Team Korea Will Play Their First World Cup Game Against the Czech Republic
- Woojin Nam
- Jun 11
- 1 min read
June 11, 2026
Woojin Nam
On 6/12, the Korean national soccer team will play a first group stage match against the Czech Republic. The game will be held in Guadalajara, Mexico, at an altitude of 1,571 m. Team Korea has prepared for 3 weeks to adapt to the highlands. Team Korea had friendly matches with the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and El Salvador to raise field experience, while the Czech Republic had training sessions in the relatively lowlands due to late base camp selection.
The Czechs are showing strength in set-piece attacks based on their tall average. They can make a goal through strong aerial dominance and strong midfielders. Team Korea has fast counterattacks and fast pass plays. For the key players, Korea has Lee Kang-in, Son Heung-min, and Kim Min-jae, while the Czech Republic has Patrik Schick and Tomáš Souček as key players.
Team Korea and the Czech Republic had not met even one time in the World Cup. The important point is which team will show its strength and set the mood by scoring the first goal.
Many sports analysts have mentioned that the first game of the match in the group stage will significantly determine the future ranking. The head coach, Hong Myung-bo, has shown his confidence by mentioning, "Our team is flawless." Also, the team captain, Son Heung-min, has said that "I actually had to calm the players down because they were so passionately prepared."
