South Korea fought back from a goal down to defeat the Czech Republic 2-1 in their opening Group A match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu scoring the decisive goal 10 minutes from time.
The Koreans joined Mexico at the top of the group standings on three points after the co-hosts defeated South Africa 2-0 in the tournament opener earlier in the day.
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Despite dominating possession and creating the better chances throughout the contest, South Korea found themselves trailing in the 59th minute when Czech captain Ladislav Krejci rose highest to head home a long throw from Vladimir Coufal.
However, the Asian side responded quickly, with Hwang In-beom restoring parity before turning provider for Oh Hyeon-gyu’s winner in the 80th minute.
Korea’s persistence pays off
South Korea controlled much of the match and created numerous scoring opportunities, particularly through captain Son Heung-min.
The Tottenham Hotspur forward endured a frustrating evening in front of goal, missing several chances and failing to add to his international tally of 56 goals, leaving him two short of South Korea’s all-time scoring record.
Oh Hyeon-gyu eventually replaced Son and made an immediate impact, finishing clinically to complete the comeback and hand his side a deserved victory.
Coaches react
South Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo praised his players’ resilience after the match.
“Before the match, I gave the players two messages: do not give up until the end and unite as one and play together,” Hong said.
Czech Republic coach Miroslav Koubek lamented his side’s defensive lapses.
“We made some mistakes,” Koubek said. “When I look back at the situations, we could have prevented the opponents from scoring their goals. We created opportunities, but our opponent was very fast.”
Historic start for South Korea
The match highlighted a clash of footballing styles, with South Korea’s technical quality and fluid passing eventually overcoming the Czech Republic’s physical and direct approach.
There were empty seats around the stadium despite an official attendance of 44,985, although the majority of supporters present were firmly behind the Korean side.
The victory marks South Korea’s first winning start to a World Cup campaign in four editions and provides an early boost to their hopes of reaching the knockout stage.
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