Excitement will be building for Czech football fans ahead of this summer as they finally end a 20 year long wait to see their team return to the World Cup for the first time since 2006.
While they have been European Championship ever-presents since reaching the 1996 final, Repre have struggling in World Cup qualifying for several campaigns. That was until they came through the playoffs this time around thanks to back-to-back penalty playoff wins.
A difficult opponent who offer a real threat from set-pieces, Czech Republic join South Africa, South Korea and co-hosts Mexico in Group A.
Czech Republic route to the World Cup
It was a far from routine qualifying campaign for Czech Republic. However, they finally ended 20 years of hurt in World Cup qualifying in dramatic fashion. Narodak had to settle for a playoff spot after finishing second in Group L, six points behind Croatia.
The playoffs produced some real drama though, as both their semi-final against Republic of Ireland and final against Denmark finished 2-2 after extra-time.
Miroslav Koubek’s men eventually came through penalty shoot-outs in both of those games. Ladislav Krejci scored a late equaliser to take the Ireland match to penalties in Prague. The skipper also scored in extra-time against Denmark five days later, playing a key part in this dramatic campaign.
Czech Republic World Cup 2026 fixtures
Unsurprisingly, it was the Wolverhampton Wanderers man yet again who scored his country’s first goal in this summer’s World Cup.
Czech Republic were one of the first teams to play in the tournament as they took part in the second game of the competition against South Korea in Zapopan on June 12th.
However, not even Krejci’s opening goal was enough to give them the win. The Koreans came back to earn a fully deserved 2-1 victory.
Next, the Czechs are heading north of the border to face South Africa in Atlanta on June 18th. Finally Repre will round off the group stages against co-hosts Mexico on 25th June.
READ MORE: Get the latest Czech Republic World Cup 2026 outright odds here
Czech Republic key players for World Cup 2026
Czech Republic top World Cup Golden Boot contender: Patrik Schick
- Key stat: Patrik Schik scored the second-highest amount of headed goals in the Bundesliga in the 2025/26 season with four.
The joint-top scorer at Euro 2020, Patrik Schick remains Czechia’s stand-out goal threat with 25 goals in 53 caps.
The 30 year old has scored 77 times in 146 Bundesliga appearances for current club Bayer Leverkusen and offers a threat both in the air and into feet while also providing a focal point for the rest of the attack to play off.
Without doubt Repre’s star man, he scored five times in eight qualifying appearances, including three headers.
Czech Republic primary playmaker: Pavel Sulc
- Key stat: Pavel Sulc created 22 chances in Ligue 1 this season, leading to three assists.
Former Rangers loanee Vaclav Cerny remains Czech Republic’s most influential creative force. However, with the 28 year old set to miss the tournament through injury, Lyon’s Pavel Sulc took his starting spot and was one of their only lucid players against South Korea.
The 25 year old carries a goal threat with 11 goals for his club side this year and five for his country in 21 appearances.
Czech Republic card magnets & top tacklers: Ladislav Krejci
- Key stat: Ladislav Krejci won 35 possessions in his team’s defensive third in qualifying for this competition – the highest of any player in Uefa qualifying.
The Czech Republic captain, Ladislav Krejci scored two vital goals in the playoffs and another one in the World Cup opener. But it’s his defensive contribution that has been pivotal for his nation in recent years.
Krejci won 17 tackles, made 10 interceptions and 48 clearances in nine qualifiers – although he did also pick up two bookings. The 27 year old has been one of very few Wolves players to emerge from a torrid 2025/26 Premier League campaign with any credit.
His aggressive nature made him record three tackles against the Koreans, though it was also their demise. Lee Kang-in dragged him all the way back into the midfield line while Hwang In-beom infiltrated in the space left behind to create Oh Hyeon-gyu’s winner in the 80th minute.
Czech Republic rising star: Adam Hlozek
Key stat: Adam Hlozek led Czech Republic in shots (2) and touches in the opposition box (2) against South Korea despite coming on as a substitute in the 64th minute.
Hlozek isn’t exactly a youngster. At 23 years of age, he has already made two relatively big-money moves in his career. From Sparta Prague to Bayer Leverkusen in 2022 and from Leverkusen to Hoffenheim in 2024.
He enjoyed a great first season at Hoffenheim with eight goals and three assists in 27 Bundesliga appearances. However, the striker couldn’t follow up on his performances and endured an injury-riddled 2025-26 campaign, playing just three league matches.
Still, he made sure it didn’t look that way in his 26-minute cameo against South Korea. Hlozek did much more than any other Czech forward in his limited minutes and getting him more involved could be the key for manager Miroslav Koubek to lead his country to the next round.
STAND-OUT STAT: Czech Republic won more tackles (160), made more interceptions (88) and won more aerial duels (238) than any other team in UEFA qualifying for World Cup 2026.
Czech Republic set-piece specialists
- Penalties: Patrik Schick
- Free kicks: Vaclav Cerny, Pavel Sulc
- Corners: Vaclav Cerny, Pavel Sulc
Czech Republic tactical analysis and formation
Czech Republic will likely play with the 3-4-2-1 formation that they seemed to be mostly settled with during the qualifying campaign.
This plays to their strengths by relying on a physically dominant backline as well as allowing Patrick Schick to be a focal point for the attack and feed off the creativity of Lukas Provod and Pavel Sulc.
A quick look at the stats tells you exactly what to expect from Czech Republic. They won the most amount of aerial duels in European qualifying, scored the most amount of goals from set-pieces with 10 and attempted the most crosses with a total of 284. They will be physical, direct and keen to provide as many chances as possible to their star man Schick.
Though they could have played this type of game much better in the 2026 World Cup opener. South Korea dominated them in the air despite having seemingly no advantages there, winning a whopping 64% of the aerial duels in the match to the Czechs’ 36%.
Improving in this area, which is their main strength and only source of attack, will be crucial if they want to make a deep run.
Get the latest Czech Republic World Cup goals, shots, tackle, assist stats are more here.
Czech Republic manager analysis
It would perhaps be an understatement to describe the 74 year old Miroslav Koubek as ‘experienced’. Having been coaching in his home country since retiring from playing in 1983, he will become the oldest ever manager at a World Cup this summer having taken the job in December following the sacking of Ivan Hasek – albeit briefly before Dick Adovcaat’s Curacao take to the field.
Koubek feels like an ideal, if not long-term fit for the role. With so much knowledge of the country’s own league, he will undoubtedly tap into the strengths that this Czech Republic side clearly possess. Don’t expect the four-time Viktoria Plzen boss to make his side particularly exciting to watch – but do expect them to be very hard to break down.
| Coach | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miroslav Koubek | Czech Republic | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 20% |
Czech Republic World Cup FAQs
Have Czech Republic ever won the World Cup?
No, Czech Republic have never won the World Cup. As part of Czechoslovakia they did finish as runners up in both 1934 and 1962, but since becoming the Czech Republic they have qualified only once before, in 2006. Repre were knocked out in the group stages of that tournament.
Where did Czech Republic finish in the last World Cup?
Czech Republic failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, finishing third behind Belgium and Wales in their qualifying group. They did earn themselves a spot in the playoffs thanks to their Nations League exploits, but were beaten after extra-time in their semi-final.
Who will be Czech Republic captain at the World Cup?
Defender Ladislav Krejci replaced Tomas Soucek as national team captain in March, with the new manager deciding to make the change.
Who is Czech Republic’s all-time top goalscorer at World Cups?
Czech Republic have only played at one World Cup since becoming an independent nation. In 2006, they were beaten 2-0 by both Ghana and Italy, but did win 3-0 against the United States, Jan Koller scoring once and former Arsenal hero Tomas Rosicky scoring the other two.
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