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Before his first game at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Korean footballer Cho Gue-sung was a moderately famous sportsperson, having made his way to the big leagues for the first time. However, as soon as the internet discovered a clip of the player in the stands, he became their latest obsession, with "South Korea No 9" trending on various social media sites.
Born on January 25, 1998, in South Korea's Ansan, Cho Gue-sung (aka Korea number 9) was a student at Gwangju University before his career as a professional football player took off in earnest. The 24-year-old player has been on everyone's radar since his appearance at the World Cup in a game against Uruguay on November 25.
Four things you must know about the Internet's latest obsession, Cho Gue-sung
1) He was a defensive midfielder before he became a striker in 2017
When he was younger, the Korean footballer used to play in the position of defensive, moving back and forth across the field and blocking the opposing team from scoring. This continued during his freshman year at Gwangju University.
However, the university team's manager Lee Seung-won did not evaluate him as a good midfielder, leading to him changing his position to that of a striker (forward) back in 2017. The position seems to suit him well, as he has scored a total of 52 goals (only club matches) in his professional career so far.
2) He is currently a member of the Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors club
The forward started his professional career by playing for FC Anyang, the club which competed in K League 2, emerging as the third-highest goal-scorer in his first season, professionally. This resulted in him transferring to Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, a K League 1 club (the top professional South Korean football division among men).
Cho Gue-sung's first season at the new club was lukewarm, after which he made the decision to enroll in the Gimcheon Sangmu FC, allowing him to train while fulfilling his military service. In 2022, he returned to Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and led the team to their 2022 Korean FA Cup win, becoming the top-scorer of the tournament.
Since he has caught the fancy of the internet, the club's social media has been posting short videos about him, causing fans to remark that the Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors social media has become a Korea No. 9 fan account.
3) He became the first South Korean player to score two (or more) goals in a single World Cup match
Cho Gue-sung proved himself to be the player to look out for after his historic goals in the 2022 FIFA World Cup match against Ghana on November 28. After making his World Cup debut in a match against Uruguay a few days prior, the striker scored two headers against Ghana, making him the first South Korean footballer to ever score multiple goals in a single World Cup match.
Although Taeguk Warriors (the Korean team) eventually lost the match, Cho Gue-sung's goals allowed the team to proceed to the Round of 16. What made his achievement even more impressive was the fact that the two headers were made within three minutes, not giving Ghana the chance to recover.
4) He jumped to 2.3M followers on Instagram
Following his incredible goals against Ghana, the Korean forward's popularity blew up even more, causing his Instagram followers to touch 2.3 million (as of December 5, 2022). The matter got slightly out of hand when he started receiving marriage proposals as well, disrupting his schedule and causing him to turn off his cell phone.
Nonetheless, there doesn’t seem to be any going back for the Korean footballer (Instagram handle: @whrbtjd), with just 6 posts on his account as his fanclub grows every day.
Cho Gue-sung's excellent World Cup record so far, and his newfound internet celebrity status have caused many clubs, including The Celtic Football Club (aka Celtic), to express interest in acquiring the South Korean footballer.
Meanwhile, South Korea will face off against Brazil on December 5, 2022. Despite coming off a win against Portugal, the Taeguk Warriors are the underdogs in the upcoming match.
