Usually British football fans tuning into the Asia cup will be looking out for their favourite Premier League players.
But this Saturday, people from around the world are expected to watch as South Korea take on Jordan in Qatar, for a very different reason.
Swooning fans will be hoping to get a glimpse of heartthrob and rising footballing star Cho Gue-sung, who has been dubbed Korea’s answer to David Beckham.
Cho, 25, who plays for Danish Superliga club Midtjylland, has become known on the pitch for his versatility and goal-scoring ability.
But off the pitch, the 6ft 2 muscled-man has grown even more fans, and cemented himself as a true heartthrob of the game thanks to his boyish good looks and effortless charm.
Swooning fans will be hoping to get a glimpse of heartthrob and rising footballing star Cho Gue-sung, who has been dubbed Korea’s answer to David Beckham
Cho, 25, who plays for Danish Superliga club Midtjylland, has become known on the pitch for his versatility and goal-scoring ability
But off the pitch, the 6ft 2 muscled-man has grown even more fans, and cemented himself as a true heartthrob of the game thanks to his boyish good looks and effortless charm. He recently landed the cover of Vogue Korea
After being selected for his international team in the 2022 World Cup, he gained a low level of fame in his native Korea.
But as the cameras broadcast his matches from around the world, he was catapulted to an international audience, causing his life to change overnight.
Every time Korea played, ‘Who is number 9?’ trended on X, formerly known as Twitter, as fans wondered who the heartthrob with a chiselled jaw and six-pack was.
After he scored twice against Ghana, a clip of him sitting on the bench during a club game went viral, forcing him into superstardom and making him an overnight celebrity.
Cho said he had to turn his phone off as his Instagram following rocketed from 20,000 to two million overnight.
Since, he’s covered Vogue, become and ambassador for Nike and sported fans from around the world.
‘There have been so many changes in the last year but I have enjoyed them,’ he told the Athletic.
‘Since I became more famous, many people have recognised me.
In September, Cho debuted cornrows, drawing even more comparisons to Becks, pictured right in 2003
Many fans have lusted over the star’s arms in various press conferences
Every time Korea played, ‘Who is number 9?’ trended on X, formerly known as Twitter, as fans wondered who the heartthrob with a chiselled jaw and six-pack was
Guesung Cho of South Korea in action during the international friendly match between Wals and South Korea at Cardiff City stadium. He gained extra fans while playing in the UK
‘There have been so many changes in the last year but I have enjoyed them,’ he told the Athletic of his new found fame
‘People were even recognising me when I travelled to London with the national team – that was really surprising,’ he added.
It’s been an incredible rise for the footballer. Just two years ago he was doing his mandatory military service.
While there he played for Gimcheon Sangmu – a team comprised of those on military service that was in the second Korean tier at the time.
After finishing his service he moved to Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and became a topscorer in the top division, getting the call-up of the national team.
His debut in the World Cup saw him score twice against Ghana, despite his team then losing 3-2.
He then went from just 20,000 Instagram followers to 1.6million and was forced to turn his phone off due to all the attention he has been getting.
The obsession is so great that a clip of Cho just sitting on the bench has racked up more than 7.3million views on social media in a couple of days.
‘He had to get some rest,’ journalist Seo Jung-hwan told fellow reporters at the time
After he scored twice against Ghana, a clip of him sitting on the bench during a club game went viral, forcing him into superstardom and making him an overnight celebrity
The star has racked up two million Instagram followers where he shares fun and quirky pictures
Cho is also known for his suave style and dashing looks
‘His phone was going all night. It was keeping him awake. He was trying to concentrate on football and, all the time, the messages were coming.’
It marks a meteoric rise for a man who described himself as ‘insignificant’, with almost no information about his private life having been made public.
Overnight, his Instagram flooded with his followers going from less than 20,000 to two million.
In the 13 months that have followed, he’s landed a Vogue cover, and become a darling in his native South Korea.
But as her prepares to take on Jordan in the Asia cup today, could his fame grow even more?
During his appearance at the World Cup, he was inundated with thirsty tweets proposing his hand in marriage.
Clips and pictures of him warming up and sitting on the sidelines flooded social media.
Little is known about the 25-year-old hearthrob who keeps his life very private
Cho Gue-sung’s goals against Ghana is when he first caught the attention of the world
TikTok declared him as a new ‘Oppa’, a Korean term that literally translates to older brother but is often used to flirtatiously describe an attractive man.
One clip of him playing in the rain racked up 2.7million hits, with fans thirsting over his ab outline.
‘Discovering him during the world cup was such a blessing,’ said one.
‘I would give him as many kids as he wants,’ added another.
‘Who is Messi? I only know Cho,’ joked another.
Cho won over even more people when South Korea faced off against Portugal – and told off Cristiano Ronaldo for not leaving the pitch quickly enough during the final group game.
His celebrity grew even more when, months after the world cup, he became the fifth man ever to cover Vogue Korea.
The heartthrobs various hairstyles have also got attention – just like David Beckham
The star sometimes shares snaps from inside changing rooms after games
The topless black and white shot, showcasing his rippling abs, made him even more of a sensation.
Soon he appeared on various TV shows in Korea – and in another move similar to David Beckham his new cornrows caused a furious debate.
‘When I am back in Korea, I wear a hat and a mask but people still recognise me,’ he added to the Atheltic
‘One time, people started chasing me down the street. That was crazy.’
While fans will be hopefully he’ll be playing in the UK soon, Cho seems happy staying put in Denmark for now.
Leicester City, Watford and Celtic were all said to be interested in him in the winter transfer window.
Is it the relative anonymity he can enjoy that made him pick Denmark?
‘I wasn’t afraid of the media attention, but I only wanted to focus on football. I wanted a club where I would start in every game. I was sure that Midtjylland could offer me that. Midtjylland was the most interested, so that’s why I picked them,’ he said.
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