The poor grass conditions at the Seoul World Cup Stadium also contributed to the national soccer team’s poor draw against underdog Palestine (ranking 96th in the International Football Federation) in the first round of the third round of the 2026 North-China World Cup qualifying round.
The national soccer team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, only drew 0-0 at home against Palestine in the first round of the ‘2026 FIFA North-China World Cup Asia Regional Third Qualifier’ held at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 5th. 먹튀검증
It is close to a disaster that the Palestinian team, which is far less powerful than Korea, drew at home.
However, the grass condition at the Seoul World Cup Stadium was uneven for the national team players to perform at their best.
The grass at the Seoul World Cup Stadium was damaged in the first half of the year with idol concerts and other events. On top of that, the recent rainy season and heat waves make no sense. In fact, there were many cuts even with the naked eye, and there were traces of urgent repairs to the extent that it was confirmed that each part had different grass colors.
In the 15th minute of the second half, Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) blew a perfect no-mark chance into the air because of the poor grass.
Of course, since Palestine was under the same conditions, unnecessary mention of grass can sound like an excuse. In response, captain Son Heung-min (Tottenham), Kim Min-jae (Munich), and Lee Kang-in expressed their willingness to reflect on their performance, saying, “I don’t want to blame grass.”
However, the grass at the Seoul World Cup Stadium was so messed up because it had the world’s best players playing on the best stage in Europe, including England, Germany and France.
The state of grass at the Seoul World Cup Stadium, which has not been managed, has not been a problem for a day or two. In the meantime, leaders and players in the national team’s A-match and K-League have often expressed regret over the state of grass.
A representative player is Ki Sung-yueng (FC Seoul), who is home to the Seoul World Cup Stadium.
Ki, who also served as captain of the Korean national soccer team, made remarks on grass condition whenever he had the opportunity. However, there has been no change.
The Seoul World Cup Stadium is also scheduled for a concert in September. A week after the concert, FC Seoul will play its K-League home game, and there is already a lot of concern about the grass condition.
Coincidentally, Ki Sung-yueng visited the Seoul World Cup Stadium, where the match against Palestine was held, and once again checked the disappointing grass condition with his eyes while cheering for his juniors.
While the Korea Football Association is reportedly considering changing its home stadium for the third round of the World Cup in North Korea and the U.S., attention is being paid to when the grass at the Seoul World Cup Stadium, the sacred site of Korean soccer, will be able to play its role.