Don’t miss a second of South Korea vs Czechia Live — this Group A clash at Estadio Akron opens the Taegeuk Warriors’ World Cup 2026 campaign. We’ve got your kick-off times, full streaming guide, squad breakdowns, and a prediction.
Match Details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | South Korea vs Czechia |
| Date | Thursday, June 11 / Friday, June 12, 2026 |
| Kick-off (ET) | 10:00 PM ET |
| Kick-off (GMT) | 03:00 AM GMT (June 12) |
| Kick-off (BST) | 03:00 AM BST (June 12) |
| Kick-off (South Korea Local) | 12:00 PM KST (June 12) |
| Kick-off (Czechia Local) | 05:00 AM CEST (June 12) |
| Venue | Estadio Akron, Zapopan (Guadalajara), Mexico |
| Stage | Group A — FIFA World Cup 2026 |
How to Watch South Korea vs Czechia Live Stream Online
USA — FS1 / FOX One App
- Tune in to FS1 on cable or satellite TV for the live broadcast.
- Alternatively, download the FOX One app (formerly FOX Sports app) on your device.
- Sign in with your cable or streaming TV provider credentials.
- Search for “South Korea vs Czechia” and stream in full HD — Spanish-speaking fans can catch the action on Telemundo or Peacock.
Canada — CTV / TSN
- Visit CTV.ca or download the CTV app for free live streaming.
- Alternatively, log in to TSN via the TSN app or TSN.ca.
- Authenticate with your cable or internet TV provider if required (TSN is a pay-TV channel; CTV is free).
- Search for the World Cup schedule and select the South Korea vs Czechia match.
UK — ITV1 / ITVX
- The match broadcasts live and free on ITV1 — no subscription needed.
- Stream online for free via ITVX on your browser, smart TV, or mobile app.
- Scottish viewers can also watch via STV or the STV Player.
- Simply search “South Korea vs Czech Republic” in the app’s World Cup hub to find the stream.
Australia — SBS / SBS On Demand
- Watch live and free on SBS or SBS Viceland on your TV aerial.
- For streaming, visit SBS On Demand at sbs.com.au or download the SBS On Demand app.
- No subscription or payment is required — all 104 World Cup matches are free on SBS.
- The match kicks off at 1:30 AM AEST on June 12 — set a reminder in the app.
South Korea — KBS / JTBC
- Free-to-air viewers can watch live on KBS 1 or KBS 2 — available via standard digital antenna.
- For full tournament access, log in to JTBC via the JTBC app or website.
- Digital streaming is also available via NAVER Sports for highlights and live coverage.
- All of South Korea’s Group A matches are covered on both KBS and JTBC at no extra cost.
Czechia — ČT sport / TV Nova / Oneplay
- Watch live for free on ČT sport (public broadcaster Česká televize) — no subscription needed.
- Alternatively, tune in to TV Nova (Skupina Nova) which also holds rights to the tournament.
- For online streaming, visit ČT sport Plus or the Oneplay platform.
- Download the Česká televize app for on-the-go access to the Czech Republic’s first World Cup in 20 years.
Travelling abroad? If you’re outside your home country and want to access your usual streaming platform, a reputable VPN such as NordVPN or ExpressVPN can help you connect to a server back home.
This keeps you within the broadcaster’s licensed region so you don’t miss a kick.
Which TV Channels Will Broadcast South Korea vs Czechia?
| Region | TV Channel(s) | Kick-off Time (Local) |
|---|---|---|
| USA | FS1, FOX One, Telemundo, Peacock (ES) | 10:00 PM ET |
| Canada | CTV, TSN, RDS | 10:00 PM ET / 7:00 PM PT |
| UK | ITV1, ITVX, STV | 3:00 AM BST (June 12) |
| Australia | SBS, SBS Viceland, SBS On Demand | 1:30 AM AEST (June 12) |
| South Korea | KBS 1, KBS 2, JTBC | 12:00 PM KST (June 12) |
| Czechia | ČT sport, TV Nova, Oneplay | 5:00 AM CEST (June 12) |
In the UK, ITV1 and ITVX carry the match entirely free with no subscription required, making it one of the most accessible World Cup openers for British fans.
Australia’s SBS is also fully free-to-air, while US fans will need a cable or streaming login for FS1, though Telemundo and Peacock offer Spanish-language alternatives.
Match Preview
South Korea arrive in Guadalajara as Asia’s most consistent World Cup nation, having qualified unbeaten through the AFC third round, and they face a Czechia side back on football’s biggest stage after a 20-year absence.
Both teams desperately need points early — a strong result here could define their entire Group A fate against Mexico and South Africa.
Tactically, Hong Myung-bo’s Korea will likely press high and look to exploit Czechia’s defensive transitions with Son Heung-min’s pace on the break, while Lee Kang-in drives play from midfield.
Miroslav Koubek’s Czechia are expected to sit in a compact 4-3-3, using Tomáš Souček’s physicality to win the midfield battle and Patrik Schick’s hold-up play to relieve pressure.
Both squads are subject to fitness checks as the tournament opener approaches, with the intense June heat in Guadalajara adding an extra factor for conditioning staff.
The atmosphere at Estadio Akron, a venue accustomed to Mexican Liga MX noise, will be electric even without partisan home support for either side.
South Korea Squad for FIFA World Cup 2026
| # | Position | Player Name | Club |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Kim Seung-gyu | Vissel Kobe |
| 2 | GK | Jo Hyeon-woo | Ulsan HD |
| 3 | GK | Song Bum-keun | Jeonbuk Hyundai |
| 4 | DEF | Kim Min-jae | Bayern Munich |
| 5 | DEF | Jo Yu-min | Sharjah |
| 6 | DEF | Lee Tae-seok | Austria Vienna |
| 7 | DEF | Seol Young-woo | Red Star Belgrade |
| 8 | DEF | Kim Moon-hwan | Daejeon Hana Citizen |
| 9 | DEF | Lee Ki-hyeok | Gangwon FC |
| 10 | DEF | Park Jin-seop | Zhejiang FC |
| 11 | DEF | Lee Han-beom | FC Midtjylland |
| 12 | DEF | Kim Tae-hyun | Kashima Antlers |
| 13 | DEF | Jens Castrop | Borussia Mönchengladbach |
| 14 | MID | Hwang In-beom | Feyenoord |
| 15 | MID | Lee Kang-in | Paris Saint-Germain |
| 16 | MID | Yang Hyun-jun | Celtic |
| 17 | MID | Paik Seung-ho | Birmingham City |
| 18 | MID | Bae Jun-ho | Stoke City |
| 19 | MID | Um Ji-sung | Swansea City |
| 20 | MID | Lee Dong-gyeong | Ulsan HD |
| 21 | MID | Lee Jae-sung | Mainz 05 |
| 22 | MID | Hwang Hee-chan | Wolverhampton Wanderers |
| 23 | MID | Kim Jin-gyu | Jeonbuk Hyundai |
| 24 | FWD | Son Heung-min (C) | LAFC |
| 25 | FWD | Oh Hyun-kyu | Beşiktaş |
| 26 | FWD | Cho Kyu-sung | FC Midtjylland |
Key Players to Watch
- Son Heung-min: The 33-year-old captain arrives at his fourth World Cup on 56 international goals — just two from equalling the all-time South Korea record. His pace, finishing, and leadership make him the focal point of everything Korea do going forward.
- Kim Min-jae: Bayern Munich’s commanding centre-back is arguably the best defender in Asia and will be crucial to keeping Schick and Hložek quiet. His ability to play out from the back also triggers South Korea’s attacking transitions.
- Lee Kang-in: The PSG playmaker is South Korea’s creative engine — his dribbling, vision, and set-piece quality in the middle third are what unlock opposition defences and create space for Son’s runs.
Czechia Squad for FIFA World Cup 2026
| # | Position | Player Name | Club |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Matěj Kovář | PSV Eindhoven |
| 2 | GK | Jindřich Staněk | SK Slavia Praha |
| 3 | GK | Lukáš Horníček | Braga SC |
| 4 | DEF | Vladimír Coufal | TSG Hoffenheim |
| 5 | DEF | Ladislav Krejčí (C) | Wolverhampton Wanderers |
| 6 | DEF | Robin Hranáč | TSG Hoffenheim |
| 7 | DEF | David Jurásek | SK Slavia Praha |
| 8 | DEF | Tomáš Holeš | SK Slavia Praha |
| 9 | DEF | David Douděra | SK Slavia Praha |
| 10 | DEF | Štěpán Chaloupek | SK Slavia Praha |
| 11 | DEF | David Zima | SK Slavia Praha |
| 12 | DEF | Jaroslav Zelený | AC Sparta Praha |
| 13 | MID | Tomáš Souček | West Ham United |
| 14 | MID | Pavel Bucha | FC Cincinnati |
| 15 | MID | Lukáš Červ | Viktoria Plzeň |
| 16 | MID | Vladimír Darida | Hradec Králové |
| 17 | MID | Tomáš Provod | SK Slavia Praha |
| 18 | MID | Michal Sadílek | FC Twente |
| 19 | MID | Pavel Šulc | Olympique Lyonnais |
| 20 | MID | Adam Hložek | TSG Hoffenheim |
| 21 | MID | Jakub Pešek | Feyenoord |
| 22 | FWD | Patrik Schick | Bayer Leverkusen |
| 23 | FWD | Jan Kuchta | Lokomotiv Moscow |
| 24 | FWD | Tomáš Chorý | Viktoria Plzeň |
| 25 | FWD | Václav Sejk | FK Baumit Jablonec |
| 26 | FWD | Ondřej Lingr | Feyenoord |
Key Players to Watch
- Patrik Schick: Czechia’s biggest attacking weapon — the Bayer Leverkusen striker has 25 international goals and four in qualifying, and is remembered worldwide for his stunning halfway-line strike at Euro 2020. If he’s fit and firing, Czechia are a completely different proposition.
- Tomáš Souček: With 89 caps, the West Ham midfielder is the heartbeat of Czech’s engine room — his physicality, aerial dominance, and habit of arriving late in the box make him a goal threat from midfield that South Korea cannot ignore.
- Pavel Šulc: The Lyon playmaker was the hero of Czechia’s playoff run, scoring in the tense March shootout victories over Ireland and Denmark. His technical quality and eye for goal make him the wildcard that could unlock any defence.
Upcoming Match Schedule
South Korea — Next Fixtures
| Date | Opponent | Stage | Venue | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 11, 2026 | Czechia | Group A | Estadio Akron | 10:00 PM |
| June 18, 2026 | Mexico | Group A | Estadio Akron | 9:00 PM |
| June 24/25, 2026 | South Africa | Group A | Estadio BBVA | 9:00 PM |
Czechia — Next Fixtures
| Date | Opponent | Stage | Venue | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 11, 2026 | South Korea | Group A | Estadio Akron | 10:00 PM |
| June 18, 2026 | South Africa | Group A | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | 12:00 PM |
| June 24, 2026 | Mexico | Group A | Estadio Azteca | 9:00 PM |
South Korea vs Czechia Prediction
South Korea hold the edge going into this one — their unbeaten AFC qualifying record, Son Heung-min’s hunger to chase the national scoring record, and the quality of Kim Min-jae’s defensive leadership all point to a controlled, disciplined performance from Hong Myung-bo’s side.
Czechia’s 20-year World Cup absence and their reliance on an ageing spine around Souček creates genuine questions about how they handle the occasion’s pressure.
That said, Patrik Schick’s quality makes this anything but a guaranteed Korean win, and Group A’s late kick-off in Guadalajara suits teams who play on the counter.
- Predicted score: South Korea 1–0 Czechia — but as any football fan knows, the opener always has a way of surprising everyone.
FAQs
What time does South Korea vs Czechia kick off?
The match kicks off at 10:00 PM ET on June 11, which is 3:00 AM GMT and 12:00 PM KST on June 12. Always verify with your local broadcaster for any regional adjustments.
Where can I watch South Korea vs Czechia in the UK?
The match is free to watch on ITV1 and the ITVX streaming app, with no subscription required. Scottish viewers can also access it through STV and the STV Player.
What is the head-to-head record between South Korea and Czechia?
The two nations have met very rarely in international football, with South Korea holding a narrow historical edge in their limited encounters. This World Cup group stage clash is their first-ever meeting at a FIFA World Cup.
Who is the key player to watch in this match?
Son Heung-min is the standout name — the South Korea captain is chasing the national scoring record at his fourth World Cup, and his pace and finishing make him the most dangerous player on the pitch. For Czechia, Patrik Schick’s hold-up play and clinical finishing will be the biggest individual threat.
Who will win South Korea vs Czechia?
South Korea are slight favourites based on their unbeaten qualifying form, FIFA ranking (25th), and the quality spread across the squad. A narrow South Korean victory (1–0 or 2–1) looks the most likely outcome, though Czechia’s tournament experience and Schick’s threat mean this is far from a foregone conclusion.
