands. The ball seems to come faster than expected. I need to focus on the instinctive aspects in the remaining time and raise my level."
Kim played 180 minutes across three of the four recent friendly matches, ahead of Cho, who played 135 minutes in two matches. With strong "footwork," he can deal stably with opponents' front-line pressure, and his ability to save penalty kicks and shootouts is also excellent.
During his nine seasons in the K League, Kim conceded no goals on 12 of 27 penalty kicks (including shootouts). At his club FC Tokyo, he recently posted a record of four wins and two losses in shootouts. Since this World Cup begins its tournament stage from the round of 32, the ability to save shootouts has become more important than in any previous World Cup.
"All of us (three goalkeepers) are in such good condition that whoever goes out can be a great help to the team," Kim said confidently. "Still, I can say I lead in World Cup experience."
