South Korea and Czechia will field a combined seven Bundesliga players in their Group A clash at the Guadalajara Stadium, as both nations seek to gain ground on group leaders Mexico. The match, the second in the group, follows Mexico’s opening day victory over South Africa.
Five of those Bundesliga-based players are expected to feature in the starting lineups, highlighting the growing influence of the German league on both international sides. South Korea’s squad includes Son Heung-min, who previously played for Hamburg and Bayer Leverkusen, alongside Darmstadt’s Paik Seung-ho and RB Leipzig’s Hwang Hee-chan. Czechia’s lineup features Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper Matěj Kovář, Freiburg and Hertha Berlin veteran Vladimír Darida, and Hoffenheim’s David Jurásek.
Czechia manager Miroslav Koubek has selected Hoffenheim defenders Robin Hranáč and Vladimír Coufal, while Bayer Leverkusen striker Patrik Schick will lead the attack. Adam Hložek, who recently moved from Leverkusen to Hoffenheim in 2024, is among the substitutes. For South Korea, Kim Min-jae and Lee Jae-sung start, with Borussia Mönchengladbach midfielder Jens Castrop available from the bench.
Kim Min-jae’s future at Bayern Munich is currently uncertain, with the club reportedly informing him he is free to seek opportunities elsewhere, according to reports in Germany. However, Lee Jae-sung recently committed his future to Mainz, signing a contract extension in February. The inclusion of these players underscores the Bundesliga’s role in developing talent for the international stage, and potentially shaping future transfer movements.
South Korea’s starting eleven consists of S. G. Kim in goal, with Kim Min-jae and H. B. Lee in defense alongside K. H. Lee. The midfield features Seol, Hwang, Paik, and T.-S. Lee, supporting the attacking trio of K. I. Lee, Lee Jae-sung, and captain Son Heung-min. Czechia will line up with Kovář in goal, a backline of Hranáč, Chaloupek, and captain Krejčí, a midfield of Zelený, Sojka, Souček, and Coufal, and an attack led by Šulc, Provod, and Schick.
