South Korea and the Czech Republic define starting teams for their debut at the 2026 World Cup By Luís Henrique Costa
4 min read
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The inaugural clash in Group A of the 2026 World Cup will bring representatives from the Asian and European continents face to face. The bracket, which promises fierce competition for qualification for the knockout stages, also houses the teams from Mexico and South Africa in this initial phase of the tournament organized by FIFA.
The South Korean team reaches its eleventh consecutive appearance in the global competition, boasting an impeccable campaign in the Asian qualifiers, where it accumulated eleven victories and five draws. In the last edition of the tournament, held in Qatar, the country’s trajectory was interrupted in the round of 16 after a setback against the Brazilian team.
On the European side, the Czechs celebrate their return to football’s main stage after a two-decade hiatus, rescuing the memory of the 2006 generation that included star Pavel Nedvěd. The passport for the current tournament was stamped after the team finished second in its qualifying group and survived a dramatic play-off, eliminating Ireland and beating Denmark on penalties.
With veteran Son Heung-min as his main technical reference, who left English football to play for Los Angeles FC in the North American league, the Asian squad arrives with high confidence. In the final tests before the tournament, the team defeated Trinidad and Tobago 5-0 and beat El Salvador by the smallest margin, indicating a preference for populating the midfield sector and exploring quick transitions down the flanks with a single reference man in the area.
The technical committees officially announced the eleven chosen to start the clash, revealing a curious coincidence in the tactical design. Both nations decided to mirror their formations, adopting the 3-4-2-1 system, which anticipates a duel with a lot of physical imposition in the creative sector and intense individual disputes in all areas of the pitch.
How the South Koreans are distributed on the field
Under the guidance of coach Myung Bo Hong, the formation with three defenders aims to provide support for the wingers to advance freely towards the baseline. The captain’s armband continues with Son Heung-min, who will have the responsibility of commanding the offensive actions and providing equipment to his attacking teammates in search of the first goal.
- Goal: K. Seung-gyu (1)
- Defensive system: H. Lee (2), K. Min-jae (4) and G. Lee (3)
- Creative sector: Y. W. Seol (22), H. In-beom (6), S. Paik (8) and T. Lee (13)
- Attacking front: K. Lee (19), J. Lee (10) and S. Heung-min (7)(c)
The eleven chosen to represent the European nation
Commander Miroslav Koubek responded with the same tactical mirroring, betting on a robust trio of defenders to slow the Asian speed. The European strategy focuses on maintaining ball possession in the central circle and using the experience of their midfielders to dictate the pace of the match from the opening minutes.
- Goalkeeper: M. Kovář (1)
- Defense line: S. Chaloupek (6), R. Hranáč (4) and L. Krejčí (7)(c)
- Meiúca: V. Coufal (5), T. Souček (22), A. Sojka (24) and J. Zelený (20)
- Front men: P. Šulc (15), L. Provod (17) and P. Schick (10)
Who is responsible for the whistle in the confrontation
The International Football Federation appointed Egyptian Amin Mohamed Omar to mediate disputes on the pitch. The African referee carries statistics that point to a moderate disciplinary profile, presenting a historical average of almost three yellow cards distributed per match, in addition to a very low rate of direct expulsions.
The duel of strategies on the bench
On the edge of the field, the mental clash will take place between two professionals with different views on the sport. Myung Bo Hong tries to consolidate Asian dominance with quick transitions and short touches, while Miroslav Koubek seeks to revive the European tradition of physical play, high marking and poisonous set pieces.
Alternatives ready to change the game’s history
Considering the physical exhaustion typical of a World Cup debut, the substitutes will play a fundamental role in the second stage. Both squads have athletes with varied characteristics, capable of completely changing the tactical design if the score requires urgent changes or maintenance of results.
Athletes available to the Asian coaching committee:
- Archers: Jo Hyeonwoo (21) and Song Bum-keun (12)
- Defenders and full-backs: Kim Moon-hwan (15), Wi-je Cho (14) and Kim Tae-hyeon (5)
- Articulators: Dong-gyeong Lee (26), Jens Castrop (23), Ji-sung Eom (25), Jin-gyu Kim (24), Jin-seob Park (16) and Jun-Ho Bae (17)
- Offensive options: Gue-sung Cho (9), Hwang Hee-chan (11), Hyeon-gyu Oh (18) and Yang Hyun-Jun (20)
Players awaiting opportunity on the European side:
- Substitute goalkeepers: Jindřich Staněk (16) and Lukáš Horníček (23)
- Official defenders: David Jurásek (14), David Zima (2) and Tomáš Holeš (3)
- Midfielders: Michal Sadílek (18), David Douděra (21), Denis Višinský (26), Hugo Sochurek (25), Lukáš Červ (12) and Vladimír Darida (8)
- Forwards: Adam Hložek (9), Jan Kuchta (11), Mojmír Chytil (13) and Tomáš Chorý (19)
