According to Yonhap News Agency, the South Korean team conducted a closed training session on June 17 at the Chivas Verde Valle training facility in Sapopan, near Guadalajara, Mexico, in preparation for their second group stage match against Mexico in the 2026 North Central America World Cup.
While the team had opened some training to the public the previous day, they restricted access for about 90 minutes on this day to focus on their preparations.
During the early part of the training, while players were warming up, a drone was spotted flying above the training ground. Team security personnel confirmed the sighting, and a drone response unit from the Mexican military used jamming equipment to bring the drone down.
After the drone's descent, the team's safety officer, local police, and military personnel moved to the crash site, but two men believed to be the drone's operators retrieved it and left the area.
The identities and nationalities of these individuals have not been confirmed, and FIFA safety officials have requested an investigation from local authorities. The Korea Football Association has also communicated the incident to FIFA and requested cooperation to prevent future occurrences.
A team official stated, "The situation was resolved during the warm-up phase before tactical training began, so there was no impact on our strategy exposure. It remains unclear whether the drone was for the purpose of analyzing our team or if it was operated by foreign media or civilians."
Meanwhile, South Korea is set to face Mexico on June 19 at 10 a.m. at the Guadalajara Stadium. Both teams are competing for the top spot in Group A after winning their opening matches.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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