South Korea showed great character to come from behind and beat Czechia 2-1 in their Group A opener at World Cup 2026 in Guadalajara, moving level with Mexico on three points.
Czechia lead through their captain
Set up to defend and dangerous from set pieces, Czechia went ahead in the 59th minute when captain Ladislav Krejcí headed home from a long throw-in.
Hwang inspires the fightback
Korea responded in the 67th: Hwang In-Beom dummied a shot to beat two defenders before finishing low. He then delivered the cross from the right that Oh Hyeon-Gyu turned in for the winner on 80 minutes.
Korea dominate the numbers
The win reflected control: Korea had 62% possession and completed nearly twice as many passes (464 to 242). Hwang In-Beom and Lee Kang-In were the game's standout performers. (ESPN)
What it means
Korea proved they can handle the pressure of chasing a game, while Czechia will rue failing to protect their lead. Group A — which also features Mexico and South Africa — is wide open heading into matchday two. At Malaab Al-An we cover every World Cup match with reports, analysis and live results.