South Korea are set to take on the Czech Republic in a Group A opener at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with the match scheduled at Estadio Akron in Zapopan, Guadalajara, Mexico.
Both teams will be targeting a strong start and maximum points in a challenging group that also includes hosts Mexico and South Africa.
Have a read of our South Korea vs Czech Republic prediction before you decide on your bet.
South Korea vs Czech Republic prediction for the 2026 World Cup
Both sides are kicking off their 2026 World Cup campaign in this tie. We weighed up the history, squad depth and current form of each nation before settling on our prediction.
Here is the bet we recommend:
Double Chance: South Korea or Draw
Who are the favourites?
Based on the leading UK-licensed bookmakers, South Korea is tipped to come out on top, with 35% of the odds leaning towards their win.
Looking for more? Browse all the World Cup odds and dig into this and other ties from the planet's biggest football tournament.
South Korea vs Czech Republic head-to-head record
These two nations have met only a handful of times of late — 1 match(es) in all, which only adds to the unpredictability of this 2026 World Cup tie.
South Korea: 1 win(s)
Czech Republic: 0 win(s)
Draws: 0
South Korea: opening the 2026 World Cup
South Korea make their FIFA World Cup bow having already logged 20 match(es) in 2026 in the build-up. Here is how they have fared:
13 win(s), 5 draw(s) and 2 loss(es)
46 goals scored (2.3 per game)
13 goals conceded (0.65 per game)
Players to watch for South Korea National Team
Leading scorer: Heung-Min Son with 10 goal(s)
Most assists: Lee Kang-in with 6
Czech Republic: opening the 2026 World Cup
Czech Republic step out at the FIFA World Cup for the first time this edition after 12 match(es) in 2026.
Here is the Czech Republic National Team record:
This year so far
7 win(s), 3 draw(s) and 2 loss(es)
27 goals scored (2.25 per game)
14 goals conceded (1.17 per game)
Players to watch for Czech Republic National Team
Leading scorer: Patrik Schick with 4 goal(s)
Most assists: Jaroslav Zelený with 3
South Korea vs Czech Republic statistics at the 2026 FIFA World Cup
Before you stake anything, look over the side-by-side comparison that sheds light on each nation's current form for this World Cup tie:
South Korea
International - World Cup
Czech Republic
International - World Cup
South Korea vs Czech Republic probable lineups
See the likely starting elevens below for our South Korea vs Czech Republic prediction at the 2026 World Cup.
South Korea: Kim Seung-gyu, Kim Moon-hwan, Kim Min-jae, Jens Castrop, Seol Young-woo, Hwang In-beom, Paik Seung-ho, Lee Kang-in, Lee Jae-sung, Hwang Hee-chan, Son Heung-min
Czech Republic: Matej Kovar, Vladimir Coufal, Robin Hranac, David Zima, David Jurasek, Tomas Soucek, Michal Sadilek, Pavel Sulc, Lukas Provod, Adam Hlozek, Patrik Schick
How to watch South Korea vs Czech Republic live in the UK
Find out below where you can catch South Korea vs Czech Republic live during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Just remember, kick-off is at 03:00 UK time.
For the full schedule, check our our World Cup live streaming page.
More betting tips for this match
Alongside the main tip given at the top of this article, here are some other strong bets for South Korea vs Czech Republic:
Further 2026 World Cup predictions
Browse all of our 2026 FIFA World Cup predictions and keep up with the sharpest analysis from start to finish of the tournament.
Match details: South Korea vs Czech Republic
🆚 Fixture South Korea vs Czech Republic
🏆 Tournament 2026 FIFA World Cup
📅 Date Friday, 12/06/2026
🕐 Kick-off 03:00 UK time
🏟️ Venue Estadio Akron
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Sports betting analyst with over ten years of experience in football analysis, match statistics and betting markets.