Captain Son Heung-min Criticizes Poor Pitches, Says They’ve Hurt South Korea’s World Cup Qualifying Campaign
South Korean authorities have announced plans to inspect elite-level football pitches across the country after national team captain Son Heung-min blamed subpar playing surfaces for hindering their 2026 World Cup qualifying efforts.
The issue of poor pitches has been a recurring problem in South Korean football, with former Manchester United and England forward Jesse Lingard, now playing for FC Seoul, also voicing his concerns.
This month, two home World Cup qualifiers were relocated from Seoul due to the poor condition of the capital’s stadium turf. However, Son also criticized the alternative venues, stating that the playing conditions were still inadequate.
“When we’re at home, we’re supposed to enjoy the best playing conditions possible, but things have not improved at all,” Son told reporters after South Korea’s disappointing 1-1 draw with Jordan in Suwon on Tuesday.
In response, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on Thursday that it will conduct a comprehensive inspection of pitches at all 27 K League stadiums starting in April. Officials will also study how other countries, including Japan, maintain their playing surfaces.
“The condition of a stadium’s pitch directly affects not only player performance but also injury prevention and spectator satisfaction,” a ministry official said. “Through this inspection, we aim to identify practical solutions for improving football pitch conditions and strengthen cooperation with the league, clubs, and stadium operators to establish a sustainable management system.”
Following two consecutive home draws—against Jordan in Suwon and Oman in Goyang—Son expressed frustration, saying, “I know we can play better than this, but when conditions on our home soil get in the way, I wonder where we should get our home advantage.”
Despite the setbacks, South Korea remains at the top of Group B with 16 points as they aim to qualify for the 2026 World Cup in North America. However, the recent draws have delayed their chance to secure a spot in next year’s tournament.
Their final two qualifying matches in June will be away to Iraq, who could close the gap to one point with a win, and at home to Kuwait. Jordan, currently second in the group with 13 points, will face Oman and Iraq in their remaining games.
Meanwhile, Iraq’s own qualification hopes were dented by a dramatic 2-1 defeat to Palestine last Thursday, in which Palestine scored a late comeback.
The issue of poor pitches gained further attention last month when Jesse Lingard, who joined the K League last year, tripped over a chunk of turf during a home match for FC Seoul, prompting his criticism of the playing conditions.
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