South Korea start an 11th-straight World Cup campaign against the Czechs in Guadalajara in the second match in Group A.The Asian side were unbeaten in qualifying and come into the tournament under legendary player Hong Myung-bo who is back in charge after also overseeing the 2014 tournament in Brazil.A World Cup is not a place to learn; it is a place to prove yourself, said Hong recently.We have a balanced group with immense quality, but execution under pressure will dictate our journey.South Korea were beaten in the last 16 by Brazil in 2022 and will be hoping to reach the knockout stages again.The Czechs needed a play-off to qualify for their first World Cup in 20 years and will be making memories for a whole new generation.Table of ContentsTeam news for South Korea v CzechiaExpected line-ups for South Korea v CzechiaThe statsHow to watch South Korea v CzechiaPredictionTeam news for South Korea v CzechiaSouth Korea still lean heavily on Tottenham legend Son Heung-min, with the Los Angeles FC forward scoring 56 times for his country.Son is two goals away from equalling the goalscoring record for South Korea and is joined in attack by Wolves Hwang Hee-chan and PSG forward Lee Kang-in.Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae is another big name to watch.Czechia have plenty of players from their own league but Patrik Schick of Bayer Leverkusen is the major threat ahead of West Ham stalwart Tomas Soucek.Expected line-ups for South Korea v CzechiaSouth Korea: Kim Seung-gyu; Lee Gi-hyuk, Kim Min-jae, Lee Han-beom; Seol Young-woo, Hwang In-beom, Paik Seung-ho, Lee Tae-seok; Hwang Hee-chan, Lee Jae-sung; Son Heung-minCzechia: Kovar; Chaloupek, Hranac, Krejci; Coufal, Cerv, Soucek, Jurasek; Provod, Sulc; SchickThe statsSouth Koreas best World Cup performance came in 2002, when they co-hosted the tournament they finished fourth. Away from home they have never progressed past the round of 16.This will be the first World Cup encounter between the sides. Their three previous meetings all came in friendlies, resulting in one win apiece and one draw. The most recent clash occurred a decade ago in June 2016, a 2-1 victory for Korea in Prague.Czechia scored more set-piece goals than any other team in UEFA qualifying for the 2026 World Cup (11/22), including a competition-high seven from corners. Their seven goals from headers were also second only to Norway (8).How to watch South Korea v CzechiaThe match kicks off at 03:00 BST and is broadcast on ITV and STV in the UK. It can be streamed on ITVX.Check out where all the World Cup matches will be shown here.PredictionCzechia are a physical threat and could score from set-pieces, but they lack tournament experience and South Korea will prove to have enough.South Korea 2-0 Czechia Topics 2026 FIFA World Cup Czech Republic National Football Team South Korea National Football Team World Cup 2026 Add us as a preferred source on Google If you enjoy reading this article, you can help support our independent football journalism by adding 101 Great Goals as a preferred source You Should Also Read World Cup 2026: How long is Lamine Yamal out? Latest news, injury update and Barcelona and Spain wingers reaction to hamstring problem Ben Miller 10th June, 2026 Mexico v South Africa: Line-ups, stats and previewas World Cup 2026 begins Tom Rostance 10th June, 2026 World Cup 2026: Full fixtures, dates, games, schedule and results from FIFA football finals Ben Miller 10th June, 2026 World Cup 2026: Where to watch FIFA football finals in UK, TV channel, live online streams, BBC and ITV schedule Ben Miller 10th June, 2026 World Cup 2026: Where to watch England and Scotland games on TV, full BBC and ITV listings, confirmed channels, schedule, live online streams, kick off times Ben Miller 10th June, 2026 FIFA World Cup 2026: Full France fixtures, results, schedule, confirmed squad, next match, kick off times Ben Miller 10th June, 2026
