Korea fly high at altitude in World Cup opener as acclimatization push appears to pay off

Korea's meticulous preparation for high-altitude conditions paid off Thursday as the team came from behind to beat the Czech Republic 2-1 in their opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Guadalajara, Mexico, sitting 1,570 meters (5,150 feet) above sea level.

The decision to acclimatize as much as possible proved to be a smart move by manager Hong Myung-bo, who had earlier faced criticism for departing for a pre-tournament training camp without the customary send-off friendly at home.

Two days after announcing the final squad roster, the team flew to Salt Lake City, Utah — elevation roughly 1,460 meters.

Eyebrows were raised again when Korea's tune-up opponents in Utah were confirmed as Trinidad and Tobago on May 30 and El Salvador on June 3, sides considered well below the level of a proper World Cup dress rehearsal. Hong defended the choice. "Rather than moving to lower altitude to face stronger opponents, it was more important to stay at altitude and gain match experience, even against relatively weaker sides," he said. The Korea Football Association also backed the approach, even foregoing the greater revenue a match in a diaspora hub like Los Angeles would have generated.

Securing Guadalajara as a base camp for the tournament proved equally shrewd. The team's training facility, Verde Valle, is the training ground of Mexican club Club Deportivo Guadalajara — and the match against the Czech Republic was played at Guadalajara Stadium, the club's home ground.

The European side, by contrast, had little room to prepare for the altitude. Reaching the finals as one of the last qualifying teams through the European playoffs, they were based in Mansfield, Texas — a Dallas suburb sitting less than 200 meters above sea level. Their next group match against South Africa is also at low altitude in Atlanta, making full altitude acclimatization unnecessary. In the end, the Czech Republic arrived in Guadalajara just one day before kickoff, banking on a "fly in, fly out" strategy — the idea being to play before the body has time to register the effects of thin air. It appeared to have backfired.

At altitude, the body's reduced access to oxygen causes heart rates to spike and aerobic capacity to drop sharply. Judgment can be clouded by headaches and dizziness, and recovery between bursts of exertion slows considerably. Full acclimatization takes anywhere from two to four weeks, according to Song Jun-seop, the national team's chief physician.

The difference showed on the pitch. The Czech Republic appeared to be consciously conserving energy even in the first half, holding back from full sprints. Korea exploited that, taking control of the game and registering five shots before the break.

While the European side found a breakthrough first, it came after the players walked into position for a two-touch play, scoring on a long throw that was headed in by captain Ladislav Krejci in the 59th minute.

The Taeguk Warriors turned up the pressure, with the extended altitude adjustment paying dividends as persistent attacks with driving runs into the penalty area proved fruitful seven minutes later as Hwang In-beom traipsed toward goal and chipped the goalkeeper to pull level.

The boys did not let the pressure drop, with Hwang, on full trot down the right flank, latching onto a through ball and whipping a cross into the path of a sprinting Oh Hyeon-gyu, who buried the ball in the back of the net to give Korea the lead.

The Czech Republic attempted to press, getting off some good chances at goal, but the side's downfield progress was largely slow and readable for the Korean defense, which was able to fend off most threats to seal the win.

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BY LEE HAY-JUNE [[email protected]]