Guadalajara [Mexico], June 11 (ANI): South Korea captain Son Heung-Min said he still feels like 'a young boy again' whenever he steps onto the FIFA World Cup stage, as the Asian side prepares to open its 2026 campaign against Czechia in Guadalajara on Thursday (Local Time), reported ESPN.

The 33-year-old forward, who will feature in his fourth World Cup, remains the cornerstone of the South Korean team and brings a wealth of experience with 144 international appearances to the tournament. He has scored 56 goals in international football.

Speaking ahead of the Group A clash at Estadio Guadalajara, Son admitted that the excitement of representing his country on football's biggest stage has never faded.

'I'm very happy to be back on the World Cup pitch, which is something I dreamed of from a very young age,' Son said, according to ESPN. 'Whether it's my first World Cup or fourth World Cup, I feel like a young boy again. This is the stage of dreams.'

'It's not something that can be expressed in one word. Whether it's the first, fourth or sixth World Cup, our mindset must be the same when we participate in the World Cup,' he added.

South Korea arrive in Mexico hoping to build on the lessons learned from previous World Cup campaigns. The Taegeuk Warriors reached the Round of 16 in Qatar 2022 but have struggled in recent tournament openers, failing to win their first match in each of the last three editions.

Reflecting on the team's growth since Qatar, Son believes the current squad is better equipped to handle the challenges ahead.

'I think during [the last World Cup in] Qatar, we showed a lot of strength but also had losses and failures. I think those are lessons that we have learned from going forward,' he said, as per ESPN.

'Of course, we are a little bit more mature and experienced. There are some changes [in personnel] but our mindset on the world stage is the same,' South Korea skipper added.

The former Tottenham Hotspur star also praised the commitment within the squad, highlighting the determination of his teammates ahead of the opener.

'The atmosphere, right from the beginning now, is no problem at all. And whenever I see my teammates working so hard for the team, for Korea, sometimes I even have to calm them down,' Son said.

'We're very prepared, and I hope that we will get a good result tomorrow because I'm sure they [his teammates] deserve it,' he added.

Despite the significance of the opening match, Son insisted his focus remains firmly on the present rather than dwelling on expectations.

'When it comes to the importance of the first match, I don't live for tomorrow,' he said. 'Today is the most important day for me, and I need to develop myself. Today I will be focused on training.'

'Tomorrow, I can think about tomorrow. Tomorrow, we will do our best,' he concluded.

South Korea begin their World Cup journey against Czechia, seeking the positive start that has eluded them in recent tournaments and hoping their experienced captain can once again inspire them on football's grandest stage. (ANI)