Bento Is Leaving Korea: What Happened to South Korea’s Soccer Coach?

What’s Going On?

Imagine your favorite soccer team just had a really tough time at the biggest tournament in the world. That’s exactly what happened to South Korea’s national soccer team, and now everyone is talking about their old coach, Paulo Bento.

The Recent World Cup Disaster

South Korea went into the 2026 North American World Cup feeling pretty confident. They were placed in a group with Mexico, the Czech Republic, and South Africa — a group that many people called the "easiest group in the history of the Korean World Cup."

But things didn’t go as planned:

• South Korea only managed one win and two losses
• They failed to advance past the group stage (the round of 32)
• This was a huge disappointment, especially because the team had star players like:
  • Son Heung-min
  • Lee Kang-in
  • Kim Min-jae

Important Point: Even with a so-called "golden generation" of talented players, the team still couldn’t get the job done. That’s how bad the performance was.

Hong Myung-bo Steps Down

The head coach, Hong Myung-bo, took responsibility for the poor results. On June 29th, while the team was staying at their base camp in Guadalajara, Mexico, he announced:

"I am trying to resign as the coach of the national soccer team."

In other words, he said, "This was my fault, and I’m going to step aside."

Fans Want Bento Back!

Now here’s where it gets interesting. Many South Korean soccer fans are saying, "We want Paulo Bento back!"

But wait — who is Paulo Bento?

Who Is Paulo Bento?

Paulo Bento is a Portuguese soccer coach who used to lead the South Korean national team. He was the coach during the 2022 Qatar World Cup, and he did a pretty great job!

Here’s what happened at the 2022 World Cup under Bento:

1. First match: Drew 0-0 with Uruguay (a solid result!)
2. Second match: Lost 2-3 to Ghana (uh oh, trouble!)
3. Third match: Won 2-1 against Portugal (what a comeback!)

Because of that final win against Portugal, South Korea advanced to the round of 16 — which is a big deal!

Then in the round of 16, they faced Brazil (one of the strongest teams in the world) and lost 1-4. Still, making it to the round of 16 was considered a success.

What Happened After 2022?

After the 2022 World Cup, Bento and South Korea tried to work out a new contract to keep him as coach. But they couldn’t agree on the terms, so Bento left Korea.

He then went on to coach the UAE (United Arab Emirates) national team starting in July 2023. But his time there was short — he coached a 2-1 win against North Korea in March of last year and then became unemployed again.

Important Point: Right now, Paulo Bento is not coaching any team. He’s a free agent, which means any team could hire him.

Fans Are Making Their Voices Heard

South Korean fans are really missing Bento. On social media, his wife Teresa Bento posted something, and the response was massive:

• Over 4,400 comments poured in
• Fans wrote things like:
  • "I miss Ben Verge" (a nickname for Bento)
  • "I want to see Ben Verge’s build-up soccer, not a strange three-back"
  • "Coach, please come back to Korea"
• The post got close to 80,000 likes

That’s a LOT of people saying they want him back!

Summary

Here’s the whole story in a nutshell:

• South Korea had a terrible 2026 World Cup, failing to advance from what was supposed to be an easy group
• Coach Hong Myung-bo resigned because of the poor performance
• Fans are now calling for Paulo Bento to return as coach
• Bento previously led South Korea to the round of 16 at the 2022 Qatar World Cup
• He left Korea after failing to agree on a new contract, briefly coached the UAE, and is now without a team
• Korean fans are showing huge support for his return on social media

FAQ

Q: Why did Hong Myung-bo resign?
A: He resigned because South Korea failed to advance past the group stage at the 2026 World Cup, despite being in what was considered the easiest group. He took responsibility for the poor results.

Q: What did Paulo Bento achieve with South Korea?
A: He led the team to the round of 16 at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, including a memorable 2-1 victory over Portugal in the final group match.

Q: Is Paulo Bento currently coaching any team?
A: No, he is currently unemployed. He last coached the UAE national team and is now a free agent.

Q: Why did Bento leave South Korea after the 2022 World Cup?
A: He and the Korean soccer association couldn’t agree on the terms of a new contract, so they parted ways.

Q: What is a "three-back" in soccer?
A: It’s a formation where a team uses three defenders instead of the usual four. Some fans felt Hong Myung-bo’s use of this system didn’t work well, which is why they miss Bento’s style of play.