South Korea and the Czech Republic meet in their opening 2026 World Cup Group A clash in Guadalajara on Thursday — here is all the team news, match preview and betting tips. Please gamble responsibly.
South Korea and the Czech Republic kick off their Group A fixtures at World Cup 2026 on Thursday, with the two sides meeting in Guadalajara in what promises to be a crucial encounter in a group that also features South Africa and co-hosts Mexico. Only the top two teams will progress to the knockout stages.
South Korea are preparing for their 12th World Cup appearance – a record for any Asian nation – and their 11th consecutive tournament. Despite this remarkable consistency, their record stands at just seven victories from 38 matches since their 1986 debut, with the majority of their success achieved on home turf in 2002.
The bookmakers have priced this fixture fairly evenly, with South Korea marginal favourites at 7/4 with Sky Bet, while the Czech Republic are available at 9/5 with William Hill and a draw is priced at 11/5 with Paddy Power.
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Hong Myung-bo, who captained that successful 2002 squad, now leads the team into his second World Cup as manager following a disappointing group-stage elimination in 2014. His current side were the only nation to remain unbeaten throughout AFC qualifying, securing 11 victories and five draws while netting 40 goals.
Palestine were the sole team to prevent defeat against them, claiming two draws, as South Korea finished six points ahead of Jordan at the top of their group. Sitting 25th in the FIFA rankings, they wrapped up their preparations with victories over Trinidad and Tobago (5-0) and El Salvador, the latter sealed by a Lee Dong-gyeong free-kick, reports the Mirror.
This marks their inaugural World Cup encounter with the Czech Republic, following three previous friendlies that yielded one victory apiece and a stalemate.
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The Czech Republic have navigated a more challenging route, securing their finals berth through the UEFA play-offs. They finished second in Group L behind Croatia, a campaign that cost Ivan Hasek his position following a damaging loss to the Faroe Islands, before interim boss Jaroslav Kostl handed over to veteran coach Miroslav Koubek.
Having fallen short in the Qatar 2022 play-offs, the Czechs held their composure this time around, progressing past the Republic of Ireland and Denmark via penalty shootouts following two thrilling 2-2 stalemates. Formerly World Cup runners-up as Czechoslovakia in 1934 and 1962, they make their tournament comeback after a 20-year absence, riding the momentum of six successive victories including warm-up triumphs over Kosovo (2-1) and Guatemala (3-1).
South Korea vs Czech Republic Prediction
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