South Korea vs Czechia Preview

Group A takes shape in the early hours of Friday morning as South Korea and Czechia meet at the Estadio Akron in Guadalajara in what promises to be a fascinating contest between two well-matched sides. With Mexico and South Africa clashing in the same group hours earlier, both nations know a strong start here could prove crucial to their tournament ambitions.

South Korea come into this opener with a mixed but encouraging recent record. Their most recent outing produced a professional 1–0 home win over El Salvador — a clean-sheet victory that set the right tone in the days before departure. Prior to that, they were imperious at home against Trinidad and Tobago, running out 5–0 winners in dominant fashion. Before that, they suffered a 1–0 defeat away in Austria — a narrow reverse on the road against a side preparing for their own tournament. Earlier in this run, a 4–0 home defeat to Ivory Coast was a sobering afternoon, though it came against strong opposition. The sequence began with a 1–0 home win over Ghana. Three wins from five heading into the tournament, with their last two performances in particular showing a side capable of controlling games, is a reasonable platform for South Korea.

Czechia arrive at this World Cup in genuinely exceptional form. Their most recent outing ended in a 3–1 home win over Guatemala — another straightforward victory in a sequence that has seen them win all five of their last matches. Prior to that, they beat Kosovo 2–1 at home. Before that, they overcame Denmark 2–2 — with a win on penalties, underlining their quality under pressure. Earlier in this run, they drew 2–2 with the Republic of Ireland in a qualifying fixture where they also won on penalties, and the sequence began with a thumping 6–0 home rout of Gibraltar. Unbeaten in five — Czechia head into this World Cup with maximum confidence and a squad that looks capable of causing problems for any side in the group.

The head-to-head record is limited to one meeting, which South Korea won 2–1 away in Czechia in June 2016.

This is a genuinely difficult game to call. South Korea’s pace and directness on the break makes them dangerous, and their recent improvement in defensive solidity will serve them well. Czechia, however, are the form side and carry real threat through Schick and the supporting cast of Soucek and Provod in midfield. A tight, competitive encounter is in prospect, with Czechia perhaps holding a narrow edge on current form.

In South Korea, the match is live on KBS2 Korea, JTBC and Naver Chzzk. In the Czech Republic, viewers can watch on ČT Sport, Nova Action and ČT Sport Plus. In the UK and Ireland, the game is available on ITV 1 and ITVX, with STV and STV Player also carrying the fixture in Scotland.

Possible Lineups

South Korea (3-4-2-1) Kim, Lee, Seol, Kim, Hwang, Lee, Lee, Cho, Lee, Hwang, Lee

Czechia (3-4-2-1) Kovár, Jurásek, Krejcí, Hranác, Sadílek, Soucek, Provod, Coufal, Sulc, Chaloupek, Schick

Both squads appear to be at full strength for this Group A opener, with no significant absences reported from either camp heading into the tournament.

Group A

Pos	Team	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Mexico	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2	South Africa	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
3	South Korea	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
4	Czechia	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

South Korea Form

Result	Home Team	Score	Away Team	Competition	Date
✅	South Korea	1 – 0	El Salvador	International Friendly	Jun 4, 2026
✅	South Korea	5 – 0	Trinidad and Tobago	International Friendly	May 31, 2026
❌	Austria	1 – 0	South Korea	International Friendly	Mar 31, 2026
❌	South Korea	0 – 4	Ivory Coast	International Friendly	Mar 28, 2026
✅	South Korea	1 – 0	Ghana	International Friendly	Nov 18, 2025

Czechia Form

Result	Home Team	Score	Away Team	Competition	Date
✅	Czechia	3 – 1	Guatemala	International Friendly	Jun 5, 2026
✅	Czechia	2 – 1	Kosovo	International Friendly	May 31, 2026
✅	Czechia	2 – 2	Denmark	International Friendly	Mar 31, 2026
✅	Czechia	2 – 2	Republic of Ireland	International Friendly	Mar 26, 2026
✅	Czechia	6 – 0	Gibraltar	International Friendly	Nov 17, 2025

Head to Head

Home Team	Score	Away Team	Competition	Date
Czechia	1 – 2	South Korea	International Friendly	Jun 5, 2016

TV Listings / Streaming

Country	Channel
South Korea	KBS2 Korea, JTBC, Naver Chzzk
Czech Republic	ČT Sport, Nova Action, ČT Sport Plus
Great Britain	ITV 1, ITVX, STV, STV Player
Ireland	ITV 1, RTE 2, ITVX, RTE Player
USA	Fox Sports 1, fuboTV, Telemundo, Peacock, FOX Sports App
Germany	ORF eins, MagentaTV
France	beIN Sports 1, beIN SPORTS CONNECT, Free
Brazil	CazéTV
Japan	DAZN Japan
Australia	SBS, SBS On Demand