South Korea launched their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign in dramatic fashion on Thursday night, overturning a second-half deficit to defeat Czechia 2-1 and secure their first opening-match victory at the tournament in 16 years.
For nearly an hour, the contest appeared destined to be remembered for missed opportunities. South Korea dominated possession, created the better chances and repeatedly threatened through captain Son Heung-min, yet the breakthrough remained elusive as both sides went into halftime locked at 0-0.
The match sprang to life in the 59th minute when Czech captain Ladislav Krejčí stunned the Korean side by heading home from a long throw-in, giving the Europeans the lead against the run of play.
It was a cruel setback for Hong Myung-bo’s team, who had controlled much of the contest without finding a finishing touch. But unlike many teams shaken by such a blow, South Korea responded with remarkable composure.
Midfielder Hwang In-beom ignited the comeback in the 67th minute. Receiving the ball inside the penalty area, he cleverly evaded two defenders before lifting a composed finish beyond goalkeeper Matěj Kovář to level the score.
The equalizer shifted momentum decisively in South Korea’s favor. Czechia struggled to regain control as the Asian side continued to press forward in search of a winner.
Their persistence was rewarded in the 80th minute when Hwang once again took center stage. The midfielder delivered a precise ball from the right flank into the danger area, where substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu arrived to fire home from close range and complete the turnaround.
The victory was fully deserved. South Korea controlled possession for long stretches, generated the majority of the match’s clear-cut opportunities and consistently stretched the Czech defense with their movement and technical quality.
Czechia thought they had found a route back into the contest when Tomáš Souček headed into the net late in the second half, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside. That decision preserved South Korea’s advantage and ultimately secured three valuable points.
The result places South Korea level on points with Mexico at the top of Group A following the hosts’ victory over South Africa earlier in the day. More importantly, it ended a long wait for an opening-match triumph at football’s biggest tournament.
The last time South Korea won their first match of a World Cup was on June 12, 2010, when they defeated Greece 2-0 in South Africa. Sixteen years later, another June 12 has delivered another memorable beginning.
And once again, resilience proved to be South Korea’s greatest weapon.