▲ South Korea's Son Heung-min reacts after missing a shot during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Group A match against the Czech Republic at the Guadalajara Stadium in Zapopan, Mexico, on June 11 (local time).
South Korea was tied 0-0 with the Czech Republic at halftime in their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The South Korean national football team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, is playing to a tight 0-0 draw at halftime against the Czech Republic in their first Group A match of the World Cup group stage, held at the Guadalajara Stadium in Zapopan, Mexico, on June 12 (KST).
South Korea led in shots 7 to 2, and in shots on target 1 to 0.
"Captain" Son Heung-min (LAFC) spearheaded the attack for Team Hong Myung-bo, which deployed a three-back system they have honed over the past year.
Lee Jae-sung (Mainz) and Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) were positioned on the left and right of the second line of attack, while Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord) and Paik Seung-ho (Birmingham City) anchored the midfield.
Lee Tae-seok (Austria Wien) and Seol Young-woo (Crvena Zvezda) started as the left and right wing-backs, while the three-back defensive line consisted of Lee Gi-hyeok (Gangwon), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), and Lee Han-beom (Midtjylland) from left to right.
Kim Seung-gyu (FC Tokyo) started in goal.
▲ Players from both teams compete for an aerial ball during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Group A match between South Korea and the Czech Republic at the Guadalajara Stadium in Zapopan, Mexico, on June 11 (local time).
The Czech Republic also fielded their strongest lineup.
Key striker Patrik Schick, who plays for Leverkusen (Germany), spearheaded their attack, while Ladislav Krejci, a teammate of Hwang Hee-chan at English Premier League (EPL) side Wolverhampton Wanderers, was deployed on the left of their three-back defensive line.
In the 12th minute, South Korea registered their first shot.
Lee Jae-sung received a long pass from the back in front of the goal area and laid it off to Son Heung-min, whose shot was deflected by a defender.
Shortly after, Son met a cross from the left with a header in front of the goal, but it sailed well over the crossbar.
South Korea's offensive onslaught continued.
In the 14th minute, Lee Kang-in's mid-range shot was parried away by the goalkeeper diving to his left.
In the 21st and 22nd minutes, the Czech Republic earned back-to-back corners—one of their strengths—to search for an opener, but they were thwarted by the South Korean defense.
In the 38th minute, Son's sudden right-footed mid-range shot from the front of the penalty arc went wide, and his left-footed attempt from the penalty arc a minute later also missed the target.
Son had another chance during first-half stoppage time.
He connected with a cutback from Lee Tae-seok on the left, sliding to shoot in front of the goal, but once again, the ball failed to find the net.
With both teams prioritizing defense, the match proceeded at a slow tempo.
▲ South Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo gives instructions during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Group A match against the Czech Republic at the Guadalajara Stadium in Zapopan, Mexico, on June 11 (local time).
Grouped with Mexico and South Africa, South Korea is aiming to reach the round of 16 in consecutive away World Cups, following their achievement at the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
In the tournament's opening match held earlier, host nation Mexico defeated South Africa 2-0.
One Mexican player and two South African players were sent off.
With the tournament expanding from 32 to 48 teams, even third-place teams in the group stage can advance to the knockout rounds.
Team Hong Myung-bo aims to finish as high as possible in the group stage to secure a favorable matchup in the round of 32.
In the FIFA rankings prior to the match, South Korea sat at 25th, 15 spots ahead of the 40th-ranked Czech Republic.
Contrary to weather forecasts predicting scattered rain in the evening, the skies over the stadium remain clear.
Korea Football Association President Chung Mong-gyu, who has announced he will step down after this tournament, watched the match sitting alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino in the VIP section.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.