GUADALAJARA, Mexico — South Korea opened its FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign with a dramatic comeback victory, scoring twice in the second half to defeat the Czech Republic 2-1 on Thursday at Guadalajara Stadium.
Substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu delivered the decisive goal in the 79th minute as the Taegeuk Warriors overcame a second-half deficit and secured three valuable points in their Group A opener.
The victory rewarded a South Korean side that controlled much of the match and created the better opportunities throughout the afternoon, led by captain and longtime star Son Heung-min and creative midfielder Lee Kang-in.
South Korea looked the more dangerous team from the opening whistle. Son fired over the crossbar early, defender Lee Han-beom headed narrowly wide, and Lee Kang-in forced Czech goalkeeper Matej Kovár into a save with a long-range effort.
Despite returning to the World Cup for the first time since 2006, the Czech Republic struggled to generate attacking momentum in the opening half. South Korea repeatedly threatened before the break, with Son missing a pair of chances and narrowly failing to connect with a dangerous cross in stoppage time.
The pressure continued after halftime. Hwang In-beom and Lee Jae-sung were both denied by Kovár, while Son again tested the Czech goalkeeper as South Korea searched for a breakthrough.
Instead, it was the Czechs who struck first against the run of play.
In the 58th minute, Czech captain Ladislav Krejčí rose unmarked to meet a long throw from Vladimír Coufal, directing a header into the net to give the Europeans a surprising 1-0 lead with their first significant chance of the match.
South Korea responded quickly.
Just eight minutes later, Hwang In-beom produced a moment of individual brilliance to level the score. The midfielder cut back inside the penalty area, sending both Kovár and defender Robin Hranác past the play before calmly finishing into an empty net to make it 1-1.
The equalizer shifted momentum firmly back in South Korea's favor, and head coach Hong Myung-bo's side continued to push for a winner.
That breakthrough arrived in the 79th minute when substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu finished off a low cross from Hwang. Oh's effort slipped through Kovár's hands and into the net, sparking celebrations among the large contingent of South Korean supporters inside the stadium.
The Czech Republic thought it had found another equalizer when West Ham United midfielder Tomáš Souček headed home late in the match, but the goal was ruled out for an obvious offside.
South Korea still needed heroics from veteran goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu in the closing minutes. Kim made two crucial saves to preserve the lead and ensure his team left Guadalajara with all three points.
For South Korea, the victory continues a strong tradition of competitive World Cup performances and provides an early boost in a challenging group. The combination of Son's leadership, Hwang's creativity and Oh's impact off the bench proved decisive as the Koreans turned sustained pressure into a winning result.
The Czech Republic, meanwhile, showed resilience in its return to the world's biggest tournament but was left to rue missed opportunities and an inability to withstand South Korea's relentless second-half attack.
After falling behind, South Korea demonstrated both patience and composure, qualities that could prove valuable as it pursues a place in the knockout stage of the 2026 World Cup.