- Address: 240 Geumhwa-ro, Gwangju
- Country: Korea
- Capacity: 40,000
- Opened: September 2001
- Main use: Football
- Tenants:
Extra stadium info – Gwangju World Cup Stadium
The venue hosted 2002 FIFA World Cup matches for the national football teams of China, Costa Rica, Korea, Slovenia and Spain. It is also known as the Guus Hiddink Stadium. Guus Hiddink led the national football team of Korea, nicknamed Taegeuk Warriors, to the semi-finals of the 2002 FIFA World Cup at the Gwangju World Cup Stadium. Korea reached the semi-finals after finishing above the United States, the Portuguese Republic and Poland in the group stage. In the knockout stage, Korea defeated the Italian Republic and Spain before they were defeated 1-0 by Germany in Seoul.
Guus Hiddink
Hiddink was born in the Netherlands in 1946. He played for De Graafschap, PSV and NEC during his senior career before he moved to the United States. In 1988, Hiddink made fame when he won the European football championship as the coach of the Dutch side PSV from Eindhoven. Hiddink managed several national football teams and Fenerbahçe from Türkiye, Valencia CF from Spain, Real Madrid from Spain, Chelsea from the United Kingdom and the former club Anji from Russia. He won a world championship title with Real Madrid in 1998 after beating Vasco da Gama from Brazil. The same year, Guus Hiddink finished fourth place at the FIFA World Cup with the national football team of the Netherlands.
Gwangju FC
Gwangju Football Club played numerous home games at the Gwangju World Cup Stadium. The football club was founded in 2010. They attracted a crowd of 36,000 in their first-ever top-flight league match. Gwangju FC finished 11th place in their inaugural top-flight league season. They gathered 35 points in 30 games. Nine of those 30 games ended in a victory. Eight games ended in a draw and 13 games ended in a loss.
