Defender Cho Yu-min leaves World Cup camp following injury during friendly

Defender Cho Yu-min left the national team in tears on Tuesday, as he lost his place at the 2026 World Cup due to a foot injury suffered only days before the tournament.

The Korea Football Association (KFA) shared footage of his departure through its Inside Cam video series and wished him a quick recovery.

Cho, who plays for Sharjah, had made the final World Cup roster and joined the pretournament camp in Salt Lake City — which has been underway since May 19 — for the closing stretch of preparations.

He went down while stopping an opponent's run in the second half of the 5-0 friendly win over Trinidad and Tobago in Provo, Utah, on Saturday. 

Medical examinations the next day revealed that he had partially torn the plantar fascia in his right heel and needed eight weeks to recover, ending his World Cup hopes.

In the footage, Cho, on crutches and visibly fighting back tears, bids farewell to head coach Hong Myung-bo and the rest of the squad at the hotel. His teammates applaud him, then follow him out to the lobby to see him off as he gets into a car bound for Salt Lake City International Airport.

The KFA also released the message that Cho left for the team. 

“I worked really hard to prepare for this World Cup [...] but I'm still left with regret and disappointment,” he said. 

“I wanted to help the team somehow and couldn't, so I'm sorry. And I'm sorry to be leaving first.

“I'll carry all the bad luck that the team may face back to Korea with me and leave behind only the passion that I prepared with, so I sincerely hope that no one else gets hurt and that everyone plays well and brings home a good result.” 

“Reach out anytime if there's something that I can help with, and I'll be cheering you on until the end, as if I'm still there alongside you,” he added, before shouting, “Fighting!”

Cho shared his thoughts again on social media on Tuesday after returning home. 

“My wish to do well at this World Cup was so strong that I prepared with everything that I had. I think that I gripped [that dream] too tightly and ended up breaking it,” he wrote. “The way back was an unbearably long stretch of time.”

“I will overcome this, and I truly hope that these moments eventually lead to greater progress and growth. I want to make that happen myself.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

BY PIH JU-YOUNG [cho.yongjun1@joongang.co.kr]