Jens Castrop (Borussia Mönchengladbach), the mixed-heritage member of South Korea's national football team, wrapped up his first FIFA World Cup with disappointment but pledged to return stronger.
On Wednesday (Korea time), after South Korea failed to advance to the round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup in North and Central America, Castrop shared his reflections on the tournament through his social media.
Alongside a photo of himself retying his football boots on the pitch, Castrop wrote, "A disappointing result," adding, "It wasn't the World Cup I had dreamed of, but it was a journey I will never forget."
"When I think about the effort, the sacrifices, and the belief we poured into this journey, I truly believe we deserved more," he continued. "But that's how the sport of football is sometimes," he said, calmly accepting the disappointing outcome.
He also expressed gratitude to the fans. "I sincerely thank everyone who supported us every step of the way," he said. "I will learn from this experience, come back stronger, and keep fighting. This is just the beginning."
Born in 2003 in Düsseldorf, Germany, to a German father and a Korean mother, Castrop set a new milestone in Korean football history through this tournament. He is the first foreign-born mixed-heritage player to reach the World Cup finals as a member of South Korea's men's national football team.
Castrop made his World Cup debut on the 25th of this month when he was substituted on at the start of the second half in South Korea's third Group A match against South Africa at the World Cup group stage. However, South Korea lost 1-0 to South Africa, finishing the group stage with one win and two losses in third place in the group, and was also eliminated from the wild-card race. As a result, the South Africa match was both Castrop's first World Cup and the final game of this tournament.
