South Korea rally to beat Czechia 2-1 on World Cup opening day

South Korea rallied to defeat Czechia 2-1 in the second match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 opening day on Thursday in Zapopan, Mexico. After a lackluster first half, Czechia took the lead in the 59th minute through a header by captain Ladislav Krejci. South Korea equalized in the 67th minute when Hwang In-beom scored, then set up Oh Hyeon-gyu's decisive strike in the 80th minute. The match was played in front of 44,985 spectators at Guadalajara Stadium, with many empty seats.