South Korea beat Czech Republic 2–1 in World Cup opener

South Korea open World Cup with comeback win

Your team is off and running at the 2026 World Cup. South Korea beat Czech Republic 2–1 in the Group A opener on Friday, coming from behind to grab all three points. Hwang In-beom and Son Heung-min scored the goals (2). Ladislav Krejčí had given the Czechs the lead before Korea turned it around (2).

The win puts South Korea level with Mexico at the top of Group A on 3 points (4) (5). With Kim Seung-gyu between the posts at his fourth World Cup, having made the personal sacrifice of missing the birth of his daughter to be here, the result is exactly what the squad needed.

Mexico also claim three points in Group A

Mexico dispatched South Africa 2–0 in the group's other fixture, with goals from Julian Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez (4) (5). That means South Korea and Mexico share the group lead heading into the second matchday.

Kim Min-jae drawing Premier League interest

Manchester United are reportedly interested in Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae, with Juventus and several Turkish clubs also monitoring the situation (1). No concrete talks have been confirmed, but the 29-year-old remains a cornerstone of both club and country.

Fan reactions

The win over Czech Republic has fans buzzing, with many singling out Lee Kang-in's performance. Some are questioning why he isn't a regular starter at PSG given the quality he showed. The general mood around the tournament's opening day is electric, with one fan calling the Korea comeback a "surprising rollercoaster" that capped off a brilliant first day of World Cup action. Read more on Reddit