Hwang leads South Korea to victory over Czech Republic in the first match of the 2026 World Cup.

In-Beom Hwang was a key player in leading South Korea to victory in the first match of the 2026 World Cup, scoring and assisting against the Czech Republic. This match was held at Estadio Akron in a stadium with a fair amount of spectators. During the first half the game remained at a rather unexciting level. Cech disappointed fans while South Korea had several chances. Heung-Min Son in particular tried to score from distance. But it still can't be done. In the second half, South Korea began to take advantage, with Hwang having a shot on goal but it was saved by Czech goalkeeper Matej Kovár. The Czechs took the lead with a header from Ladislav Krejci in the 59th minute after they had their first shot. However, South Korea didn't give up and scored an equalizer from Hwang moments later. He received a cross from Kang-In Lee and fired in a beautiful shot. Hwang then provided an assist for Hyeon-Gyu Oh to score South Korea's second goal. Although Cech had a chance to score back, South Korea's goalkeeper Seung-Gyu Kim made a great save. As a result, South Korea won the match 2-1, which is a good start for South Korea in the World Cup. They are second in Group A behind Mexico. And there will be a next match against the Czech Republic this Friday night.