Hong Myung-bo's Squad Faces Crucial Match Against Czech Republic Today; Son Heung-min Eyes 4th Career World Cup Goal

Hong Myung-bo's squad is set to play its first match of the 2026 North and Central America World Cup against the Czech Republic.

The South Korean national football team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, will face the European dark horse, the Czech Republic, in the first match of Group A of the World Cup group stage at Guadalajara Stadium in Zapopan, Mexico, at 11:00 a.m. today (KST).

South Korea, which is in the same group as Mexico and South Africa, aims to reach the round of 16 in an away tournament for the second consecutive time following the 2022 Qatar tournament.

As the number of participating countries has increased from 32 to 48 for this tournament, teams finishing third in their groups can also advance to the knockout stage.

Hong Myung-bo's team intends to finish the group stage in the highest possible position to secure a favorable draw for the round of 32.

In the FIFA rankings, South Korea is 25th, 15 spots ahead of the 40th-ranked Czech Republic.

While the Czech Republic is a team that relies more on fighting spirit and physical strength than technical skill, it is an opponent that cannot be underestimated, as its attack features standout players with exceptional individual skills, such as "main striker" Patrik Schick of Bayer Leverkusen (Germany) and Pavel Sulc of Lyon (France).

With as many as 10 players standing over 190 cm tall, the Czech Republic is strong in "aerial attacks" using set pieces and crosses. Therefore, how well Hong Myung-bo's three-back defensive line, including the "Iron Pillar" Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), can fend them off will be a key factor.

In Hong Myung-bo's attack, the "peerless goalscorer" Son Heung-min (LAFC) is expected to lead the front line, with Hwang Hee-chan and Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) likely taking charge of the attacks on the left and right flanks.

Son Heung-min, who has scored three goals on the World Cup stage—tying him with Ahn Jung-hwan and Park Ji-sung—will become the sole all-time leading World Cup scorer for South Korea if he finds the net in this tournament.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.