The Czech Republic’s long-awaited return to the World Cup will take place in the second Group A match on 12 June.
South Korea national football team
South Korea comfortably qualified for this year’s World Cup and remained the only country not to suffer a single defeat in the two rounds of AFC qualifying (11 wins, 5 draws).
South Korea have scored 12 of their last 13 World Cup goals in the second half. Overall, they are an attacking side.
Czech Republic national football team
The Czech Republic are participating in the World Cup as an independent nation for only the second time, having been eliminated in the group stage in 2006. The road to the 2026 World Cup was not an easy one, as Tomáš Souček was stripped of the captain’s armband for failing to thank the fans after a 6-0 victory over Gibraltar, and Ivan Hašek was sacked a month earlier following a 2-1 defeat to the Faroe Islands. Hašek’s successor, Miroslav Koubek, was tasked with leading the team to the elite.
In the Czech Republic’s last five matches, over 2.5 goals have been scored in total.
In the qualifiers for this World Cup, the European side scored 11 goals from set pieces, the best record among all UEFA teams.
South Korea v Czech Republic prediction
The first 45 minutes could be tense, as both teams still need to find their rhythm in the tournament – so a draw at half-time could be a sensible choice. However, this option is not a sure thing, so it is worth considering the over or both teams to score.
