"Brunch World Cup" Kicks Off...When Are South Korea's Matches?

First Match Against Czech Republic at 11 a.m. on the 12th
Matches Against Mexico on the 19th and South Africa on the 25th
All Group Stage Games Set for Weekday Mornings; Street Cheering at Gwanghwamun Planned

The South Korean national football team will compete for a spot in the Round of 32 at the 2026 North American World Cup, which opens on June 12. South Korea has been placed in Group A alongside the Czech Republic, Mexico, and South Africa.

The 2026 North American World Cup will be held in Guadalajara, Mexico. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

On the opening day, June 12, at 11 a.m., Korea will play its first group stage match against the Czech Republic. The team will then face Mexico on the 19th at 10 a.m., followed by South Africa on the 25th at 10 a.m., as they aim to advance to the knockout stage.

The first two group stage matches will be held in Guadalajara, Mexico, where the national team has set up its base camp. The third match is scheduled to take place in Monterrey, which is about a 1 hour and 30 minute flight away.

The Round of 32 matchups will be determined based on the final group stage rankings. If South Korea finishes first in the group and advances, they will face a third-place team from another group in Mexico. As the second-place team, Korea will play against the second-place team from Group B in Los Angeles, USA. If they advance as the third-place team, they will meet the first-place team from either Group E or Group G.

All three of Korea’s group stage matches are scheduled for weekday mornings, prompting some to refer to this tournament as the "Brunch World Cup." In the past, the World Cup has been considered a peak season for chicken, pizza, beer, and the food delivery industry. However, this year, the situation is different. Rather than gathering in large groups to order delivery food and cheer together, it is expected that more people will watch the matches via mobile broadcasts at work or school, or participate in small-scale cheering events.

The matches will mainly be broadcast by JTBC and KBS. The Korea Football Association has announced that street cheering events with the official supporters, Red Devils, will be held at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul on the days of the national team’s three group stage matches.

The 2026 North American World Cup will be the largest ever, with 48 countries participating. The tournament will kick off at 4 a.m. on the 12th (Korean time) with the opening match between Mexico and South Africa and will run for about a month. For the first time in World Cup history, the tournament will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, with matches spread across 16 cities in the three countries.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.