Guadalajara, Mexico: South Korea beat the Czech Republic 2-1 in their FIFA World Cup 2026 Group A opener on Friday after substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu scored the winner in the 80th minute.
Czech captain Ladislav Krejci headed in from a long throw-in in the 59th minute, but Hwang In-Beom equalised eight minutes later before setting up Oh’s close-range finish, according to AP.
Tomas Soucek thought he had restored the Czech lead with a 77th-minute header from a free kick, but officials ruled the goal out for offside. South Korea scored less than three minutes later.
Korea captain Son Heung-Min had missed several chances before the comeback. South Korea moved level on points with Mexico at the top of Group A after the win.
The match was played at Guadalajara Stadium, where AP reported an official attendance of 44,985. The Czech Republic were playing their first World Cup match since 2006.
Read: Mexico South Africa: Hosts Win 2-0 In World Cup Opener
Co-hosts Mexico lead Group A after beating South Africa 2-0 in the tournament opener. South Korea will face Mexico in Guadalajara next Thursday, while the Czech Republic will play South Africa in Atlanta.
