Seoul: South Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo has left the door open for the 2022 FIFA World Cup hero Cho Gue-sung to return to the national team, as the 27-year-old forward is trying to regain his form following an extended absence. Cho missed over a year after undergoing knee surgery and then suffering complications from the procedure. He marked his return with Danish club FC Midtjylland last month and scored in back-to-back matches earlier this month.
According to Yonhap News Agency, this led to speculation that Cho could earn his first national team call-up since March 2024, with South Korea set to face Brazil and Paraguay on Oct. 10 and 14 in Seoul. Hong announced his 26-man squad Monday without Cho but insisted Cho will have every opportunity to rejoin the Taegeuk Warriors. "As you know, his playing time has been increasing gradually and he has scored goals. That's a huge positive for the national team," Hong said. "However, we decided his knee wasn't completely healed to a point where he could take a long flight to Korea to get ready for matches. We didn't think this was the appropriate moment to call him up. However, we still think he is a very important player who can come back to the national team any time."
Cho rose to instant stardom during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Cho scored both South Korean goals in their 3-2 loss to Ghana, becoming the first player for his country to net multiple goals in a World Cup match. It opened up opportunities for Cho to test his mettle in European leagues, and he signed with FC Midtjylland in 2023. He quickly became one of the most dangerous forwards in Denmark and finished second on his club with 13 goals in all competitions.
The knee surgery and its aftermath derailed his career last year but Cho is trying to put himself in the mix for a forward spot on the national team less than a year away from the next World Cup. At the striker position, Oh Hyeon-gyu of KRC Genk has the inside track, with three goals in his past four international matches. Son Heung-min of Los Angeles Football Club is typically a winger but has proven he can be deadly as a striker, too.