2026 World Cup: South Korea defeats the Czech Republic in a hard-fought group stage match

At the 2026 FIFA World Cup, being held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, the South Korean national team kicked off the tournament with a win. In a Group A match, the Korean team defeated the Czech Republic 2-1, coming back after conceding an early goal.

The match took place at Estadio Omnilife in Zapopan, near Guadalajara, Mexico. 

The Czechs opened the scoring first: Ladislav Krejčí scored in the 59th minute. However, the European team’s lead did not last long.

In the 67th minute, In-Pom Hwang equalized, and with ten minutes remaining in regulation, Hyun-Kyu Oh secured the victory and three points for South Korea.

Earlier, in the tournament’s opening match, Mexico confidently defeated South Africa 2-0.

Two more matches are scheduled for the second day of the World Cup: Canada will face Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto, and the U.S. national team will play against Paraguay in Inglewood.

The 2026 World Cup is the first tournament in history to feature 48 national teams. Argentina remains the defending champion.

World Cup matches are being held in 16 cities across the three host countries. The tournament’s final will take place on July 19 in New York.

On Thursday, June 11, the final stage of the 23rd FIFA World Cup kicked off in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The opening match kicks off the tournament, which for the first time in history is being hosted by three countries simultaneously. Over the coming weeks, national teams from around the world will compete for soccer’s top trophy.

Earlier, FIFA banned a new tactical practice ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

The Ukrainian national team confidently defeated Poland in Maldera’s first match.

Ukraine head coach Andrea Maldera officially outlined his strategic vision for the national team’s development under his leadership.