Hwang In-beom Inspires South Korea’s Comeback in World Cup Opener

South Korea opened the 2026 World Cup with a 2-1 comeback win over Czechia, and midfielder Hwang In-beom emerged as the clear star of the match. The game, played on June 12, 2026, sent fans into celebration in Seoul and around the world as South Korea overturned a deficit in its first tournament appearance.

The Athletic described Hwang’s performance as an “artwork,” praising the moment that sparked the turnaround. Hwang equalized with a brilliant chip after putting Robin Hranac on the ground, lifting the ball over goalkeeper Matej Kovar despite Ladislav Krejci’s desperate chase. A few minutes later, he created the winner from the right wing with a precise cross that found Oh Hyeon-gyu, whose shot deflected off Kovar and went in at the far post for 2-1.

For Hwang, a central midfielder at Feyenoord, the tournament is the fulfillment of a dream after nearly missing it. In March, he suffered a serious ankle ligament injury in a Feyenoord match against Excelsior and raced against time to recover for the summer squad. He is a versatile box-to-box player and one of the most traveled members of the current South Korea squad.

His career path has taken him from Daejeon to Vancouver Whitecaps, Rubin Kazan, FC Seoul, Olympiacos, Red Star Belgrade, and then Rotterdam, where he arrived in 2024. Hwang has long been a key figure for South Korea, earning his place under former coach Paulo Bento after helping win gold at the 2018 Asian Games. He also said his favorite career match was South Korea’s 2-1 win over Portugal in the group stage of the 2022 World Cup, calling it the most dramatic game he ever played and saying it made him “the happiest person in the world.”