South Korea Rally Past Czechia 2-1 to Open World Cup Campaign with Victory

GUADALAJARA, Mexico — South Korea began their 2026 FIFA World Cup journey with a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over the Czech Republic on Thursday night, thanks to a late winner from substitute Oh Hyeon-Gyu. The Taeguk Warriors controlled much of the match but found themselves trailing midway through the second half before responding with two goals in an 11-minute span to secure all three points in Group A. South Korea looked dangerous from the opening whistle, creating several early opportunities through captain Son Heung-Min and playmaker Lee Kang-In. Son fired multiple efforts off target while Lee Kang-In tested goalkeeper Matej Kovar with a powerful strike from distance. Despite South Korea's dominance, neither side found a breakthrough before halftime, with the Czech Republic struggling to generate meaningful attacking chances. The match changed in the 63rd minute when Czech captain Ladislav Krejčí rose unmarked to head home from a long throw delivered by Vladimír Coufal, giving the Europeans a surprise 1-0 lead with their first significant opportunity of the evening. South Korea responded quickly. Just eight minutes later, midfielder Hwang In-Beom produced a moment of brilliance inside the penalty area. His clever movement left both Kovar and defender Robin Hranáč off balance before calmly finishing into an open net to level the score at 1-1. The equalizer shifted momentum firmly back in South Korea's favor, and the breakthrough winner arrived in the 79th minute. Hwang again played a key role, delivering a low cross into the box that Oh Hyeon-Gyu redirected past Kovar. The goalkeeper got a hand to the effort but could not prevent it from crossing the line. The Czech Republic nearly found a response when Tomáš Souček headed the ball into the net, but the effort was ruled out for offside. South Korea still had work to do in the closing stages, relying on goalkeeper Kim Seung-Gyu to preserve the lead with a pair of crucial saves as Czechia pushed for a late equalizer. The victory gives South Korea an important three points to begin their World Cup campaign, while the Czech Republic leaves Guadalajara empty-handed despite taking the lead in the second half.