Oh Hyeon-gyu scores winner while battling a 38-degree fever

Oh Hyeon-gyu became one of South Korea’s standout figures in Group A’s opening round of the 2026 World Cup after coming off the bench to score the winner in a 2-1 victory over Czechia. He later revealed he played despite feeling very ill, saying his temperature had reached 38 degrees before kickoff.

"I was really in bad shape before the game, and my fever reached 38 degrees," Oh said. He credited the staff around him, adding, "Thanks to the coaching staff and the medical staff who took such good care of me, I was able to play." He replaced star Son Heung-min and entered in the second half.

Oh decided the match in the 80th minute, finishing from close range after Wang In-beom’s cross for South Korea’s second goal. "Just being part of the World Cup was moving and powerful for me, and the coach gave me the chance to score," he said. "As a striker, I am grateful." The goal completed a personal circle after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when he was only a reserve player and did not make the final squad or play.

At the 2022 tournament, he had said watching senior players’ highs and lows made him desperate to reach the World Cup, calling it "the biggest motivation of my life." Four years later, wearing No. 18, he delivered South Korea’s first opening-game World Cup win since 2010. South Korea next faces host Mexico, and Oh said he will stay humble and prepare to give "100 percent" in that match.