"I Want to Return to the Korean National Team"…Cho Yu-min Joins Last-Placed J1 Club Verdy After Injury

In an interview conducted in Japan on October 15, Cho Yu-min said his goal is to return to the national team after the plantar fascia injury he suffered ahead of the World Cup. Tokyo Verdy, the club he now plays for, sits last in the J1 League as of October 11.

Translated from Korean with AI assistance. Read the original. Sources and original publication dates are retained.

Three-Line Summary

In a Japan interview on October 15, Cho Yu-min said his goal is to return to the Korean national team after his injury.
He injured his plantar fascia in a friendly right before the World Cup and was left out of the 2026 World Cup squad.
Tokyo Verdy, which announced the permanent transfer agreement on September 18, sits 20th in J1 with 4 points from 9 matches (as of October 11).

As recently as June, Cho Yu-min's name was on the 2026 World Cup squad list. As of October 11, he is a defender for the 20th-place J1 club. In a friendly right before the World Cup, he injured his plantar fascia (the thick tissue that supports the arch of the foot), forcing him out of the squad. On September 18, Tokyo Verdy announced the completion of his permanent transfer. In a local interview in Japan on October 15, he expressed his desire to return to the national team.

Cho Yu-min's Injury and Comments on Returning to the National Team: 3 Key Takeaways from His October 15 Interview in Japan

Seoul Shinmun reported on June 2 that Cho Yu-min had injured his plantar fascia in a friendly right before the World Cup and left the national team. Although he was on the squad, he never got to take the field on the main tournament stage. Cho is a player who won a gold medal with the U-23 national team at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games.

About 4 months later, on October 15, Nikkan Sports reported that Cho said "韓国代表に戻りたい," which translates as "I want to return to the Korean national team." He said he was aiming to return to the national team after his injury, and he also expressed his intention to adapt to the new league and contribute to his team.

The background to the move came from two interviews. In his first official interview, posted by Tokyo Verdy on October 14 (interview date October 13), Cho said that the club's determination to recruit him, shown by staff who traveled all the way to Korea, was a key reason for his decision. In his Nikkan Sports interview, he also added that he wanted to play in Japan.

Tokyo Verdy, Cho Yu-min's New Club: 4 Points from 9 Matches, 20th in J1

Tokyo Verdy officially announced on September 18 that it had reached an agreement with Cho Yu-min on a permanent transfer agreement. Although it is a permanent transfer rather than a loan, the contract term, salary, and transfer fee have not been disclosed. He came to the club via Suwon FC, Daejeon Hana Citizen, and UAE's Sharjah FC, making this his fourth professional club. Soccerway's transfer records estimated the fee for his 2024 move to Sharjah at 1 million euros, but the club has not officially announced that figure.

During his Daejeon spell, he scored 7 goals in the 2022 season, and this total includes a goal from the first leg of the promotion playoff. Daejeon won promotion to the K League 1 that year. However, we do not include his career totals because we could not secure an official full career tally.

J1 League Lower Standings (as of 2026.10.11 18:19, official J.League)

Rank	Club	Points	Gap from Tokyo Verdy
16	Kyoto Sanga	8	4 points
17	Avispa Fukuoka	7	3 points
18	Gamba Osaka	6	2 points
19	Jef United Chiba	5	1 point
20	Tokyo Verdy	4	-

J.League Official Standings Looking at the official standings, Tokyo Verdy has 0 wins, 4 draws, and 5 losses from 9 matches, 4 points, placing them 20th (as of 2026.10.11 18:19). As of October 11, they have not won a single match. Their points per game are 0.44 (4÷9). They are 1 point behind 19th-place Jef United Chiba and 4 points behind 16th-place Kyoto Sanga.

In his Nikkan Sports interview, Cho said he would adapt to the new league and contribute to the team.

Having missed the World Cup due to injury, Cho is starting over with a club that, as of October 11, sits last in J1. The standings are based on data updated on October 11, so results from later matches are not reflected. Here is part of the statement quoted by Nikkan Sports: "I want to return to the Korean national team."

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Where was Cho Yu-min's injury?

It was the plantar fascia. Seoul Shinmun reported on June 2 that Cho injured his plantar fascia in a friendly right before the World Cup and was left out of the 2026 World Cup squad.

Q. Is Cho Yu-min's transfer a loan or a permanent transfer?

It is a permanent transfer. Tokyo Verdy officially announced it on September 18. The contract term, salary, and transfer fee have not been disclosed.

Q. What place is Cho Yu-min's club, Tokyo Verdy, in?

As of October 11, 2026, 18:19, they are 20th in the J1 League. With 0 wins, 4 draws, and 5 losses from 9 matches, they have 4 points, 1 point behind 19th-place Jef United Chiba.

Related Official Sites

Tokyo Verdy Official Website — Cho Yu-min transfer announcement and the club's original official interview
J.League Official Standings — Tokyo Verdy's latest J1 League standing and points
J.League Official Tokyo Verdy Schedule and Results — Remaining fixtures and match-by-match results

Representative image · Archival photo · Not a photo from the match currently covered in the article · Photo composite · Photo=Wikimedia Commons (Nori Picture), CC BY 4.0 · Photo=Wikimedia Commons (Nori Picture), CC BY 4.0 · Photo=Wikimedia Commons (yoppy from Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan), CC BY 2.0