South Korea Kicks Off FIFA World Cup 2026 with Victory Over Czech Republic
South Korea Triumphs in World Cup Opener
In an exciting start to the FIFA World Cup 2026, South Korea secured a 2-1 victory against the Czech Republic. The first half ended without any goals, but the Czech Republic took the lead in the 59th minute with a header from their captain, Ladislav Krejci. South Korea responded quickly, with Hwang In-beom equalizing just eight minutes later. The winning goal came from Hyeon-gyu in the 80th minute, allowing South Korea to maintain their lead until the end of the match. Following their win, the South Korean players celebrated with fans, capturing memorable photos together. Coach Hong Myung-bo expressed his satisfaction, stating, “It was our first game and a very difficult one. The win itself makes me happy, but what’s even more positive is that our boys won by not giving up.” This victory marked South Korea's first opening match win in the World Cup since 2010, when they defeated Greece in South Africa. It also marked their third victory against a European team in World Cup history, following wins against Portugal in 2022 and Germany in 2018.
Heung-Min Son's Quest for Goals
Off Day For Heung-Min Son
Heung-Min Son, the captain of South Korea and a veteran of four World Cups, aims to become Asia's top goal scorer in World Cup history. The 33-year-old, who previously played for Tottenham and now represents Los Angeles FC, has netted three goals in the tournament and needs two more to surpass Japan's Keisuke Honda, who scored four goals across three World Cups in 2010, 2014, and 2018. Despite having several opportunities to score against the Czech Republic, Son was unable to convert them into goals. Czech Republic's coach Miroslav Koubek acknowledged the defeat, stating that the better team won. “We played very well; it could have been a draw, and we could have won as well,” he remarked. South Korea is making its 11th consecutive World Cup appearance and 12th overall, the highest number for any Asian nation, with their best finish being fourth place in the 2002 tournament co-hosted with Japan. Since then, they have not advanced past the round of 16.