Two goals from rewriting his country's record books
On a Thursday evening in Jalisco, Mexico, two nations separated by history and geography meet for the first time on the World Cup stage — South Korea, a fixture of eleven consecutive tournaments, and the Czech Republic, returning after two decades away. The match carries the quiet weight of individual legacy and collective longing: a veteran forward two goals from immortality, and a team that has never advanced past the group stage since its nation's rebirth. In sport, as in life, the pursuit of what has always just escaped us is often the most human story of all.
- Son Heung-Min stands just two goals from surpassing Cha Bun-Kun as South Korea's all-time leading scorer — a record that has stood since the 1980s and now trembles on the edge of history.
- The Czech Republic nearly didn't make it here at all, surviving a humiliating loss to the Faroe Islands and two penalty shootouts before finally booking their ticket to Mexico.
- At 74 years old, Czech coach Miroslav Koubek takes the touchline as the oldest manager in World Cup history, a late-career appointment that adds an almost mythic quality to his team's improbable journey.
- South Korea brings continental pedigree — Son's 144 caps, Lee Kang-In's PSG titles, Lee Jae-Sung's Bundesliga years — a squad of seasoned professionals who know how to survive a group.
- Both teams land in Group A alongside host Mexico and South Africa, meaning every point in this opener could define whether their World Cup stories end in the group stage or continue deeper into the tournament.
The 2026 World Cup's opening Thursday stretches into night at Estadio Akron in Zapopan, Jalisco, where South Korea and the Czech Republic meet for the first time in World Cup history. Both teams share Group A with Mexico and South Africa, and both arrive carrying the particular pressure of unfinished business.
South Korea is here for the eleventh consecutive time, a streak that reflects genuine footballing infrastructure. Their 2002 fourth-place finish on home soil remains the high-water mark, and this squad — built by coach Hong Myung-Bo around experienced professionals — aims to push deep again. The central figure is Son Heung-Min, 33, now at Los Angeles FC after his long tenure at Tottenham. With 56 international goals and 144 caps, he needs only two more to surpass Cha Bun-Kun's long-standing national record. Alongside him, Lee Kang-In brings two European championship medals from PSG, and Lee Jae-Sung contributes five years of Bundesliga experience at Mainz.
The Czech Republic's road to Mexico was far rougher. Absent from the World Cup for twenty years, they stumbled through qualifying — including a damaging loss to the Faroe Islands — before surviving back-to-back penalty shootouts against Ireland and Denmark in the European playoff. Patrick Schick, Bayer Leverkusen's striker, carried much of the attacking burden with five qualifying goals. Their manager, Miroslav Koubek, stepped in only during the playoff stage and, at 74 years and nine months old, will become the oldest coach in World Cup history. Midfielder Tomás Souček, approaching 93 caps, anchors a squad that has never advanced past the group stage since the Czech Republic's formation.
What unfolds in Jalisco is a collision of two distinct hungers — one man chasing a record that would cement his place in national memory, and one nation chasing a breakthrough that has eluded them for a generation.
The first day of the 2026 World Cup stretches into Thursday evening in Mexico. At 11 p.m. Brasília time, South Korea and the Czech Republic will meet at Estadio Akron in Zapopan, Jalisco—a pairing that has never happened before in World Cup history. Both teams arrive in Group A alongside Mexico and South Africa, each carrying their own weight of expectation and drought.
South Korea returns to the tournament for the eleventh consecutive World Cup, a streak of consistency that speaks to the country's football infrastructure and ambition. The team's best finish remains a fourth-place showing in 2002, when they co-hosted with Japan. Across their qualifying campaign, they accumulated eleven wins, five draws, and forty goals, numbers that suggest a squad capable of competing. The engine of that attack is Son Heung-Min, the 33-year-old forward who now plays for Los Angeles FC after years at Tottenham. He arrives at this tournament just two goals shy of becoming South Korea's all-time leading scorer—he has fifty-six to his name, while Cha Bun-Kun, a national icon from the 1970s and 1980s, holds the record with fifty-eight. Son carries 144 caps for his country, a weight of experience that few on the squad can match.
Beyond Son, coach Hong Myung-Bo has built a team around proven veterans. Lee Jae-Sung has spent five years at Mainz in Germany and ranks second on the squad in career appearances. Lee Kang-In, a midfielder who won two European championships with Paris Saint-Germain, provides another layer of continental experience. These are not young prospects but seasoned professionals who understand what it takes to survive in a World Cup group.
The Czech Republic's path to Mexico was far more turbulent. This is only their second World Cup since Czechoslovakia dissolved in 1992, and they arrive hungry to finally advance past the group stage. Their qualifying campaign was marked by irregularity and an embarrassing loss to the Faroe Islands, forcing them into the European playoff. There, they survived two penalty shootouts—against Ireland and Denmark—to secure their spot. Patrick Schick, the Bayer Leverkusen striker, was their lifeline in qualifying, scoring five goals across the campaign.
What makes the Czech team remarkable is the age of their manager. Miroslav Koubek is seventy-four years and nine months old, having taken over the team only during the playoff stage. His appointment means he will become the oldest manager ever to lead a national team at a World Cup, surpassing Belgium's Hugo Broos, who is seven months younger and was already on the sideline earlier Thursday when South Africa faced Mexico. Koubek's squad includes Tomás Souček, the midfielder who, if he plays all three group matches, will join the top five in career appearances for the Czech national team with ninety-three caps.
This match, then, is more than a routine group-stage opener. For South Korea, it is a chance for Son to inch toward immortality in his national football story. For the Czech Republic, it is a test of whether they can finally break through the group stage after two decades away. The stadium in Jalisco will host a collision between two teams seeking validation—one chasing a record, the other chasing a breakthrough.
Notable Quotes
South Korea has accumulated eleven wins, five draws, and forty goals across their qualifying campaign— Tournament records
Patrick Schick scored five goals in Czech Republic's qualifying campaign, including in penalty shootouts against Ireland and Denmark— Czech Republic qualifying performance
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does this match matter beyond the obvious—two teams trying to win?
Because both teams are at inflection points. Son is two goals from rewriting his country's record books. And the Czechs haven't advanced past a group since 1992. This isn't just about three points.
The Czech Republic's path here was messy—they lost to the Faroe Islands, then had to win penalty shootouts. Does that suggest weakness?
It suggests they're fragile but resilient. They found a way through when it mattered most. That's not nothing. But it also means they're not the favorites in a group with Mexico and South Africa.
Koubek is seventy-four. How does that change what we should expect from the Czech team?
It's unusual, but he's not a caretaker—he took over during the playoff and got them here. At that age, you're not learning on the job. You're executing what you know. Whether that's enough is the question.
Son Heung-Min has been playing at the highest level for years. Does he feel pressure to score those two goals now?
Almost certainly. He's thirty-three, and this might be his last real chance at a World Cup. Two goals is close enough to taste. The Czech defense will know exactly what he wants to do.
What happens if South Korea doesn't win this match?
They're still in a winnable group, but they lose the luxury of controlling their own destiny. Every result after that becomes more consequential. For a team with their experience, that's uncomfortable.