"A win today would all but secure a place in the round of 32" ... Hong Myung-bo's team declares all-out push for decisive Czechia clash [2026 FIFA World Cup]

[Financial News] A win would take them past the nine-tenths mark toward advancing to the knockout stage. In effect, it is a de facto round-of-32 decider.
South Korea national football team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, will finally take its first great step toward reaching the round of 16 in back-to-back overseas World Cups.
South Korea will face Czechia in the opening match of Group A at the 2026 FIFA World Cup at 11 a.m. on the 12th (Korea time) at Guadalajara Stadium in Zapopan, Mexico.
The biggest change in this tournament is that the number of participating teams has expanded to 48, giving even third-place teams a ticket to the round of 32. But advancing as a third-place team would open a rough path, forcing them into a fierce battle against a strong opponent. By contrast, taking all three points against Czechia today would change everything. Even setting aside group favorite Mexico, beating Czechia would allow South Korea to secure second place or better on its own, which would bring a more favorable matchup. South Korea has also always produced good results at the World Cup when it wins its opening match. That is why today's first game is effectively a round-of-32 match.

South Korea, ranked 25th by FIFA, is 15 places ahead of Czechia, which sits 40th. But Czechia is far from an easy opponent. It is a tall, physical side built on fighting spirit. Its squad includes as many as 10 players who are at least 190 cm tall. It also has sharp finishing power through Patrik Schick, Bayer 04 Leverkusen's main striker, and Pavel Šulc of Olympique Lyon. The first key battle will be how well Hong Myung-bo's back three, led by the 'iron pillar' Kim Min-jae of Munich, can withstand Czechia's relentless aerial bombardment and keep a clean sheet.
South Korea's counterattack weapon is a formidable attacking trio recognized around the world. The 'once-in-a-generation scorer' Son Heung-min of LAFC will lead the line, while Hwang Hee-chan of Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. and Lee Kang-in of PSG will use sharp dribbling from both flanks to shake up Czechia's forest of giants. In particular, Son Heung-min, who has three career World Cup goals, would make history if he scores today by moving past Park Ji-sung and Ahn Jung-hwan to stand alone as the all-time leading Korean scorer in World Cup history.

The final variables are altitude and weather. Guadalajara, where the match will be held, sits at about 1,570 meters above sea level, where lower air pressure makes fatigue set in quickly. To make matters worse, rain is forecast around kickoff. On wet grass, the ball loses friction and passes travel much faster.
The fast ball movement caused by the altitude is now compounded by the wet conditions. In the end, it will come down to concentration. On a day when victory is needed more than ever, Hong Myung-bo's team is about to begin a fierce 90-minute battle to grab a round-of-32 ticket early.
jsi@fnnews.com Jeon Sang-il Reporter