Throughout the one-month journey in Qatar, the World Cup has brought laughter and tears from both the fans and the players. However, one Asian country miraculously stood up against other strong nations. With their best player, Heung-min Son, holding up the team, South Korea managed to go all the way to the Round of 16 for the first time in 12 years.

On Nov. 24, when the game of Uruguay vs South Korea ended with a 0-0 score, the latter showed the world how much they have improved by tying with one of the strongest football countries in the world. However, after a devastating 3-2 loss against Ghana a few days later, hope began to fade for South Korea. With their next game being against Portugal, a win seemed almost impossible as they now had to face the ninth-ranking country who had world star Cristiano Ronaldo standing as the captain. To move on in the competition, South Korea had to score two points and win the game against Portugal; furthermore, they had to pray that Ghana didn’t against Uruguay. It seemed inevitable that South Korea would be eliminated, but out of nowhere, the unbelievable happened. South Korea managed to beat Portugal 2-1 while Uruguay defeated Ghana 2-0, making South Korea second place in the Group H of the 2022 World Cup. 

Although South Korea was eliminated by Brazil in the Round of 16, the Taeguk Warriors (the Korean players’ nickname) made history among giants. They proved once again that the South Korean football team is stronger than ever.