South Korea rallied from a goal down to defeat Czechia 2-1 in their FIFA World Cup 2026 Group A opening match on Thursday night, according to Reuters and The Associated Press. Second-half strikes from midfielder Hwang In-beom and substitute forward Oh Hyeon-gyu secured a vital three points for the Asian powerhouse at the Guadalajara Stadium in Zapopan, Mexico.
The first half ended goalless after a lackluster display from both teams, which prompted jeers from the crowd as the players left the field. Czechia broke the deadlock in the 59th minute when captain Ladislav Krejci met a long throw-in from Vladimir Coufal and directed a powerful header past South Korean goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu. The goal stunned the predominantly pro-Korean crowd and put the European side temporarily in control.
South Korea responded swiftly and leveled the score in the 67th minute through Hwang In-beom, who controlled a precise pass from Lee Kang-in, evaded two Czech defenders, and chipped the ball over goalkeeper Matej Kovar. Czechia thought they had regained the lead in the 77th minute when Tomas Soucek headed home from a free kick. However, the assistant referee raised the flag for offside, and the goal was subsequently disallowed.
What remains unclear is how the Czech defense allowed South Korea to exploit the right flank so easily immediately after the disallowed goal. Just three minutes later, Hwang turned provider by delivering a low cross into the six-yard box, allowing Oh Hyeon-gyu to fire home the decisive winning goal from close range in the 80th minute. With this performance, Hwang became only the third South Korean player in history to record both a goal and an assist in a single World Cup match.
The victory places South Korea second in Group A, trailing co-hosts Mexico on goal difference, while Czechia sits third ahead of South Africa. South Korea will remain in Guadalajara to face Mexico in a highly anticipated match on June 18, while Czechia will travel to Atlanta to face South Africa on the same day.
