South Korea 2–1 Czechia: Hwang and Oh seal comeback on World Cup opening day
South Korea produced a spirited comeback in Guadalajara to beat Czechia 2–1 in their 2026 FIFA World Cup Group A opener. The Koreans dominated the first half but were unable to convert their chances, with Czechia goalkeeper Matej Kovář keeping a clean sheet going into the break.
Czechia took a surprise lead against the run of play in the 59th minute when captain Ladislav Krejčí met a long throw from the right and powered a header past Kim Seung-gyu. South Korea responded quickly: Hwang In-beom equalized in the 67th minute, cutting inside and finishing clinically after a well-weighted through ball put him in on goal.
Oh Hyeon-gyu completed the turnaround ten minutes later, tucking in a low cross from Hwang to make it 2–1 on the 80th minute. South Korea held on to claim all three points in their opening fixture, despite the match being played in front of a stadium that was far from full.
Key moments
- •South Korea dominated possession and created the better first-half chances but were goalless at half-time
- •Krejčí headed Czechia in front against the run of play on 59 minutes from a long throw
- •Hwang In-beom equalized with a composed finish in the 67th minute
- •Substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu completed the comeback with a goal on 80 minutes
- •Venue in Guadalajara featured large numbers of empty seats throughout the match
Timeline
Match facts
- Guadalajara Stadium, Guadalajara, Mexico
- 44,985 attendance
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- Referee: Amin Omar (Egypt)
Match report generated from publicly available sources. Facts are drawn from the sources below.