South Korea Stages Comeback to Defeat Czechia 2-1 in World Cup Opener
"The win itself makes me happy, but what's even more positive is that our boys won by not giving up."
— South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo
South Korea came from a goal down to defeat Czechia 2-1 in their opening Group A match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The match was played at Akron Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico, with an announced attendance of 44,985.
Match Summary
The first half ended scoreless, with South Korea holding an 8-2 advantage in shots, four of which were on target.
The breakthrough came in the 59th minute when Czechia took the lead via a header from captain Ladislav Krejci following a long throw-in.
South Korea responded swiftly in the 67th minute, equalizing when Hwang In-beom scored after evading two defenders.
Czechia thought they had regained the lead in the 77th minute, but their goal was disallowed due to Tomas Soucek being offside.
The decisive moment came in the 80th minute, as Oh Hyeon-gyu scored the winning goal for South Korea from a centering pass by Hwang In-beom.
Key Facts
- South Korea goalkeeper Kim Seng-gyu made three saves, including two late in the match.
- Czechia goalkeeper Matej Kovar made four saves.
- South Korea's star forward Son Heung-min recorded three shots but did not score.
- This was Czechia's first World Cup match in 20 years (since 2006).
- This is South Korea's first opening World Cup win since 2010 (against Greece).
- South Korea has now won its last three World Cup matches against European opponents (Portugal in 2022, Germany in 2018, Czechia in 2026).
Group Standings
With the win, South Korea earned three points, tying Mexico for first place in Group A. Mexico defeated South Africa 2-0 earlier in Mexico City. Czechia is at the bottom of the group standings with two games remaining for each team.
Statements
Czechia coach Miroslav Koubek stated: "Probably the better team won. We played very well, it could have been a draw and we could have won as well."
Attendance
$500 — Lower tier ticket price
$5,000+ — Hospitality seat price
FIFA reported 44,985 attendees at Akron Stadium. Visual evidence showed several empty seats. Complaints about ticket prices, travel costs, and visa issues have been reported.