South Korea’s 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign got off with a thrilling comeback win, as goals from Hwang In-beom and substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu turned around a 2-1 victory over Czech Republic in their Group A opener at Estadio Akron in Zapopan, Mexico.
The first half was largely uneventful, with both sides struggling to create clear chances. The flat performance drew jeers from supporters as the teams left the field at halftime.
Czech Republic broke through early in the second half. Captain Ladislav Krejci headed home a long throw from Vladimir Coufal in the 59th minute to put his side ahead.
South Korea responded quickly. Eight minutes later, Hwang In-beom levelled the score, cutting inside from a pass by Lee Kang-in before placing a delicate finish just inside the post, after first faking a shot to skip past two Czech defenders.
The Czechs briefly thought they had retaken the lead through a Tomas Soucek header, but the goal was ruled out for offside — a decision that would prove costly.
With ten minutes left, South Korea completed the turnaround. Hwang played a first-time ball over the top and squared a low cross for Oh Hyeon-gyu, who slid in at the near post to net the winner.
Czech Republic pushed for an equalizer late on, but South Korea held firm. Led by Son Heung-min, the Koreans dominated possession and shots throughout, despite being ranked below their opponents.
The win held special meaning for Oh Hyeon-gyu, who revealed he had been battling a fever of 38 degrees before kickoff and credited the medical staff for getting him fit enough to play.
Head coach Hong Myung-bo praised his team’s fighting spirit after falling behind, and the result moved South Korea level on points with hosts Mexico at the top of Group A, who earlier beat a nine-man South Africa 2-0 at the Estadio Azteca.
