Second-half goals by Oh Hyeon-gyu and Hwang In-beom steered South Korea to a come-from-behind win over Czechia in a Group A encounter.
Published On 12 Jun 2026
Hwang In-beom delivered a goal and an assist as South Korea completed a remarkable comeback to defeat Czechia 2-1 in the second World Cup 2026 match played Thursday night in Zapopan, Mexico.
Playing in front of hundreds of empty seats at the Guadalajara Stadium, South Korea struggled in the first half before Czechia’s captain Ladislav Krejci broke the deadlock with a header in the 59th minute from a long throw-in into the penalty area.
South Korea found their equalizer in the 67th minute when Hwang showcased clever skill to deceive two defenders before scoring. He then created the decisive moment in the 80th minute, providing a cross from the right flank for Oh Hyeon-gyu to net the winning goal.
The victory was secured despite South Korea having most of the dangerous chances against the 38th-ranked Czechs, who were appearing in their first World Cup since 2006. With star forward Son Heung-min leading the charge, South Korea dominated possession but struggled to convert early opportunities.
The match drew an announced crowd of 44,985 at the 45,664-capacity Guadalajara Stadium, though significant sections remained empty throughout.
In Thursday’s other Group A fixtures, Mexico launched their World Cup campaign with a commanding 2-0 victory over nine-man South Africa at the historic Estadio Azteca.
Mexico now leads Group A with three points, followed by South Korea in second place on goal difference. Czechia occupy third position, while South Africa remain at the bottom of the group. The teams will reconvene for the next round of matches on June 18, with Mexico facing South Korea in Zapopan and Czechia meeting South Africa in Atlanta.
From the round of 32 onward, the top two teams from each of the 12 groups advance along with the eight best third-place finishers.