ESP 16%
FRA 12%
ARG 12%
BRA 11%
ENG 10%
South Korea came from behind to beat the Czech Republic 2-1 in Group A, with substitute Oh Hyeon-Gyu's 80th-minute strike settling a thriller.
What happened in South Korea 2-1 Czech Republic?
South Korea recovered from a goal down to beat the Czech Republic 2-1 in Group A on 11 June 2026, with three goals in 21 second-half minutes turning a stalemate into one of the opening round's most enjoyable swings. For a neutral, this was a match that only caught fire after the break, and then refused to settle until the final whistle.
Nothing separated the sides at half-time. The first 45 minutes ended goalless, the early flashpoint a Lee Kang-In effort from outside the box that Matej Kovar pushed away in the 14th minute. The drama was all saved for a frantic closing half-hour.
Ladislav Krejci broke the deadlock on 59 minutes, then watched South Korea respond with two goals inside 21 minutes. It was a game decided in the margins: substitutions, a goalkeeper in form and one decisive burst of quality.
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When did the game turn?
The pivot came in the space of eight minutes either side of the hour. On 59 minutes Krejci met a Vladimir Coufal delivery and headed the Czech Republic in front from very close range, finding the bottom-right corner. At that point the underdogs led and South Korea needed a reset.
They got one almost immediately, and much of it arrived from the bench. South Korea had already introduced Hwang Hee-Chan on 62 minutes, and on 67 Hwang In-Beom equalised with a right-footed finish from the centre of the box into the bottom-right corner, teed up by Lee Kang-In. From 0-0 to 1-1, the contest had flipped inside a quarter of an hour.
The Czech Republic, for their part, had reshuffled heavily on 64 minutes, sending on Adam Hlozek, Tomas Chory and Michal Sadilek in a triple change. The hour mark, in hindsight, was where both managers reached for their benches and the game opened up for good.
How did Oh Hyeon-Gyu win it for South Korea?
The winner had a tidy symmetry to it. Hwang In-Beom, scorer of the equaliser, turned provider on 80 minutes, setting up fellow substitute Oh Hyeon-Gyu to finish left-footed from very close range into the bottom-left corner for 2-1.
Oh Hyeon-Gyu had only been on the pitch since the 69th minute, introduced in place of Son Heung-min as South Korea freshened their attack. Within 11 minutes he had the goal that decided the night, the kind of impact substitution that tilts a tight game.
It capped a passage in which South Korea's changes consistently outscored the Czech Republic's. Both teams emptied their benches, but it was the home side's replacements who supplied the moments that mattered.
Who were the standout performers?
Hwang In-Beom was the game's most decisive figure, scoring one and assisting the other to drag South Korea from behind to in front. His double contribution across 13 minutes was the difference between a draw and three points.
At the other end, goalkeeper Kim Seung-Gyu earned his clean run home. He saved from Adam Hlozek on 82 minutes and twice denied Michal Sadilek late on, including a header on 88 and a centre-of-the-box shot in the third minute of stoppage time. Without those interventions the Czech Republic would have snatched a point.
Spare a thought, too, for Matej Kovar. The Czech goalkeeper kept his side level through the first hour with saves from Lee Kang-In, Hwang In-Beom, Lee Jae-Sung and Son Heung-min, and was beaten only when the finishes were taken from close range.
Was the result expected, and what does it mean for Group A?
On paper, South Korea's win followed the form guide. FIFA ranked them 25th to the Czech Republic's 41st, and the pre-match title odds favoured the Koreans at 0.8 per cent against 0.4 per cent. This was the higher-rated side getting the result the numbers suggested, even if the route there was anything but comfortable.
What the rankings did not capture was how live the contest stayed. The Czech Republic led, created the better late chances through Sadilek and Hlozek, and were a couple of saves from a draw. The quality gap, such as it was, showed in finishing and in the depth South Korea could call upon.
For a neutral, Group A is the richer for it. South Korea open with three points and a sense that their bench can change games, while the Czech Republic will feel they left something on the pitch. The single yellow card, shown to Lee Gi-Hyuk deep in stoppage time, was a footnote to an otherwise open, attacking night.
Frequently asked
What was the final score of South Korea vs Czech Republic?
South Korea beat the Czech Republic 2-1 in their Group A match on 11 June 2026. The game was goalless at half-time.
Who scored in South Korea 2-1 Czech Republic?
Ladislav Krejci put the Czech Republic ahead on 59 minutes, before Hwang In-Beom equalised on 67 and Oh Hyeon-Gyu scored South Korea's winner on 80 minutes.
Who scored the winning goal for South Korea?
Substitute Oh Hyeon-Gyu scored the winner on 80 minutes, a left-footed finish from very close range assisted by Hwang In-Beom.
Was South Korea's win an upset?
No. South Korea were ranked 25th by FIFA to the Czech Republic's 41st and carried the higher pre-match title odds, so the result followed expectations even if the manner did not.
