South Korea players react with disappointment on the pitch after losing 1-0 to Mexico in a Group A match at the 2026 North America World Cup at Guadalajara Stadium in Zapopan, Mexico, on June 18 (local time). [Yonhap]
South Korea players react with disappointment on the pitch after losing 1-0 to Mexico in a Group A match at the 2026 North America World Cup at Guadalajara Stadium in Zapopan, Mexico, on June 18 (local time). [Yonhap]

Former South Korea manager Cha Bum-kun has warned that the country's youth football system has fallen dangerously behind Japan's, saying the nation needs to "wake up."

FIFA published an interview with Cha, who attended the 2026 North America World Cup, on Saturday (Korean Standard Time).

Asked about the gap between South Korea and Japan, Cha said Japan had begun adopting Germany's youth development system even before he moved to Germany to play. "It has now reached a level we cannot keep up with," he said. "We need to wake up."

"When you watch youth matches, we simply don't measure up," he added. "Japan has been preparing with a 30-year vision."

[AP]
[AP]

Cha credited Japan's football association-led system for giving the national team at least two players of international caliber at every position. "No matter which player you put in, the patterns of play are the same," he said. "That is Japan's weapon."

On South Korea's professional league, he said it had improved from years past but remained somewhat thin compared to Japan's. "That is showing up in performance," he said.

Son Heung-min reacts after missing a scoring chance during South Korea's Group A match against Mexico at the 2026 North America World Cup at Guadalajara Stadium in Zapopan, Mexico, on June 18 (local time). [Yonhap]
Son Heung-min reacts after missing a scoring chance during South Korea's Group A match against Mexico at the 2026 North America World Cup at Guadalajara Stadium in Zapopan, Mexico, on June 18 (local time). [Yonhap]

Cha shrugged off concerns that Son Heung-min's age might be affecting his performances. In a notable coincidence, Son is currently 33 — the same age Cha was when he played at the 1986 World Cup.

"The skills built up over many years do not disappear overnight," Cha said. "Deploying Son up front puts pressure on the opposing defense and opens space for other players."

Cha set the quarterfinals as South Korea's target for the tournament. "I believe this team has enough ability to reach the last eight," he said. "It would also be something important for Asian football as a whole."

Reflecting on his own 1986 World Cup appearance — which he made despite carrying an injury — Cha said he had been given the chance to experience the tournament thanks to his teammates. "I still look back on it with great affection," he said.

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