Czechia team profile - FIFA World Cup 2026
In the build-up to FIFA World Cup 2026 in USA, Canada and Mexico, we shine a spotlight on Czechia.
FIFA World Ranking: 41
Confederation: UEFA
Who is Czechia’s head coach for FIFA World Cup 2026?
Czechia’s head coach for FIFA World Cup 2026 is Miroslav Kubek. The former Viktoria Plzen boss took charge in December 2025.
Who is Czechia’s captain for FIFA World Cup 2026?
Czechia’s captain for FIFA World Cup 2026 is Ladislav Krejci. The centre-back was appointed skipper in March 2026.
How many times have Czechia participated in a FIFA World Cup before 2026?
9 – 1934, 1938, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1970, 1982, 1990, 2006
What is Czechia’s best performance at a FIFA World Cup?
Runners-up – 1934, 1962
How did Czechia qualify for FIFA World Cup 2026?
Czechia qualified for FIFA World Cup 2026 through the UEFA play-offs after the group stage of UEFA qualification saw them finish in second-place, thus missing out on automatic World Cup qualification. Teams were drawn into 12 groups with the winners all automatically qualifying for FIFA World Cup 2026, whilst the runners-up and best four UEFA Nations League group winners competed in the play-offs.
After six games, Czechia finished runners-up in Group L on 16 points with five wins, one draw and two defeats, four points below group winners Croatia, who took four points from Czechia in their two fixtures against each other.
Confirmation of Czechia’s FIFA World Cup 2026 qualification came on March 31, 2026 after a penalty shootout victory over Denmark in their play-off final following a 2-2 draw after extra time. Prior to that game, Czechia had beaten Republic of Ireland in their semi-final, also winning on penalties.
Who are Czechia’s star players?
Striker Patrik Schick (Bayer Leverkusen) will likely be crucial to Czechia hopes at FIFA World Cup 2026 when taking into account his goalscoring pedigree. A two-time Czech Footballer of the Year and Czech Golden Ball winner in 2022, Schick boasts 25 goals for his country and is coming off the back of two consecutive seasons where he has scored over 20 goals for club side Bayer Leverkusen.
The most capped player set to represent Czechia at FIFA World Cup 2026 will be central midfielder Tomas Soucek (West Ham). He has racked up over 80 appearances for Czechia and has spent the last six seasons playing in the English Premier League. Soucek has won both the Czech Golden Ball and been named Czech Footballer of the Year four times. His power and brilliant aerial ability will be key at both ends of the field.
Who is in Czechia’s group at FIFA World Cup 2026?
Czechia are in Group A, which consists of the following teams:
Mexico
South Africa
Korea Republic
Czechia
Czechia’s Group A fixtures are as follows:
Korea Republic vs Czechia: Thursday June 11, 2026 – 10:00pm ET, 3:00am UK (Friday)
Czechia vs South Africa: Thursday June 18, 2026 – 12:00pm ET, 5:00pm UK
Czechia vs Mexico: Wednesday June 24, 2026 – 9:00pm ET, 2:00am UK (Thursday)
All kick-off dates are based on a local kick-off time
Where is Czechia’s base camp at FIFA World Cup 2026?
Mansfield Multipurpose Stadium – Mansfield, Texas
Expert prediction for Czechia’s chances at FIFA World Cup 2026
Czechia have been placed in a fairly open Group A which gives them a good chance of success. With a battle-hardened squad and a proven goalscorer in Schick leading the line, they are more than capable of taking a healthy number of points from fixtures against Korea Republic, South Africa and Mexico, certainly enough to see them qualify for the knockout stage when considering the number of third-placed finishers that will make it through the group stage.
Second-place is a realistic finish for Czechia in Group A, assuming Mexico win it. That would see them take on the second-placed finishers in Group B in the round of 32, likely to be Canada or Bosnia-Herzegovina. Both those nations are teams that Czechia will rightly be confident of beating. With that in mind, a round of 16 finish is a real possibility, albeit their expected ceiling.
What round will Czechia reach at FIFA World Cup 2026? Round of 16
