South Korea's players celebrate after winning the 2026 World Cup Group A football match between South Korea and the Czech Republic at the Guadalajara Stadium in Zapopan on June 11, 2026. (Photo by Ulises RUIZ / AFP)
South Korea got their World Cup campaign off to a winning start by beating the Czech Republic 2-1 Thursday after finally converting some of the many chances they created.
Until the 80th-minute mark it seemed that the Czechs would punish the Koreans’ wastefulness, but substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu scored the decisive goal in a Guadalajara stadium that was far from full.
Son Heung-min’s Koreans had dominated the first half but were unable to find the net.
The former Tottenham star blasted one effort over the bar before making a driving run to his left and evading two Czech defenders only to shoot wide.
