Hwang In-beom leads South Korea to 2-1 World Cup win over Czech Republic
AP News • • sports
Key Points:
- South Korea rallied to defeat the Czech Republic 2-1 in their opening match of the 2026 World Cup, with Hwang In-beom scoring and assisting the winning goal.
- The Czech Republic took the lead in the 59th minute through captain Ladislav Krejci, but South Korea equalized in the 67th and secured the win in the 80th minute.
- South Korea controlled possession and had more scoring chances, led by star forward Son Heung-min, who was seeking to become the country's top World Cup scorer but did not score in this match.
- The match was played at Guadalajara Stadium with many empty seats, and South Korea celebrated their first opening World Cup win since 2010.
- In the other Group A match, co-host Mexico defeated South Africa 2-0 in Mexico City.