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

South Korea opened the 2026 World Cup with a dramatic 2-1 comeback win over Czechia, and midfielder Hwang In-beom was the decisive figure. The Feyenoord player scored the equalizer and then set up the winner in the second half, turning what had looked like a difficult match into one of the tournament’s early talking points.

British outlet The Athletic described Hwang’s goal as an “artwork,” praising the way he took control of the game from deep midfield. He leveled the score after sending Robin Hranac to the ground and lifting a delicate chip over goalkeeper Matej Kovar. The ball dropped softly into the net despite a desperate attempt by Ladislav Krejci to intervene.

Hwang was not finished. A few minutes later, he delivered a precise cross from the right wing, and Oh Hyeon-gyu connected perfectly from close range. The shot deflected off Kovar and went in at the far post to complete the turnaround and seal 2-1.

For Hwang, the tournament is the realization of a dream after nearly missing it because of a serious ankle-ligament injury in March during Feyenoord’s match against Excelsior. He has been a core part of South Korea since Paulo Bento gave him a starting role after the 2018 Asian Games gold medal run. The versatile midfielder has also had a long club journey through Daejeon, Vancouver Whitecaps, Rubin Kazan, FC Seoul, Olympiacos, Red Star Belgrade, and finally Rotterdam, where he arrived in 2024. Hwang once said his favorite career match was South Korea’s 2-1 win over Portugal at the 2022 World Cup, calling it the most dramatic game he had ever played and saying he was proud to help deliver joy to Koreans.