Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord) led the Korea men's national soccer team to a come-from-behind win in its first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America. Trailing after conceding first in the second half, he scored the equalizer and then assisted Oh Hyun-gyu's (Beşiktaş) go-ahead winner to earn player of the match (POTM) honors.
The Korea men's national soccer team, led by coach Hong Myung-bo, beat the Czech Republic 2-1 in the Group A opener of the World Cup group stage at Guadalajara Stadium in Zapopan, Mexico, at 11 a.m. on the 12th (Korea time). Korea conceded the opener to Ladislav Krejčí in the 14th minute of the second half, but turned it around with Hwang In-beom's equalizer in the 22nd and Oh Hyun-gyu's winner in the 35th. This is Korea's first win in a group-stage opener since the match against Greece at the 2010 South Africa World Cup, 16 years ago.
Korea controlled the match throughout. Korea recorded 15 shots with seven on target, while the Czech Republic had eight shots with four on target. Possession also favored Korea 62% to the Czech Republic's 38%. Pass accuracy was higher for Korea at 87%, compared with 70% for the Czechs. Still, that advantage did not immediately translate into goals. Son Heung-min (LAFC) and Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) tested the Czech goal from the first half, but were denied by the goalkeeper and defense.
Hwang In-beom changed the momentum. In the 22nd minute of the second half, after receiving a pass from Lee Kang-in, Hwang broke into the penalty area. The opposing goalkeeper and a defender closed him down together, but he beat both with a single cutback. He then attempted a delicate right-footed chip, and the slowly arcing ball was sucked into the right corner of the Czech net.
Speaking in the mixed zone after the match, Hwang In-beom said of the equalizer, "To be honest, I'm not a player who's that familiar with one-on-one chances with the goalkeeper," adding, "Kang-in played such a good pass that I was able to run into the space." He continued, "Because the opposing goalkeeper is physically so big, I took one touch to cut inside and I think it fooled both the keeper and the defender," and said, "Scoring like that on the World Cup stage is something I can hardly believe myself, and I'm proud."
Hwang In-beom's impact didn't end with the equalizer. In the 35th minute of the second half, he burst into space on the right and whipped in a low, fast cross, which substitute Oh Hyun-gyu turned in for the winner. Both of Korea's goals came off Hwang In-beom's boot.
Hwang In-beom finished with one goal and one assist. It is the third time a Korean player has recorded a goal and an assist in a single World Cup finals match, after Choi Soon-ho against Italy at the 1986 Mexico tournament and Hong Myung-bo against Spain at the 1994 United States tournament. From the bench, coach Hong watched his protégé match the record he set 32 years ago as a player.
FIFA also named Hwang In-beom player of the match. Soccer statistics site WhoScored.com gave him the highest rating on either team, an 8.5. Hwang recorded three shots, one key pass, 90% pass accuracy and two successful dribbles, shuttling between central midfield and the front three.
This match also eased concerns about Hwang In-beom's injury. In March, he injured a ligament in his right ankle during a Netherlands Eredivisie match and ended the season without making a return for his club. Because he had not played an official match for over two months, there were worries about his sharpness for the World Cup finals.
Hwang In-beom said, "Injuries can come even when you manage yourself," adding, "It was very disappointing, but in a way it gave me time to build up my condition before the World Cup, so I'm grateful for that." He continued, "No one knows what will happen going forward, but I want to keep playing the soccer I love for a long, long time without injuries and with happiness."
Hwang In-beom also explained the moment right after the equalizer when he grabbed Son Heung-min's face and roared. He said, "Not only Heung-min, but Kang-in and Seung-ho also pumped me up a lot," adding, "I grabbed his face to say thank you too, and I think we were exchanging the will that 'we can do it.'"
He also cited altitude acclimatization as a factor in the win. Before the tournament, Korea held a pre-camp in Salt Lake City at an elevation in the 1,400-meter range. The Czech team arrived in Guadalajara relatively late. Hwang In-beom said, "It's not just a feeling—visibly, the opposing players struggled a lot," adding, "Getting acclimated to altitude first worked as a significant advantage."
Foreign media also spotlighted Hwang In-beom's performance. The Associated Press said Hwang sparked Korea's 2-1 comeback win, while Reuters reported that Hwang In-beom and Oh Hyun-gyu delivered Korea's first World Cup victory. The Guardian analyzed that Korea showed a technical edge and that Hwang In-beom dominated the midfield. FIFA's official website also introduced Hwang as the protagonist of Korea's comeback win in its roundup of the day's Group A matches.
Regarding the match against Mexico, Hwang In-beom said, "Mexico is a different team from the Czech Republic and has home advantage," adding, "We know they have many good players and are a good team." He added, "If we identify their strengths and weaknesses well and prepare as we did for the Czech match, we can play even better."