South Korea vs Czechia: World Cup 2026 Group A Live Guide
Two stories collide in Guadalajara on the opening day of the World Cup. Son Heung-min, 33, captains South Korea at what is almost certainly his fourth and final tournament. Czechia return to the World Cup after 20 years away, having survived two penalty shootouts in five days. Below: TV channels, kickoff times, squads, and the prediction.
South Korea
Asia · Group A
VS
10:00 PM
ET · Jun 11
Czechia
Europe · Group A
TV Channels by Country
South Korea
Czechia
United States
United Kingdom
MENA Region
Canada
⭐ The Big Story · Son Heung-min Watch
Son arrives in Mexico chasing the all-time South Korea scoring record
The LAFC forward, captain of South Korea since 2018, sits on 56 international goals after a brace in the 5-0 pre-tournament warm-up against Trinidad and Tobago on May 30. He is two goals short of Cha Bum-kun’s all-time South Korea record of 58. With three group games and potential knockout matches ahead, Son will almost certainly break that record before the tournament ends · in what ESPN confirms is his fourth and likely final World Cup.
Czechia’s story is almost the opposite. Twenty years since their last World Cup appearance (Germany 2006), they arrive having survived one of the most chaotic qualifying campaigns in modern European football. Manager Ivan Hašek was fired in December 2025 after a humiliating 2-1 loss to the Faroe Islands · a result Czech media described as the most embarrassing in the federation’s history. His replacement, Miroslav Koubek, a 74-year-old who had been coaching at Viktoria Plzeň, took charge with just days to prepare for the playoff matches.
What followed was extraordinary. Czechia beat the Republic of Ireland on penalties in Prague on March 26 after coming back from 0-2 down. Five days later, on March 31, they beat Denmark on penalties again to secure their spot in North America. Both Koubek’s competitive matches with the national team ended in penalty shootouts, and Opta data confirms Czechia have now won all five of their penalty shootouts in qualifying campaigns and major tournaments.
The two nations have only ever met once, a 2-1 South Korea win in a friendly in Prague in June 2016. This Guadalajara opener is their first competitive meeting in history. Captain Ladislav Krejčí (Wolverhampton) and striker Patrik Schick (Bayer Leverkusen, 16 Bundesliga goals in 2025-26) carry Czech hopes against a South Korean side built around Bayern Munich’s Kim Min-jae and PSG’s Lee Kang-in.
Quick Answer
Watch in 30 seconds
South Korea vs Czechia kicks off at 10:00 PM ET (8:00 PM local) on Thursday, June 11, 2026. In the US, watch on FS1 (English) and Telemundo (Spanish), free on Tubi. In South Korea, free on KBS, SBS and MBC. In Czechia, free on ČT Sport. In the UK, free on BBC iPlayer or ITVX.
Date
Thu, Jun 11
Kickoff
10:00 PM ET
Free Watch
Tubi · KBS · ČT
South Korea vs Czechia Kickoff Time by Country
A 10 PM Eastern slot on Thursday means lunchtime Friday in Seoul · a relatively friendly time for the Korean audience. Czech fans face a rough 4 AM CEST start.
Players to Watch in the Group A Opener
SOUTH KOREA
Coach: Hong Myung-bo · Since 2023
Son Heung-min (C)
Forward · LAFC · 4th World Cup, 56 goals
Kim Min-jae
Centre back · Bayern Munich · Defensive anchor
Lee Kang-in
Attacking midfielder · Paris Saint-Germain
Hwang Hee-chan
Forward · Wolverhampton · Premier League
Hwang In-beom
Midfielder · Feyenoord · Engine room
CZECHIA
Coach: Miroslav Koubek · 74yo, since Dec 2025
Ladislav Krejčí (C)
Centre back · Wolverhampton · Scored in both playoffs
Patrik Schick
Striker · Bayer Leverkusen · 16 Bundesliga goals 25-26
Tomáš Souček
Midfielder · West Ham · Most caps in squad
Pavel Šulc
Attacking midfielder · Lyon · Ligue 1 breakout
Matěj Kovář
Goalkeeper · PSV · Saved 2 penalties in playoffs
Match Preview & Prediction
South Korea’s form going into the tournament has been worrying. A 4-0 loss to Côte d’Ivoire in March followed by a 1-0 defeat to Austria raised real questions about the defensive setup. The 5-0 win against Trinidad and Tobago on May 30 restored some confidence, with Son scoring twice and the team showing the attacking fluency that comes when Son, Lee Kang-in, Kim Min-jae and Hwang Hee-chan are all fit and in rhythm. Hong Myung-bo qualified unbeaten through the AFC third round with six wins and four draws across ten matches.
Czechia’s weapon is set-pieces. According to Opta, they scored more set-piece goals than any other team in UEFA qualifying (11 of 22 total goals), and all four of their playoff goals came from dead-ball situations. Krejčí is a constant aerial threat from corners and Schick’s movement in the box is elite · he has overperformed his expected goals by 7.2 goals over two Bundesliga seasons. If this match becomes a war of attrition, Czechia’s discipline and physicality can frustrate.
Our prediction: South Korea 2-1. The Koreans have more individual quality across the pitch and a much friendlier kickoff time (Friday lunch in Seoul vs. 4 AM in Prague). Son will start his record chase, with Lee Kang-in to create from the half-spaces. Expect Czechia to score from a set-piece. Over 2.5 goals carries value, BTTS yes looks the smartest bet.
Likely Winner
🇰🇷 South Korea
Total Goals
Over 2.5
BTTS
Yes
Score
2 – 1
Estadio Akron: The Volcano of Guadalajara
Tournament Capacity
48,000
Opened
2010
Home Club
Chivas
WC Games
4
Estadio Akron, designated Estadio Guadalajara for the World Cup under FIFA’s naming rules, is one of the most architecturally striking venues in the tournament. The stadium is built into a sloping green hillside in the Zapopan municipality of Guadalajara, designed to look like a small volcano rising from the landscape. It opened in 2010 as the new home of Chivas de Guadalajara, one of Mexico’s most historic clubs.
The venue hosts four 2026 World Cup matches: this Group A opener, South Korea vs Mexico on June 18, the Czechia vs South Africa decider on June 18 (same day, different times), and a Round of 32 match on June 30. Located at 1,566 metres above sea level, Guadalajara’s altitude is lower than Mexico City but still a physical factor for visiting teams from coastal Europe and East Asia.
A First Competitive Meeting
South Korea and Czechia have only met once before · a friendly in Prague over a decade ago. This Guadalajara opener is the first competitive match between the two nations in football history.
1
🇰🇷 KOR Wins
0
Draws
0
🇨🇿 CZE Wins
🤝 The Only Previous Meeting
Czechia 1-2 South Korea · June 5, 2016 · International Friendly, Prague
A pre-Euro 2016 warm-up that nobody remembers · neither nation’s starting XI from that day will feature in Guadalajara. The 2016 South Korea side was managed by Uli Stielike. None of the current Czechia squad played in that match either. For all practical purposes, this is a fresh first chapter.
Odds for the Group A Opener
A genuinely tight market. South Korea slight favourites but value sits in Son anytime scorer, both teams to score, and Schick over 0.5 goals.
🇰🇷 S.Korea
2.20
Draw
3.25
🇨🇿 Czechia
3.10
