South Korea staged a comeback to secure a 2-1 victory over Czechia in the second match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Thursday night in Zapopan, Mexico. Hwang In-beom played a pivotal role, scoring one goal and assisting another to lead his team to victory.

Match Overview

The match began slowly, with both teams receiving jeers from the crowd as they left the field at halftime. Czechia took the lead in the 59th minute when captain Ladislav Krejci scored with a header following a long throw-in into the penalty area. However, South Korea responded quickly, equalizing in the 67th minute when Hwang In-beom faked a shot to evade two Czech defenders before scoring.

Decisive Moments

Hwang's influence continued as he provided an assist for Oh Hyeon-gyu, who scored the winning goal in the 80th minute. The match was played in front of an announced attendance of 44,985 at the Guadalajara Stadium, which has a capacity of 45,664, with noticeable empty seats throughout the venue.

South Korea, ranked 25th by FIFA, dominated possession and created more significant scoring opportunities compared to the 38th-ranked Czechia, who were making their first World Cup appearance since 2006. With this win, South Korea sits second in Group A on goal difference, while Czechia is in third place.

In the opening match of the tournament earlier that day, Mexico secured a 2-0 win over South Africa. Looking ahead, Mexico will face South Korea in their next Group A match on June 18, while Czechia will take on South Africa in Atlanta.