South Korea came from behind to beat Czechia 2-1 in Group A, and they did it the hard way. Two goals in 13 second-half minutes turned a deficit into a win at the Estadio Akron, with Hwang In-beom the man who made it happen. He scored the equaliser and teed up the winner, the standout performer on a night that announced Korea as live contenders to advance.
For an hour, though, the script favoured Czechia. Back at a World Cup for the first time since 2006, they soaked up Korean pressure and struck on 59 minutes through Ladislav Krejčí, who rose to head home from a long throw-in. It was a classic smash-and-grab opener, and it threatened to undo a Korea side that had dominated the ball without finding a finish.
A 13-minute turnaround
The lead lasted eight minutes. Hwang In-beom levelled on 67, and the momentum swung hard. On 80 minutes he turned provider, releasing Oh Hyeon-gyu to slot the winner and send the Korean supporters in Zapopan into raptures. Czechia, having led, were left to rue how quickly it slipped away.
Son Heung-min captained the side, and Korea’s control was reflected in the numbers: roughly 62% possession across the 90 minutes, with an attendance of 44,985 watching them grind down the resistance. The patience eventually paid, and the difference between a side that keeps the ball and one that finally makes it count was Hwang’s quality in the final third.
Group A is level at the top
The result leaves South Korea on three points, level with Mexico at the summit of Group A after the opening round of fixtures. Czechia, beaten despite leading, sit in the bottom half on zero and now face an immediate test of their tournament credentials.
Track how the table shapes up on our live World Cup 2026 standings, and browse all our tournament analysis at the World Cup 2026 hub. With two sides already on three points, Group A’s next round of matches could go a long way to deciding who progresses, and Czechia will know another slow start may prove costly.