Czechia's World Cup history, records and 2026 fixtures

Czechia have secured their place at the FIFA World Cup 2026, ending a 20-year absence from the global finals. The team clinched their spot through two dramatic penalty-shootout victories in the UEFA play-offs, against the Republic of Ireland and Denmark. They will compete in Group A alongside co-hosts Mexico, South Africa, and Korea Republic.

Road to 2026: Dramatic play-off triumphs

Czechia finished second in their UEFA qualifying group behind Croatia, earning a place in the play-offs. In the semi-final against the Republic of Ireland, they fell 2-0 down in Prague before mounting a comeback. Patrik Schick converted a penalty and Ladislav Krejci scored a late equalizer to force extra time. The match went to a shootout, where Czechia prevailed.

The final play-off match against Denmark followed a similar pattern. After a 2-2 draw in extra time—with goals from Pavel Sulc and captain Krejci—the Danes managed only one successful penalty in four attempts. Michal Sadilek stepped up to score the decisive spot-kick, sending Czechia to the World Cup.

Miroslav Koubek: Veteran coach takes charge

The play-off victories were the first matches under head coach Miroslav Koubek, who was appointed in December 2025 at the age of 74. He replaced Ivan Hasek, who was dismissed after a shock defeat to the Faroe Islands in qualifying. Koubek, a former goalkeeper for Sparta Prague, began his coaching career in the early 1980s. His roles have included three stints with Viktoria Plzen and a spell coaching the national under-19 team.

2026 World Cup group stage fixtures

Czechia will play their group matches at three venues:

• 11 June: Korea Republic v Czechia – Estadio Guadalajara
• 18 June: Czechia v South Africa – Atlanta Stadium
• 24 June: Czechia v Mexico – Mexico City Stadium

Squad and key players

Attacking midfielder Adam Hlozek, who missed most of the Bundesliga season with Hoffenheim due to calf and foot injuries, has recovered sufficiently to be included in Koubek's roster. The coach also named three newcomers, including 17-year-old Sparta Prague midfielder Hugo Sochurek.

World Cup history: From Czechoslovakia to Czechia

Czechia's World Cup history is intertwined with that of Czechoslovakia, which competed from 1930 to 1994. The nation's best performances came as runners-up in 1934 and 1962. At the 1934 tournament in Italy, Czechoslovakia defeated Romania, Switzerland, and Germany to reach the final, where they lost 2-1 after extra time to the host nation. Oldrich Nejedly finished as the tournament's top scorer with five goals.

In 1962, Czechoslovakia beat Hungary and Yugoslavia in the knockout stage before falling to Brazil in the final. Their last World Cup appearance was in 2006, when they competed as the Czech Republic. They won their opening match 3-0 against the United States, with Tomas Rosicky scoring twice, but subsequent losses to Ghana and Italy led to a group-stage exit.

Overall, Czechia (including Czechoslovakia) have qualified for the World Cup 10 times, playing 33 matches with 12 wins, 5 draws, and 16 losses, scoring 47 goals and conceding 49.