1 hour ago
1
South Korea defeated the Czech Republic 2-1 in their 2026 FIFA World Cup Group A opener on June 11, with Hwang In-beom netting the equalizer in the 67th minute at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Krejci had opened the scoring for the Czech Republic at the 59th minute, putting South Korea under immediate pressure in their tournament debut.
Hwang’s road back to the pitch
The 29-year-old midfielder, who plays club football for Feyenoord in the Dutch Eredivisie, had been nursing a right ankle injury earlier in 2026. That setback raised real doubts about whether he would be fit for the World Cup at all.
With over 70 caps for the national team, Hwang’s experience proved decisive. His equalizer shifted momentum and South Korea completed the comeback to win 2-1.
Head coach Hong Myung-bo had placed significant trust in Hwang’s fitness, and the midfielder repaid that faith in the biggest possible moment.
What comes next for South Korea
South Korea’s remaining Group A fixtures pit them against Mexico on June 18 and South Africa on June 24.
The last time South Korea made a deep World Cup run was their historic semifinal appearance in 2002.
Why this is on a crypto site (and why it probably shouldn’t be)
Extensive searches for any connection between the 2026 World Cup, Hwang In-beom, and cryptocurrency or blockchain projects turned up nothing relevant. Zero tokens, zero DeFi tie-ins, zero on-chain betting surges worth reporting.
The absence of crypto visibility at this stage of the 2026 World Cup suggests that the sports-crypto convergence narrative, which drove billions in sponsorship deals during 2021 and 2022, has cooled considerably. FTX’s collapse, the unwinding of multiple stadium naming deals, and regulatory scrutiny of fan token projects all contributed to that pullback.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
English (US) · 