Is this Cho Gue-sung the most popular footballer ever? The 'insignificant' player, 25, became 'Korean David Beckham' overnight when his good looks attracted two million Instagram followers at the World Cup – and now fans are tuning in to see him play again
Normally, British football fans tuning into the Asia Cup will be looking forward to seeing their favorite Premier League players.
But this Saturday, people from around the world are expected to see South Korea take on Jordan in Qatar, for a very different reason.
Swooning fans hope to catch a glimpse of heartthrob and rising football star Cho Gue-sung, who has been dubbed Korea's answer to David Beckham.
25-year-old Cho, who plays for Danish Superliga club Midtjylland, has become known on the pitch for his versatility and scoring ability.
But off the field, the 6-foot-2, muscular man has gained even more fans and cemented himself as a true heartthrob thanks to his boyish looks and effortless charm.
Swooning fans hope to catch a glimpse of heartthrob and rising football star Cho Gue-sung, 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 field, the 6-foot-2, muscular man has gained even more fans and cemented himself as a true heartthrob thanks to his boyish looks and effortless charm. He was recently on the cover of Vogue Korea
After being selected for his international team for the 2022 World Cup, he achieved little fame in his native Korea.
But when cameras broadcast his matches from around the world, he was catapulted into an international audience, changing his life overnight.
Every time Korea played, 'Who is number 9?' trended on X, formerly known as Twitter, when fans wondered who the heartthrob with a chiseled jaw and six-pack was.
After scoring twice against Ghana, a A video of him sitting on the bench during a club match went viral, making him a superstar and an overnight celebrity.
Cho said he had to turn off his phone because his Instagram followers shot from 20,000 to two million overnight.
Since then he has covered Vogue, become an ambassador for Nike and sports fans from all over the world.
“There have been so many changes in the last year, but I've enjoyed it,” he told the BBC Athletic.
'Since I became more famous, many people have recognized me.
In September, Cho debuted cornrows, drawing further comparisons to Becks, pictured right, in 2003
Many fans have coveted the star's arms during various press conferences
Every time Korea played, 'Who is number 9?' trended on X, formerly known as Twitter, when fans wondered who the heartthrob with a chiseled 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 additional fans while playing in Great Britain
“There have been so many changes in the past year, but I have enjoyed it,” he told Athletic of his newfound fame
“People even recognized me when I traveled to London with the national team – that was really surprising,” he added.
It was an incredible rise for the footballer. Just two years ago he completed his mandatory military service.
While there, he played for Gimcheon Sangmu – a team made up of military service members who were in Korea's second tier at the time.
After finishing his service, he moved to Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and became top scorer in the top division, earning a call-up to the national team.
On his World Cup debut, he scored twice against Ghana, despite his team losing 3-2.
He then went from having just 20,000 Instagram followers to 1.6 million and was forced to turn off his phone because of all the attention he was getting.
The obsession is so great that a clip of Cho simply sitting on the couch has racked up more than 7.3 million views on social media in just a few days.
“He needed to rest,” journalist Seo Jung-hwan told fellow reporters at the time
After scoring twice against Ghana, a clip of him sitting on the bench during a club match went viral, propelling him to superstardom and making him an overnight celebrity.
The star has amassed two million Instagram followers where he shares fun and quirky photos
Cho is also known for his suave style and dashing appearance
'His phone was on all night. It kept him awake. He was trying to concentrate on football and the messages kept coming in.”
It marks a meteoric rise for a man who described himself as “insignificant” while virtually no information about his private life was made public.
Overnight, his Instagram ballooned from fewer than 20,000 followers to two million.
In the thirteen months that followed, he landed a Vogue cover and became a darling in his native South Korea.
But could his fame grow even greater as she prepares to take on Jordan in the Asian Cup today?
During his appearance at the World Cup, he was inundated with thirsty tweets asking for marriage.
Clips and photos of him warming up and sitting on the sidelines flooded social media.
Little is known about the 25-year-old heartthrob who keeps his life very private
Cho Gue-sung's goals against Ghana were the moment he first caught the world's attention
TikTok dubbed him 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 performing in the rain racked up 2.7 million hits, with fans thirsting for his abdominal size.
“It was such a blessing to discover him at the World Cup,” said one.
“I would give him as many children as he wants,” another added.
'Who is Messi? I only know Cho,” another joked.
Cho won over even more people as South Korea took on Portugal – telling Cristiano Ronaldo he didn't leave the pitch quickly enough in the final group match.
His celebrity increased when, months after the World Cup, he became the fifth man ever to cover Vogue Korea.
The heartbreakingly different hairstyles have also gotten attention – as has David Beckham
The star sometimes shares photos from locker rooms after matches
The topless black and white shot, which showed off his rippling abs, made him even more of a sensation.
Soon he was appearing on several TV shows in Korea – and in another move similar to David Beckham, his new cornrows sparked a furious debate.
“When I'm back in Korea, I wear a hat and a mask, but people still recognize me,” he added to the Atheltic
'One time people started chasing me on the street. That was crazy.'
While fans will hopefully be playing in Britain soon, Cho seems happy to remain in Denmark for now.
Leicester City, Watford and Celtic are all said to be interested in him during the winter transfer window.
Is it the relative anonymity he can enjoy that made him choose Denmark?
'I wasn't afraid of the media attention, but I just wanted to concentrate on football. I wanted a club where I would start in every match. I was sure Midtjylland could offer me that. Midtjylland was the most interested, so that's why I picked them,” he said.