World Cup 2026: Brave South Korea fight back to secure 2-1 victory over Czech Republic

South Korea began their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign on a winning note after producing a spirited comeback to defeat the Czech Republic 2-1 in their Group A clash on Thursday.

The Asian side controlled much of the early proceedings and created several promising opportunities, but they were unable to make their dominance count during the first half. Captain Son Heung-min was presented with multiple chances in front of goal but failed to find the breakthrough as both teams went into the interval level.

Czech Republic Strike First

After withstanding South Korea’s pressure for much of the contest, Czech Republic took the lead shortly before the hour mark.

Ladislav Krejci rose highest to meet a long throw into the penalty area and powered a close-range header beyond goalkeeper Seung Gyu Kim in the 59th minute to put the Europeans ahead.

The goal gave Czech Republic a valuable advantage, but their lead would not last long as South Korea responded in impressive fashion.

Hwang Leads South Korean Response

South Korea drew level in the 67th minute through In Beom Hwang, who produced a moment of quality to restore parity.

The midfielder collected a pass inside the box before cleverly lifting the ball over advancing goalkeeper Matej Kovar to make it 1-1.

The equaliser injected fresh belief into the South Korean side as they pushed for a winner in the closing stages.

VAR Denies Czech Republic

Czech Republic thought they had regained the lead in the 77th minute when Tomas Soucek headed home from a set piece.

The midfielder celebrated what appeared to be a crucial goal, but the joy was short-lived as a VAR review ruled the effort out for offside.

The decision proved to be a turning point in the match.

Oh Completes the Comeback

Just three minutes after the disallowed goal, South Korea completed the turnaround.

Hwang once again played a decisive role, delivering a cross into the box that found Hyeon Gyu Oh. The forward made no mistake with his finish, directing the ball into the middle of the net to put his side 2-1 ahead.

South Korea held on comfortably during the remaining minutes to secure all three points and make an encouraging start to their World Cup journey.

The result sends South Korea into second place in the Group A standings [on the same points as Mexico], while Czech Republic and South Africa follow in third and fourth places respectively.