South Korea closed out the opening day of the 2026 World Cup with a comeback win. A 2-1 victory over Czech Republic at Estadio Guadalajara on June 11 saw Hwang In-beom produce a man-of-the-match display, scoring one goal and setting up another as South Korea came from behind in the second of the tournament’s two opening-day matches.
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Match Summary
The first half was a cagey affair, with both sides leaving the field to jeers from the crowd at the break. Czech Republic broke the deadlock just after the hour mark when captain Ladislav Krejci rose highest from a long throw-in by Vladimir Coufal to head home and put the Czechs in front.
South Korea’s response came quickly. Eight minutes later, Hwang In-beom cut inside from a pass by Lee Kang-in, faked a shot to clear two Czech defenders, and clipped a deft finish inside the post to level the score. With the momentum now firmly behind South Korea, Hwang turned creator in the 80th minute, crossing from the right flank for substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu, who converted from close range to complete the comeback and make it 2-1.
Czech Republic thought they had a route back into the game in the 77th minute when Tomas Soucek headed in from another set piece, but the West Ham midfielder was flagged offside. In the closing stages, goalkeeper Seung-gyu Kim produced a smart save to deny Michal Sadilek and secure the win for South Korea.
Hwang In-beom Makes History
Hwang In-beom’s combined goal and assist places him in rare company in South Korean football history. He becomes only the third South Korean player to record both a goal and an assist in a single World Cup match, following Choi Soon-ho against Italy in 1986. For a player who had a hand, or rather a foot, in both of his team’s goals, it was a defining individual performance on the opening day of the tournament.
Son Heung-min, appearing in his fourth and reportedly final World Cup, had earlier missed two good first-half chances to put South Korea ahead, including one effort that was kept out by a desperate save from the Czech goalkeeper. Despite not getting on the scoresheet himself, his presence and movement were credited by South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo as central to his side’s improved second-half performance.
Empty Seats Spark a Side Story
The match was played in front of a stated attendance of 44,985 at the 45,664-capacity Guadalajara Stadium, including FIFA president Gianni Infantino. However, large sections of the middle tiers appeared visibly empty during the broadcast, prompting questions about the accuracy of the official attendance figures. FIFA maintained that the attendance numbers were correct despite the visual discrepancy, a story that ran alongside the match itself in the hours afterward.
Reaction
South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo praised his side’s resilience after a difficult opening period, saying the win mattered less to him than the fact his players refused to give up after falling behind. Czech Republic coach Miroslav Koubek was magnanimous in defeat, acknowledging that South Korea were probably the better team overall, while pointing to individual mistakes that cost his side a result they felt was within reach.
Group A Standings After Day One
The result moves South Korea level on points with Mexico at the top of Group A after the opening round of fixtures, with both sides taking maximum points from their first matches. Czech Republic will look to bounce back when the group stage continues, joining South Africa in needing a response after an opening-day defeat.
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