South Korea vs Czechia — World Cup 2026

Tale of the tape.

Last five walks into the room.

Who's hotter going in? Latest competitive results, newest first.

Son and Lee Kang-In orchestrate the rhythm; Kim Min-Jae shuts the door

South Korea's star power and European calibre edge a Czech midfield built on work-rate and resilience.

// Left wing vs Left back · The Tottenham starlight show

Son Heung-Min

#13 · Tottenham

VS

TH

T. Holeš

#3 · Slavia Praha

Son's elite dribbling and movement will repeatedly isolate Holeš in transition. The Czech veteran will need pristine positional discipline and support from his midfield to avoid being systematically pulled apart by the Premier League's winger in form.

// Central playmaker duel · The midfield maestro contest

Lee Kang-In

#18 · Paris Saint Germain

VS

PŠ

P. Šulc

#15 · Plzen

Lee Kang-In's pressing intensity and press resistance will determine whether Korea controls the tempo or cedes rhythm to Šulc's through-ball precision. The PSG midfielder's directness offers a sharper edge in a battle between two of the group's most creative midfielders.

// Centre-back vs Striker · The physical reckoning

Kim Min-Jae

#16 · Bayern München

VS

TC

T. Chorý

#19 · Slavia Praha

Kim Min-Jae's dominance in the air and one-on-one prowess makes him the heavy favourite against Chorý's hold-up play. The Bayern defender's Europa League pedigree will suffocate the Czech forward's attempts to create space for teammates or find half-chances in the box.

Korea's vertical dynamism vs Czech resilience: a tale of two continental philosophies

Korea's fluid, possession-led system with explosive transitions faces a Czech side engineered for grinding efficiency and set-piece organisation.

Win probability.

Even-money default — ranks not yet on file.

The bench faceoff.

South Korea · Head coach

Myung-Bo Hong

Czechia · Head coach

I. Hašek

Where to watch.