South Korea wrote a stirring comeback story in their Group A match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. After falling a goal behind in the second match on the opening day of the World Cup, held at the Guadalajara Stadium in Mexico, the Asian side beat the Czech Republic 2-1.
The first half of the match ended goalless. In the first 45 minutes, neither side could make use of any notable chance. But after the break, the picture of the match changed. The two teams served up a thrilling contest in front of the spectators.
In the 59th minute of the match, the Czech Republic took the lead with the first goal. Ladislav Krejčí sent a long throw into the net with a fine header to put his team ahead. With that goal, the European side led 1-0.
But the Czech Republic could not hold on to that joy for long. Just eight minutes later, South Korea drew level. Showing exceptional composure and skill, South Korea’s midfielder Hwang In-beom broke through the opposition’s defence and sent the ball into the net. Beating the goalkeeper, his shot crossed the goal line to bring South Korea back into the match.
In the 77th minute, the Czech Republic had a chance to go ahead again. Tomáš Souček found the net from a free-kick and his teammates began to celebrate. But the assistant referee signalled offside and the goal was disallowed. A later replay showed the decision was correct.
South Korea made the most of this relief. In the 80th minute of the match, Hwang built a superb attack down the right. From his precise cross, Heung-gyu Oh sent the ball into the net from close range with a powerful shot. The ball went into the far corner even after touching the goalkeeper’s hand, and South Korea went 2-1 ahead.
Although six minutes of stoppage time were added at the end, the Czech Republic could not find an equaliser. South Korea’s defence put up a firm resistance and secured the 2-1 win to the finish.
With this win, South Korea began their World Cup campaign by drawing level on points with hosts Mexico in Group A.
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