Czechia World Cup 2026 team guide

This article is portion of nan Guardian’s 2026 World Cup Experts’ Network, a practice betwixt immoderate of nan champion media organisations from nan 48 countries who qualified. theguardian.com is moving previews from 3 countries each time successful nan run-up to nan tourney kicking disconnected connected 11 June.

The plan

The domiciled of nan underdog has historically suited Czechia and possibly they will beryllium capable to astonishment group again – but they do not person galore devices to do so. For a agelong clip nan squad person lacked method players and trust excessively heavy connected physicality, work-rate, aggression, and group pieces. That was evident successful nan World Cup playoffs against nan Republic of Ireland and Denmark, winning some ties connected penalties aft 2 battling performances.

At nan World Cup long-distance travel, time-zone changes and altitude will play a awesome domiciled and location are mobility marks complete really nan squad will header pinch playing 2 matches successful Mexico astatine astir 2,000 metres supra oversea level. Especially arsenic nan squad guidelines is successful Dallas.

The spine of nan squad is experienced. Tomas Soucek remains nan leader successful midfield contempt being stripped of nan captaincy aft nan players grounded to convey nan fans aft a 6-0 triumph against Gibraltar. “The fans person a afloat correct to definitive their disagreement pinch nan unsatisfactory capacity successful nan caller games,” nan FA said. “The guidance of nan players should person been rather nan contrary. They should person thanked nan progressive fans.”

Ladislav Krejci, nan hard-tackling Wolves centre-back, stepped successful arsenic skipper and scored successful some playoff matches and drove nan squad forward. In onslaught Patrik Schick is expected to beryllium nan main limb again and his fittingness improved for Bayer Leverkusen towards nan extremity of nan 2025-26 season.

There was embarrassment – a historical conclusion to nan Faroe Islands – during qualification, which led to nan coach, Ivan Hasek, being sacked. However, galore things improved aft Miroslav Koubek took over.

The starting XI is apt to beryllium a operation of players from nan Premier League and different apical European leagues arsenic good arsenic those making a sanction for themselves successful nan Czech league. There is beardown title for nan goalkeeping position, pinch Matej Kovar having helped PSV Eindhoven triumph nan Dutch title and redeeming 2 penalties successful nan World Cup playoffs – but Braga’s Lukas Hornicek is pushing difficult for his place. Lukas Provod and Pavel Sulc are among nan players who should make things hap productivity wise. The purpose will beryllium to get retired of nan group.

The coach

Miroslav Koubek was group to go nan oldest coach astatine a World Cup astatine 74 but past Dick Advocaat, 4 years his senior, was reappointed to lead Curaçao astatine nan tournament. Even so, Koubek is astatine nan highest of his powers. It took him a agelong clip to get recognised – he was coaching successful nan little Czech leagues while moving arsenic an security agent until his 50s, gradually moving his measurement up to nan Czech apical flight. He yet managed Slavia Prague and Viktoria Plzen, winning nan convention pinch nan second successful 2015. It came astatine a value though arsenic he had promised his players he would get a mini tattoo connected his limb arsenic a memento of nan triumph.

He has a knack of getting nan absolute maximum retired of constricted resources and continues to move pinch nan times. He uses information and is respected by players, fans, and nan media alike, not only because of his achievements but besides his barren consciousness of humour, which tin liven up different dull property conferences.

Star player

Patrik Schick is nan main root of goals for Czechia, having scored 5 successful Euro 2020. Photograph: Soccrates Images/Getty Images

Patrik Schick remains Czechia’s biggest prima and world reference point. The Bayer Leverkusen striker combines elegant activity pinch outstanding finishing and tin determine matches almost connected his own. Injuries person occasionally disrupted his hit astatine times, but his value is unquestionable. Schick changeable to fame during Euro 2020, scoring 5 goals pinch 1 of them arguably 1 of nan top nan tourney has ever seen erstwhile he recovered nan nett from nan halfway statement against Scotland. For Czechia, he is not only nan main root of goals but besides nan subordinate opponents fearfulness most. Sixteen Bundesliga goals successful 2025-26 shows that he is successful form.

One to watch

Pavel Sulc has quickly developed into nan look of nan caller Czech shot generation. After emerging arsenic a prima astatine Viktoria Plzen, nan attacking midfielder joined Lyon past twelvemonth and had an outstanding first run successful Ligue 1. Sulc brings unpredictability and method flair betwixt nan lines – and he tin score, create chances and property aggressively. Lyon fans admit his intelligence and objective finishing and, while he whitethorn not beryllium a family sanction extracurricular Czechia and France, that could alteration aft nan World Cup.

Unsung hero

Tomas Holes seldom attracts headlines extracurricular Czechia yet coaches and teammates worth him enormously. The Slavia Prague subordinate is tactically intelligent, disciplined and tin of playing some successful midfield and defence. The 33-year-old does overmuch of nan invisible activity that allows much imaginative players to shine. He covers space, wins 2nd balls and helps support nan team’s building nether pressure. Czech supporters still retrieve his outstanding performances astatine Euro 2020, erstwhile he successfully kept large names quiet and moreover scored successful nan past 16 crippled against nan Netherlands. He whitethorn not beryllium a prima but he is precisely nan benignant of subordinate each squad needs.

Probable starting XI

What to expect from nan fans

Czech supporters are improbable to recreation successful large numbers successful nan aforesaid measurement as, say, England, Argentina aliases Mexico, but those who do are usually passionate, large and heavy beer-fuelled (but not successful a convulsive way). They traditionally singing elemental chants specified arsenic “Cesi do toho!” (“Come on, Czechs!”) and create a friends ambiance mixed pinch self-deprecation and acheronian humour. Violence is very uncommon astir nan nationalist squad compared pinch nine football. Just reaching nan World Cup was worthy of dense ceremony and not galore fans will person nan financial resources to recreation to nan US and Mexico. The ones who make it, though, will not beryllium quiet.

Relationship pinch nan US/Trump

In wide Czech nine remains 1 of nan much pro-American successful cardinal Europe because of humanities ties aft nan 1989 Velvet Revolution and Nato rank 10 years later. It is existent that nan existent Czech president, Petr Pavel, has been alternatively captious of Trump and moreover described him arsenic “a genuinely repulsive quality being” but fans travelling to nan United States are expected to attraction acold much connected summons prices, accommodation and carrier costs than politics.