South Korea vs Czechia: FIFA World Cup 2026 Preview

Kathmandu. The most successful team in Asia in the World Cup, South Korea, is starting its 2026 campaign with a match against Czechia.

Czechia is returning to the competition after a long absence of 20 years.

Former semi-finalist South Korea, with talented players like Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in, and Kim Min-jae, is the strong favorite in this Group 'A' clash. Ranked 25th in the world, this team wants to start well in this tough group which also includes co-hosts Mexico and South Africa.

However, 40th ranked Czechia cannot be underestimated. With players like Adam Hlozek, Patrik Schick, and Pavel Sulc, they are capable of producing unexpected results.

• Son leads South Korea

As always, all eyes will be on South Korean superstar Son Heung-min this time. He currently plays club football for LAFC.

This could be the last World Cup for the 33-year-old former Tottenham winger, who is playing in his fourth World Cup. However, this has not been officially confirmed. Supporters are hopeful that the captain, who scored two goals in a recent friendly, will score in this match as well.

In 2022, Korea reached the Round of 16. Hwang Hee-chan scored the winning goal against Portugal in injury time to take the team to the knockout stage. The Wolverhampton Wanderers forward wants to repeat a similar performance in the upcoming tournament.

Hwang, who is playing in his third World Cup, said, 'If I can show the same performance again, it will be great for me and our team. I am working hard for such a moment. Every game is important, but the first game is special.'

• Czechia: Two-time Runner-up

As Czechoslovakia, this team was runner-up in 1934 and 1962. But since then, their performance has been weak. They have participated only four times since then. Except for reaching the quarterfinals in 1990, they have been eliminated from the group stage.

Czechia has returned to the World Cup after 20 years through a thrilling penalty shootout victory in the UEFA qualifiers. The appointment of coach Miroslav Koubek in December 2025 changed their fortunes. They completed their troubled campaign excellently.

Now, returning to the biggest stage of football after two decades, the Czech team hopes to reach the knockout stage.

With the presence of 6 feet 7 inches tall striker Tomáš Čori of Slavia Prague, coach Koubek's team will try to take advantage of physical strength against South Korea. The team also has attacking weapons like Leverkusen striker and joint top scorer of Euro 2020 Schick. Hoffenheim striker Hlozek is another experienced option in the forward line.

Also Read

Czechia's Goal Machine Patrik Schick

Coach Koubek will also rely on West Ham midfielder Tomáš Souček and 35-year-old Vladimír Darida to provide experience and stability to the team.

• How will the World Cup group stage proceed?

Group 'A' includes South Korea, Czechia, Mexico, and South Africa. The top two teams from all 12 groups and the eight best third-placed teams will qualify for the Round of 32, which is being included in the World Cup for the first time.

Head-to-Head Record: Both Teams Tied

South Korea and Czechia have faced each other three times so far. Both have won one match each, and one match ended in a draw.

Their last meeting was exactly a decade ago in June 2016. South Korea won that friendly match in Prague 2-1.

Recent Form

South Korea: Win-Win-Loss-Loss-Win

Czechia: Win-Win-Win-Win-Win

Czechia is in excellent form before the World Cup. In the pre-World Cup friendlies, they defeated Kosovo and Guatemala. Before that, they defeated Denmark and Ireland on penalties in the UEFA qualifiers and also defeated Gibraltar by a wide margin.

On the other hand, South Korea's form is mixed. In the pre-World Cup friendlies, they defeated El Salvador and Trinidad and Tobago by a wide margin. However, the team lost to Austria and Ivory Coast.

Team News

Coach Koubek seems to have a difficult time selecting players. Hlozek has just recovered from an injury, while Sulc and Lukáš Provod are also in the squad. In this situation, Koubek will have to make a difficult decision about which two forwards to play alongside Schick.

Meanwhile, South Korea's coach Hong Myung-bo is also concerned. Young winger Bae Jun-ho is having difficulty playing due to an ankle injury. Left-back Lee Tae-seok has returned to team training after a calf problem.

South Korea's Probable Starting XI

• Kim Seung-gyu (Goalkeeper), Kim Min-jae, Lee Han-beom, Seo Young-woo, Lee Tae-seok, Hwang In-beom, Paik Seung-ho, Lee Kang-in, Lee Jae-sung, Son Heung-min.

Czechia's Probable Starting XI

• Matěj Kovář (Goalkeeper), Vladimír Coufal, David Douděra, Tomáš Holeš, Ladislav Krejčí, Jaroslav Zelený, Tomáš Souček, Michal Sadílek, Adam Hlozek, Pavel Sulc, Patrik Schick.

What they said?

'Our preparation is now complete. I have had many conversations with our players. They have understood every message I wanted to convey. Korea has never had the opportunity to play on the first day of the World Cup before. We will be in the eyes of the world. I want our players to feel comfortable in that atmosphere.'

- Hong Myung-bo, South Korea Coach

'Our team's atmosphere has been consistently excellent. Since I arrived here, there have been no problems. From what I have seen, every player has worked harder than asked for the national team. Sometimes I had to calm them down. We have put so much passion into preparing for this tournament. I just want this preparation to bloom on the field.'

- Son Heung-min, South Korea Captain