World Cup: drone interrupts South Korea's training; "regrettable", says technician

The South Korean national team had a setback while preparing to face Mexico in the 2026 World Cup. A drone flew over the team's closed training session on Tuesday (17), forcing the intervention of Mexican authorities.

According to Mexican security forces, the equipment was intercepted because it was not registered to operate in the area. The action is part of the special security scheme set up for the World Cup, which brings together thousands of agents and monitoring technology in the host cities.

The episode happened just when the South Koreans were beginning the tactical part of the training.

In a press conference this Wednesday (17), coach Hong Myung-bo regretted what happened, but minimized the impacts.

"It didn't affect us significantly, but we were preparing for the match and that was the most important moment in training. What happened was regrettable," he said.

Mexican authorities have reinforced security especially in the state of Jalisco, where Guadalajara is located. The region faces problems related to the activities of criminal organizations involved in drug trafficking and other crimes.

On the field, South Korea seeks to maintain its good momentum after beating the Czech Republic 2-1 in its debut and taking a prominent position in Group A.

On the other hand, Mexico will have the support of the fans for playing at home. Hong Myung-bo stated that his players are used to playing in hostile environments and highlighted the importance of emotional control.

"My players have already been through games like this. We need to control the pace and tempo of the game. The right moment to act will be very important," said the coach.

Mexico and South Korea face each other this Thursday (18), in Guadalajara, in a duel that could advance them to the round of 16 of the World Cup.

Source: CNN