South Korea delivered an assured comeback performance to beat Czech Republic 2-1 in their FIFA World Cup 2026 Group A clash at Estadio Guadalajara on Friday, moving level on points with Mexico at the summit of the group.

Myung-Bo Hong's side controlled the game for long stretches but were punished for a series of wasteful misses from Heung-Min Son when Ladislav Krejci headed home Vladimir Coufal's long throw in the 59th minute to give Czech Republic the lead.

South Korea hit back eight minutes later. In-Beom Hwang received a pass from Kang-In Lee, cut inside, and clipped a composed finish inside the far post to level the score at 1-1.

Oh seals the comeback

Czech Republic thought they had restored their advantage when Tomas Soucek headed in from a set-piece, but the West Ham midfielder was ruled offside. South Korea then made the most of that reprieve — substitute Hyeon-Gyu Oh tapped home In-Beom Hwang's low cross in the 80th minute to complete the turnaround.

Goalkeeper Seung-Gyu Kim ensured the points were secured in stoppage time, denying Michal Sadilek to preserve a victory South Korea fully merited.

A clash of styles settled by quality

The match was a study in contrasting approaches. Czech Republic favoured a direct style, rarely threatening in open play, and their only goal arrived precisely as expected — from a long throw. South Korea, by contrast, played with energy and creativity, taking a 62 percent share of possession and completing 464 passes to Czech Republic's 242.

Son, the team's talisman, was lively throughout but struggled for his usual sharpness in front of goal, sending five of his six attempts off target. The former Spurs forward's misfires mattered little in the end, however, as the depth of South Korea's squad told.

In-Beom Hwang and Kang-In Lee were the standout performers — both instrumental in both South Korea goals — and their contributions underlined why this team should be considered genuine dark horses in the tournament.

South Korea now sit alongside Mexico, who beat South Africa 2-0 in the Group A opener, and the two sides appear set for a battle over top spot in the group.