Dramatic Comeback Highlights Opening Matches in Group A of the World Cup

The 2026 FIFA World Cup commenced on Thursday, November 11, with matches taking place across the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The inaugural game featured Mexico triumphing over South Africa with a score of 2-0 at the iconic Azteca Stadium. Goals from Quiñones and Jiménez secured the victory, but much of the conversation centered around Brazilian referee Wilton Pereira Sampaio, who garnered attention for issuing a remarkable three red cards during the match.

Later that evening, South Korea staged an impressive comeback against Czechia, winning 2-1 in Guadalajara. This marked the Czech team's return to the World Cup after a 20-year hiatus. They initially took the lead with a goal from Krejci, who scored with a powerful header following a long throw by Coufal. However, South Korea quickly responded with a stunning goal from Hwang In-Beom, who skillfully bypassed a defender and chipped the ball over the goalkeeper.

Although Czechia appeared to have doubled their lead with a header from Soucek, the goal was disallowed for offside during the free kick. South Korea's Hwang In-Beom then provided an assist to Oh Hyeon-Gyu, who finished decisively to complete the turnaround. This comeback was notable, being the second-fastest in South Korean World Cup history, following their 11-minute comeback against Nigeria in 2010.

The first half of the match was relatively uneventful, with a memorable moment involving South Korean player Lee Han-Beom accidentally tearing Czechia's striking jersey. The tournament features 48 teams divided into 12 groups of four, with the first round concluding on June 27. Teams finishing in the top two positions as well as the eight best third-placed teams will advance to the knockout stage.

The round of 32 matches are scheduled from June 28 to July 3, followed by the round of 16 from July 4 to 7, with the quarterfinals set for July 9 to 11. The semifinals will occur on July 14 and 15, culminating in the World Cup final on July 19 in New Jersey at 4 p.m. (Brasília time).

Looking ahead to Friday's matches, Canada will face Bosnia at 4 p.m. (Brasília time), while the United States will take on Paraguay at 10 p.m. (Brasília time).