During their game against Czechia, South Korea received a wave of passionate support from Mexican fans at Guadalajara Stadium, despite the two nations being direct rivals in Group A of the 2026 World Cup.
The unique soccer relationship between these two countries dates back to Russia 2018. In the final match of that group stage, Mexico desperately needed South Korea to defeat Germany to advance to the Round of 16, and when that dramatic upset occurred, Mexican fans showed immense gratitude to the Asian nation.
Since that historic day, Mexican fans have treated South Korea with incredible warmth. During the match against Czechia, the local stands even broke out into classic “olé” chants whenever South Korea strung passes together, putting immense psychological pressure on the Europeans as they struggled to regain possession.
Heung-Min Son is a favorite of Mexican fans
Heung-Min Son, whose availability ahead of the Czechia match had fans highly curious, is undeniably a favorite of the Mexican fanbase—and not just because he is a world-renowned superstar.
Heung-Min Son of South Korea.
By scoring the decisive 2-0 goal against Germany in 2018, Son instantly achieved legendary status among Mexican supporters. He was famously embraced by El Tri fans who jokingly declared him an honorary citizen for rescuing their tournament.
When the forward later joined LAFC, he received a similarly spectacular welcome due to the massive Mexican-American population in Los Angeles. Now on North American soil for the World Cup, local fans refuse to forget South Korea’s past assistance, actively cheering for the Asians to progress alongside El Tricolor.
