The South Korean national football team secured a decisive 5-0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago on Saturday in a friendly match held at South Field of Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, USA, as part of its preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Despite the lopsided victory, the warmup match sparked intense criticism from fans who questioned the competitive value of facing a team ranked 102nd in the FIFA rankings, compared to South Korea's position at No. 25.
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"They bring a team ranked 102nd in the FIFA rankings and call it a World Cup warmup match," wrote one user on X, according to the Korea Herald.
"Other teams don't play warmups against sides ranked lower than 100th. The Korea Football Association must be out of its mind."
The current backlash follows previous friendly defeats in March against Ivory Coast and Austria, which saw South Korea drop three spots in the FIFA rankings, alongside growing public frustration with KFA President Chung Mong-gyu and head coach Hong Myung-bo.
"They probably just scheduled weaker teams because they were tired of fans complaining," wrote another fan on social media.
Altitude Adaptation Justifies Opponent Choice
However, soccer observers offered a practical justification for the choice of location and opponent, noting that the team needed to adapt to high-altitude environments ahead of their World Cup group-stage matches in Guadalajara, Mexico, which is located more than 1,500 meters above sea level.
