After 20 years of waiting, the Czech Republic will return to the World Cup stage when facing South Korea in the opening match of Group A of the 2026 World Cup.
The European representative won a ticket to the tournament through the play-off round, overcoming Ireland and Denmark after tense penalty shootouts.
Under the guidance of coach Miroslav Koubek, Czech Republic possesses a physically strong playing style and the ability to effectively take advantage of set pieces, with striker Patrik Schick being the biggest hope in attack.
On the other side, South Korea continues to affirm its leading position in Asia with its 12th appearance at the World Cup, and also the 11th consecutive since 1986.
Mr. Hong Myung-bo's team had an impressive preparation when they were undefeated in the qualifiers and won consecutively against Trinidad & Tobago and El Salvador before leaving for the tournament. Son Heung-min is still the star expected to lead the kimchi attack.
This is the first time the two teams have met at a World Cup. In the previous 3 friendly matches, each team won 1 match and drew 1 match, creating a premise for a match predicted to be balanced in the opening match.
World Cup 2026 schedule today (June 12):
09:00: South Korea - Czech Republic
