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South Korea rallied to defeat Czechia 2-1 in its first Group A match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Estadio Guadalajara on Thursday. Hwang In-beom and substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu scored to overturn an early Czech lead.
South Korea dominated possession and created several chances in the first half but could not score. Captain Son Heung-min was among those who missed opportunities, and the half finished 0-0 despite their pressure.
Czech captain Ladislav Krejci opened the scoring in the 59th minute, heading in a free kick at the front post past South Korean goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu. This goal punished South Korea for their missed chances earlier in the match.
Eight minutes later, Hwang In-beom calmly faked a shot and chipped the ball over Czech goalkeeper Matek Kovar to tie the game. Czechia thought they had scored again through Tomas Soucek's header, but it was ruled offside.
Substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu scored the winning goal in the 80th minute, finishing Hwang's cross from the right to put South Korea ahead 2-1. South Korea defended its lead during the tense final 10 minutes as Czechia searched for an equalizer.
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South Korea's victory placed it second in Group A behind co-hosts Mexico, who defeated South Africa 2-0 earlier on Thursday. South Korea faces Mexico on June 18, while Czechia meets South Africa in Atlanta on the same date.
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