South Korea recovered from a goal down to defeat Czechia 2-1 in their opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 at Guadalajara Stadium on Friday.
Despite controlling large portions of the contest, South Korea found themselves trailing midway through the second half before goals from Hwang In-beom and Oh Hyeon-gyu completed a comeback victory.
The Koreans created the better opportunities during the opening period. Goalkeeper Matej Kovar denied Lee Kang-in’s powerful left-footed effort in the 14th minute, while captain Son Heung-min, appearing in his fourth FIFA World Cup, was unable to convert several chances before the break.
South Korea continued to press after halftime and again came close through Son, only for Kovar to make another important save.
© instagram.com/thekfaAgainst the run of play, Czechia broke the deadlock in the 59th minute. Captain Ladislav Krejci rose highest to meet Vladimir Coufal’s long throw from the right flank and powered a header past goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu.
South Korea responded positively and restored parity eight minutes later. Hwang In-beom collected a well-weighted pass from Lee Kang-in, cut inside and produced a composed finish to level the score at 1-1.
The turnaround was completed in the 80th minute when Oh Hyeon-gyu finished from close range after Hwang delivered a low ball across the face of goal.
Czechia pushed forward in search of an equaliser during the closing stages and nearly found one two minutes later. Adam Hlozek forced Kim into an outstanding save, preserving South Korea’s advantage.
The result marked South Korea’s third consecutive World Cup victory over European opposition, following wins against Germany in 2018 and Portugal in 2022.
© instagram.com/thekfaSouth Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo praised his team’s determination after the match.
“It was our first game and a very difficult one. The win itself makes me happy, but what’s even more positive is that our boys won by not giving up. I knew that we were more than capable of winning, so at 1-1 I told the boys to keep playing the way we’ve been playing. Now, Mexico is another important match. We will spend the next week to prepare properly.”
South Korea will next face Mexico as they look to build on their winning start to the tournament.
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