South Korea rallies past Czechia 2-1 after trailing in World Cup opener

South Korea defeated Czechia 2-1 in its opening Group A match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on June 11 at Estadio Guadalajara in Zapopan, Mexico. Kim Seung-gyu preserved the victory with two saves in the final 15 minutes. He stopped a close-range shot by Adam Hlozek in the 82nd minute and denied Michal Sadilek from the penalty spot about four minutes into stoppage time.

Czechia had taken the lead when Ladislav Krejci headed in a long throw in the 59th minute. A potential second goal by Tomas Soucek in the 77th minute was disallowed for offside. Kim Seung-gyu, 35, started in goal for South Korea.

He is on his fourth World Cup squad. He appeared in one match in 2014, did not play in 2018, and was the first-choice goalkeeper in 2022. Kim tore a knee ligament in early 2024. He said the win served as a reward after his long rehabilitation.

"This time a year ago, I wondered if I'd ever make it back," he told Yonhap. " Kim also spoke about seeing his newborn daughter awake for the first time hours before the match, noting the 15-hour time difference between Mexico and South Korea had previously limited video calls to moments when the baby was asleep.

"I had only seen her sleeping but today, she even made eye contact with me," he said.

" "We all knew the importance of the first match," Kim said. " He added that South Korea had dominated but still conceded first. "If the match ended that way, then the loss would have been on me. I am happy to have helped the team with some late saves," he said.

Yonhap reported the match details and Kim's post-match comments from Zapopan.