South Korean turnaround edges out Czechia in World Cup opening day

South Korea edged out Czechia 2-1 Thursday, coming back from a Czech lead during their Group A match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the Estadio Guadalajara in Mexico.

South Korea patiently built up play and created more chances, but a defensively cautious first half ended goalless.

Czech captain Ladislav Krejci then broke the deadlock in the 59th minute with a header from a free throw set piece to give Czechia the lead and punish South Korea’s missed opportunities.

The Czech lead was short, as the equalizer came eight minutes later by Hwang In-beom.

The Czechs initially thought they got ahead with Tomas Soucek’s header from a free kick, but the offside flag went up, disallowing the goal and preserving the draw.

South Korea once again took the lead as Oh Hyeon-gyu connected with Hwang In-beom’s cross to score in the 80th minute.

The final 10 minutes saw increased pressure from South Korea to cement their lead and Czechia desperately searching for an equalizer.

South Korea’s victory placed them behind Mexico in second place while Czechia sank to third place, ahead of South Africa.