South Korea vs Czechia Lineups CONFIRMED: Son Heung-min Starts in World Cup 2026 Group A

Group A | FIFA World Cup 2026 | Match 2 | Estadio Akron, Zapopan, Mexico

Match Info

South Korea vs Czechia Lineups — The Confirmed XIs

Both managers have named their starting lineups ahead of tonight’s Group A clash. Here is who is on the pitch from kick-off at the Estadio Akron in Guadalajara.

🇰🇷 SOUTH KOREA — Confirmed Starting XI

Formation: 3-4-3 (can shift to 5-4-1 out of possession) Head Coach: Hong Myung-bo

              JO HYEON-WOO
    ___________________________________
   
  SEOL YOUNG-WOO  KIM MIN-JAE  KWON KYUNG-WON
    ___________________________________

  KIM MOON-HWAN         CHO YU-MIN
       (R WB)            (L WB)
    ___________________________________

       HWANG IN-BEOM      PAIK SEUNG-HO
    ___________________________________

   LEE KANG-IN    SON HEUNG-MIN   HWANG HEE-CHAN

🟨 Yellow Card Watch: Hwang In-beom (carrying ankle concern into this match — one booking ends him for the next game)

South Korea Substitutes

🇨🇿 CZECHIA — Confirmed Starting XI

Formation: 4-2-3-1 Head Coach: Miroslav Koubek

                MATEJ KOVAR
    ___________________________________

 COUFAL    HOLES     KREJCI(c)  JURASEK
    ___________________________________

         SOUCEK        SADÍLEK
    ___________________________________

    CERNY       PROVOD      SULC
    ___________________________________

               SCHICK

🟨 Yellow Card Watch: Jan Kuchta (ankle injury — not in starting XI as a precaution; bench availability unclear)

Czechia Substitutes

Key Selection Stories

Son Heung-min Starts — As Expected, But With This Weight

Son Heung-min, 33, is named in the starting XI for what could be his last major international tournament. A brace in South Korea’s 5-0 pre-tournament win over Trinidad and Tobago on May 30 took Son to 56 international goals, leaving him just two short of the all-time South Korea record of 58 held by Cha Bum-kun. The Estadio Akron will be the stage where that chase for history continues tonight.

Son was first named South Korea’s captain by Hong Myung-bo and has kept that role throughout the qualification campaign. He starts as the central attacking midfielder in what Hong prefers to call a 3-4-3 — though in defensive phases it effectively becomes a 5-4-1, with Son sitting tighter and the wing-backs dropping. Expect him to be given licence to roam behind Hwang Hee-chan tonight.

Kim Min-jae Leads a Three-Man Defence

Kim Min-jae anchors the South Korea backline, providing the recovery speed necessary to execute a higher pressing game when required. The Bayern Munich centre-back partners Kwon Kyung-won and Seol Young-woo in a back three that gives South Korea the physicality to compete against Czechia’s aerial threat from Schick and Chorý.

Kim Min-jae’s communication and organisational quality will be tested early against the height Czechia bring to set pieces. Czechia’s attacking options are all physically imposing, with Patrik Schick and Tomáš Chorý both standing well over six feet.

Hwang In-beom Plays Through Fitness Concern

Hwang In-beom was called up by coach Hong Myung-bo despite struggling with an ankle injury. He is passed fit and starts tonight, but his fitness level will be monitored closely during the match. If Hwang shows any sign of discomfort, Jens Castrop is the ready replacement — the German-born midfielder who offers slightly less physical intensity but better distribution.

Lee Kang-in Starts Right, Not Centre

Lee Kang-in’s club position at Paris Saint-Germain is increasingly central, but Hong Myung-bo places him on the right of South Korea’s three-man attack — using his close control and one-vs-one ability to exploit space when Son draws defenders centrally. His relationship with Son Heung-min on the training ground has been consistently praised by Korean football journalists during the pre-tournament camp.

Czechia’s Goalkeeper: Kovář Ahead of Staněk

Matej Kovar starts in goal for Czechia and was the hero of both playoff shootouts, saving two penalties against Ireland on Czechia’s route to the tournament. The Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper edges out Jindřich Staněk for the number one position based on recent form and those crucial penalty save moments. His distribution and ability to play from the back suits Koubek’s preference for building through the thirds.

Schick Leads the Line — With Support Arriving From Deep

Patrik Schick leads the line for Czechia with 25 international goals and seven in his last 11 starts for the national team. The Bayer Leverkusen striker is Czechia’s greatest individual attacking threat. At 6’1″, his physicality against Kim Min-jae will be one of the most intriguing individual battles of the match.

Pavel Šulc — the real creative surprise selection — starts left of the three behind Schick. Šulc has enjoyed a breakout season with Lyon, after replacing Rayan Cherki and managing 21 goal contributions in Ligue 1. His inclusion ahead of more established names reflects Koubek’s faith in form over reputation.

Formation Visual Comparison

Head-to-Head: Only Meeting On Record

These two nations have met just once competitively. South Korea beat Czech Republic 2-1 in a friendly in June 2016, coming back from a goal down to win. This Group A encounter is their first-ever competitive match — making tonight genuinely historic for both nations’ records books.

Five Battles to Watch

1. Son Heung-min vs Vladimír Coufal Coufal is Czechia’s right-back and will be the man tasked with handling Son directly when the Korean captain drives from the left-centre positions he favours. Coufal’s Premier League experience at West Ham prepares him for top-class wingers — but Son at a World Cup on this stage is a different proposition.

2. Kim Min-jae vs Patrik Schick The two most physically dominant players on the pitch meet in the first aerial duel. Kim Min-jae’s recovery pace against Schick’s hold-up play and positional intelligence. The outcome of this battle will significantly influence how many dangerous crosses Czechia can convert into genuine chances.

3. Hwang In-beom vs Tomáš Souček Tomas Soucek as the midfield engine adds a set-piece threat from every dead ball. The two central midfielders — both box-to-box players with aerial quality — will contest the physical battle in the middle of the pitch. Whoever wins more second balls controls the game’s tempo.

4. Lee Kang-in vs David Jurásek Jurásek at left-back will face Lee Kang-in’s intelligent movement and technical quality on Czechia’s weaker defensive side. Lee’s ability to cut inside from the right and combine with Son creates a constant two-vs-one scenario that Jurásek will need support to manage.

5. Pavel Šulc vs Seol Young-woo Šulc’s breakout Lyon season comes to the World Cup stage tonight, and the right-back position he exploits is covered by Seol Young-woo — South Korea’s least experienced defensive player in the back three. If Czechia find their rhythm through Šulc’s creativity, this is where the danger begins.

What the Lineups Tell Us About Each Manager’s Plan

Hong Myung-bo’s message with this lineup: The three-centre-back system gives Kim Min-jae the physical partner he needs while allowing the wing-backs — Moon-hwan and Cho Yu-min — to push high and provide width that the three-man attack can combine with. The central trio of Son, Lee Kang-in, and Hwang Hee-chan is built for quick combination play rather than direct running. The plan against Czechia: press high when Czechia’s goalkeeper has the ball, compress their midfield through Hwang In-beom and Paik’s pressing triggers, and release Son into the space behind Czechia’s defensive line on the transition.

Miroslav Koubek’s message with this lineup: The 4-2-3-1 gives Czechia defensive stability through the Soucek-Sadílek double pivot while giving the three behind Schick — Černý, Provod, Šulc — freedom to create from wide and central positions. Koubek’s approach against South Korea’s three-man press will be to find Soucek or Schick early and direct, then build from there. The target: survive the first 20 minutes of South Korean intensity, then impose the physical game plan on their own terms.

StrikerReport Prediction

South Korea 1-1 Czechia

The lineup confirms what the analysis suggested: this is a competitive, evenly matched opening Group A fixture. South Korea have the individual quality advantage through Son and Lee Kang-in, but Czechia’s physicality and set-piece threat — particularly Krejčí and Soucek at corners — means a clean sheet for either side is far from guaranteed.

Son’s pursuit of the all-time South Korea scoring record adds an extra dimension. If he scores tonight, the Korean capital will erupt regardless of the match hour.

How to Watch

Lineup article published June 11, 2026 — updated with confirmed XIs approximately 75 minutes before kick-off. All lineup data sourced from official FIFA.com team sheets, Al Jazeera, RotoWire, and ESPN. Subject to late changes — refresh for the latest confirmed information.

Son Heung-min FIFA World Cup 2026: Profile, Stats & Career | StrikerReport

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