Team physician gets fever-stricken Oh Hyun-gyu match-ready — and he scores the winner

South Korea's medical staff deserves much of the credit for the team's come-from-behind victory over Czech Republic in their 2026 World Cup opener.

The man who delivered the decisive goal in Friday's Group A match — a result that could prove pivotal to South Korea's tournament fortunes — was substitute striker Oh Hyun-gyu of Besiktas.

With the score level at 1-1, Oh burst into the box in the 35th minute of the second half and met a low cross from Hwang In-beom on the right, redirecting it with his left foot. The shot deflected off the goalkeeper's hands and into the net, and South Korea held on for a thrilling 2-1 victory.

Speaking to reporters after the match, Oh said his temperature had climbed to 38 degrees Celsius and he had genuinely doubted whether he could take the field. "I really wasn't sure I could play, but the medical team took such good care of me that I was able to score," he said. It emerged that Oh had struggled to get out of bed on the morning of the match, suffering from a high fever and diarrhea that put his participation in serious doubt.

Team medical director Baek Jeong-guk, head of the joint and sports injury center at Seoul Two-Top Orthopedic Clinic, met reporters at the team's training base at Chivas Verde Valle in Zapopan, Mexico, on Saturday — the day after the Czech Republic match — and recalled the situation. "He said even going to the bathroom was a struggle," Baek said.

The culprit was dehydration. Several players had already been experiencing diarrhea after the squad traveled from Salt Lake City, Utah — their pre-tournament camp base — to Mexico.

Team chief physician Song Jun-seop, director of Gangnam JS Hospital, said dehydration naturally triggers a fever. "On top of that, I think the pressure, burden and stress Oh was carrying ahead of this tournament all piled on at once," Song said.

The medical staff moved quickly, activating a prepared treatment protocol. "He started recovering after lunch, and by the time we arrived at the stadium he was almost back to normal," Baek said. "At first Oh himself said he didn't think he could possibly play, but his whole demeanor had changed completely by the time we got to the ground."

Restored to full health, Oh came on as a substitute in the 24th minute of the second half and covered the pitch with energy, needing just 11 minutes to score the match-winning goal.

The medical team also successfully guided the players through altitude acclimatization, another factor cited in the victory over Czech Republic. "Altitude sickness is a universal physiological phenomenon that no one — not even Cristiano Ronaldo — can escape," Song said.