KOREA — An exciting summer of top international football action is lined up for South Korea where national team players will star in various fixtures, with the first of three matches featuring Celtic FC vs Wolverhampton Wanderers FC on 26 July at the Suwon World Cup Stadium. The match heralds the return of international football to Korea and fans will have plenty to cheer for with Korea’s World Cup hero Hwang Hee Chan and young forward Oh Hyeon Gyu set to feature for Wolves and Celtic respectively. The other two matches will take place at the Incheon Asiad Stadium, starting with Wolves facing Serie A juggernauts AS Roma on 29 July. Local side Incheon United will then star in the third match on 1 August, taking on AS Roma.
Wolves and Celtic will be facing each other for just the second time in history – their first meeting took place 12 years ago during a friendly game at Celtic Park Stadium in Glasgow. Then, Korean Cha Du-Ri was part of the Celtic Squad who lost 2-4. Come 26 July, Celtic have a chance to reverse the result, with a victory sure to hold significance for the 22-year-old Oh Hyeon Gyu as his club’s first-ever tour in Asia takes place in his native Korea.
Another Korean star sure to delight the home fans is World Cup hero Hwang Hee Chan, who will be returning in a professional capacity to Korea after more than half a year. The 27-year-old, nicknamed The Bull, famously scored the winning goal in the 91st minute of South Korea’s 2022 World Cup group stage match to help his team beat Portugal and reach the Round of 16. Hwang was out of action during the national team’s international friendlies in March due to injury, and his appearance on home ground will no doubt be a highly-anticipated one.
These three matches are brought to South Korea by a newly-formed partnership between Stadium X and Untouchable Sport Group(“USG”). This consortium is made up of veterans who have had over a decade of experience working in various major football events in South Korea and Asia Pacific. Previous events include the FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers Final Rounds, AFC Champions League, AFC U-23 Championship, AFC U-19 Women’s Championship, HKFC CITI Soccer Sevens and more.
Stadium X/USG is keen to bring Korean national players back to their home country, giving them the perfect opportunity to introduce South Korea to their teammates and to an international audience. The matches will also provide the chance for fans to watch and cheer on their heroes in person, providing even more inspiration as members of the national team start their preparations for the qualifiers of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Jaehyung AHN, a Tour Director and the CEO of USG said: “South Korean football is getting the recognition at a global level. More and more of our stars are playing in the various European football leagues and as an organization and a proud supporter of South Korean football, we want to do our part in getting even more awareness out there. The European teams and fans have embraced Hwang Hee Chan and Oh Hyeon Gyu and we want to invite their clubs to visit South Korea so that we can help our football heroes give their clubs an equally big welcome. And in doing so, we also hope we can help more of the world see and love the beauty and culture of South Korea.”
Seongho PARK, a partnership director and the CEO of Stadium X, added: “We are looking forward to creating a multi-match football festival to mark the start of a wonderful summer filled with unforgettable experiences for the fans. We would also like to express our gratitude to Suwon City and Incheon Metropolitan City for their great support and helping us fulfill our objectives and give fans the great opportunity to cheer on their football stars in person.”
Tickets to the matches will be available at Interpark.
