Hong Myung-Bo

Who is Hong Myung-Bo?

Hong Myung-Bo is a South Korean former footballer who, along with Cha Bum-Kun, is often considered one of the greatest Asian footballers of all time. Hong was a member of the Korean national team in four World Cups, and was the first Asian player to play in four consecutive World Cup final tournaments.

Hong often played as a centre-back but also played at the full-back position. He was often touted to be the best sweeper in Asia at that time. He was often cited as the "Korean Libero" by the media due to his ability to play deep into the midfield and strike a long distance ball. He retired as a player following the end of the 2004 Major League Soccer season, having finished his career with the Los Angeles Galaxy. He was chosen among the "FIFA 100", Pelé's selection of the 125 greatest living footballers in the world. He was also the recipient of the 2002 FIFA World Cup Bronze Ball. No other Asian player has yet achieved this feat.

He managed the South Korea national under-20 football team in 2009, and led the team to the quarterfinals in the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup. Since being appointed in 2009, he has worked as head coach of the under-23 football team. Under his guidance, the South Korean national football team was able to receive the bronze in the 2012 London Olympics, which set up a record by obtaining the first medal ever for South Korea in Olympic football as well as being the first Asian team in 44 years to win a medal at that event. On June 24, 2013, Hong was appointed as the head coach of South Korean national football team to lead the team in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.