Chung Mong-gyu stepped down as president of the Korea Football Association on July 6, 2026, following criticism from the country's president and the resignation of coach Hong Myung-bo. ^[1] In 2018, after Japanese billionaire Keishi Kameyama's DMM Group acquired full ownership, Sint-Truiden signed Japanese players Takehiro Tomiyasu, Wataru Endo and Daichi Kamada. ^[2] In July 2025, Japanet Holdings, the owner of Japanese club V-Varen Nagasaki and operator of satellite TV station BS10, bought a 19.9% stake in Sint-Truiden. ^[3] Sint-Truiden (STVV) finished third in the Belgian league in the 2024-25 season, earning the club its first-ever qualification for the UEFA Conference League league phase. ^[4] Australia and Japan were eliminated in the round of 32; Australia lost in a penalty shootout to Egypt, and Japan lost to Brazil after leading 1-0 at halftime. ^[5] South Korea's coach Hong Myung-bo resigned last week after the team's group-stage exit culminated in a 1-0 loss to South Africa. ^[6] Teams from the Asian Football Confederation managed just three wins in 29 matches at the expanded 48-team World Cup, with only Australia and Japan advancing from the group stage. ^[7] Takayuki Tateishi, Sint-Truiden's general manager and former FC Tokyo executive, told The Athletic in March 2025 that there were only three Japanese players in Belgium when the project started, a number that has since grown to 25 in the top two divisions and 150 across Europe. ^[8]