GUADALAJARA, Mexico (Agencies) -South Korea kicked off their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over Czechia at the Estadio Guadalajara, marking the first time in four tournament editions that the “Red Devils” have won their opening match. Despite commanding most of the possession, Hong Myung-bo’s squad had to fight back from a second-half deficit, with substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu netting the decisive match-winner in the 80th minute.
Executive Summary
The Result: South Korea defeated Czechia 2-1 after trailing 1-0 in the second half.
Key Players: Feyenoord’s Hwang In-beom sparked the comeback with an equalizer and an assist; Besiktas forward Oh Hyeon-gyu scored the winning goal.
Drama on the Pitch: A late Czech goal by Tomáš Souček was disallowed for offside, keeping the game leveled shortly before South Korea’s winner.
Defensive Heroics: Goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu preserved the victory with crucial late-game saves during intense stoppage-time pressure.
Late Drama Secures Historic Korean Victory
South Korea completely controlled the tempo from the opening whistle. Led by captain Son Heung-min, the team launched a relentless first-half offensive, with the former Tottenham star accounting for five of South Korea’s eight initial attempts. However, Czech goalkeeper Matěj Kovář stood tall, notably blocking Son’s best opportunity to keep the game scoreless at halftime.
Against the run of play, Czechia struck first in the 59th minute. Despite not registering a single shot on target up to that point, Czech captain Ladislav Krejčí broke the deadlock by rising above the defense to head home a long throw-in from Vladimír Coufal.
The setback only fueled the South Korean response, orchestrated by defensive midfielder Hwang In-beom. Just eight minutes after the Czech opener, Hwang was picked out in the penalty box by a lively Lee Kang-in. Showing immense composure, Hwang executed a brilliant shot fake that completely deceived an onrushing Kovář, before scooping the ball into the empty net to equalize.
The final quarter of the match delivered intense, breathless drama. In the 78th minute, Czechia believed they had reclaimed the lead when Tomáš Souček nodded home a free-kick from the left flank. However, South Korea was handed a vital lifeline when the linesman ruled the goal out for offside.
Capitalizing on the momentum shift just two minutes later, the South Korean supporters were sent into a frenzy. Hwang turned playmaker, flashing a precise cross into the box for Besiktas forward Oh Hyeon-gyu, who tapped it in to make it 2-1.
Czechia launched a desperate late assault, but South Korean goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu ensured all three points were secured. Kim produced a spectacular low reflex stop to deny Adam Hložek from close range in the 82nd minute, followed by another crucial save against Michal Sadílek deep in stoppage time to seal the historic opening-day triumph.
