World Cup 2026: Czechia Preview – Can Czechia Succeed Where Their Golden Generation Failed?

After a 20-year wait, Czechia—under their new name—are finally back at the biggest football tournament on the planet.

Their last appearance came at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, when they didn’t even make it out of their group. They started with a promising 3-0 victory over the United States but followed up with a disastrous 2-0 defeat to Ghana before another 2-0 loss to Italy. At the earliest stage, they were sent packing.

But as well as elimination, that World Cup also spelled the end of an era for the nation.

Czechia are back at the World Cup as a very different side to the team that fell at the first hurdle on their last appearance in the competition two decades ago. Gone are the days of relying on individual brilliance from household names playing in Europe’s elite leagues. In their place stands a collective built on hard running, set-piece excellence, and unbreakable team spirit.

The End of a Golden Generation

That 2006 tournament roughly marked the end of the golden generation of Czech football, built around Pavel Nedvěd, Karel Poborský, Vladimír Šmicer, and several others who were consistently playing in Europe’s biggest leagues and competing for major honors.

While big names like Tomáš Rosický, Jan Koller, Petr Čech, and Milan Baroš continued to represent the Czech Republic at the European Championship, there would be no more appearances at the World Cup. The nation struggled to continue producing stars of that caliber at anything like the same rate.

A team full of quality players and household names from Europe’s biggest leagues meant Czechia were labeled the “dark horses” for the 2006 World Cup following their impressive run to the semi-finals at Euro 2004. Expectations were high, but the reality proved disappointing.

Times are vastly different now.

A New Identity Built on Collective Strength

They are no longer able to rely on star quality alone. The only players in their World Cup 2026 squad from Premier League teams are at Wolves (Ladislav Krejčí—on loan from Girona) and West Ham (Tomáš Souček), both of whom were relegated this season.

Nowadays, Czechia relies far more on teamwork, relentless work ethic, and a physically demanding style of play, particularly without the ball. That is the identity of this team, and it represents a fundamental shift in philosophy.

It means individuals are dispensable. While injuries to Nedvěd against Greece in the Euro 2004 semi-final and Jan Koller against the United States in the opening match of the 2006 World Cup proved decisive setbacks that derailed entire campaigns, the current team—built around Patrik Schick—tends to be less dependent on individuals and can survive even when one or two key players are missing.

This resilience and depth have become Czechia’s calling card.

A Turbulent Qualifying Campaign

Qualifying wasn’t exactly plain sailing, though. A humiliating 5-1 defeat in Croatia in June last year marked only the third time since the country’s independence in 1993 that the team had conceded five goals in an international match. A subsequent 2-1 loss in the Faroe Islands ultimately cost coach Ivan Hašek his job—an embarrassing result that sent shockwaves through Czech football.

His replacement was Miroslav Koubek, a 74-year-old coach who had enjoyed two successful seasons with Viktoria Plzeň before taking charge for the crucial playoff matches against the Republic of Ireland and Denmark.

Koubek opted for players who fit his tactical approach and oversaw back-to-back 2-2 draws before Czechia eventually turned to their now-trademark discipline in penalty shootouts to win both ties. Remarkably, they have now won all five of their penalty shootouts in qualification campaigns and major tournaments—a record that speaks to mental strength and preparation.

Set-Piece Specialists

Throughout the qualifiers, Czechia were characterized by their devastating effectiveness from set-pieces. They scored more set-piece goals (including penalties) than any other team in the UEFA World Cup qualifiers with 11, accounting for 50% of all their goals (22 total). In their two playoff matches against Ireland and Denmark, all four of Czechia’s goals came from set-pieces.

Czechia were, alongside Italy and Northern Ireland, the only teams in the UEFA World Cup qualifiers to score at least one goal from a penalty, a corner, an indirect free-kick, and a throw-in. They also scored the most goals from corners of any team in the qualifiers with seven—an astonishing statistic that highlights their tactical preparation.

This set-piece mastery isn’t accidental. It’s the product of meticulous coaching, detailed video analysis, and countless hours of practice. When margins are tight at the World Cup, this expertise could prove decisive.

The Key Players

That isn’t the limit of this squad, though. Koubek will be able to call on several players who come into the tournament after excellent club seasons and are capable of making a genuine difference on the world stage.

Patrik Schick is probably top of that list as the biggest Czech star at the moment, having maintained consistently strong form over the past few seasons. He recently became the first Czech or Czechoslovak player to reach 100 goals in Europe’s top five leagues—a historic milestone.

Since recovering from a long-term adductor injury in late 2023, Schick has significantly overperformed his expected goals tally over the last two seasons, scoring 37 goals from 29.8 xG for Bayer Leverkusen—an overperformance of 7.2 goals. Across Europe’s top five leagues over that time, only seven players have outscored their xG by a larger margin. This clinical finishing could prove vital in tight World Cup matches.

Meanwhile, Pavel Šulc has become one of the rising stars of European football this season. After his move to Olympique Lyonnais, he has scored at an impressive rate of 0.63 goals per 90 minutes, which was the third-highest average among all players with at least 1,500 minutes played in Ligue 1 this season. His emergence provides Czechia with an additional attacking dimension.

Ladislav Krejčí, who has recently been made Czechia’s captain, plays a crucial role in defense, providing leadership and organizational skills. Further forward, Tomáš Souček is one of the first names on the team sheet, bringing Premier League experience and physicality to midfield.

Former West Ham man Vladimír Coufal, rejuvenated at Hoffenheim, patrols the right flank with energy and defensive discipline, while PSV’s goalkeeper Matěj Kovář provides quality and composure between the sticks.

A significant chunk of the squad is also drawn from the Czech top flight, the Chance Liga, where players from Slavia Praha make up the majority of selections. This domestic core provides familiarity and understanding that can be valuable in tournament football.

Group A: No More Dark Horses

The truth is, at this World Cup, Czechia are outsiders in their group. There is no “dark horses” tag like there was in 2006. They will face South Korea, South Africa, and Mexico in Group A, and won’t be overwhelming favorites in any of these fixtures.

However, the group does look fairly balanced, and each of the teams harbors realistic hopes of progressing. This relative parity could work in Czechia’s favor—their set-piece prowess and physical approach might prove particularly effective against opponents of similar quality.

They face South Korea in the second match of the entire World Cup 2026, immediately throwing them into the global spotlight. It’s a daunting opener, but also an opportunity to make an immediate statement.

Realistic Ambitions

Advancing from the group would represent the biggest success for Czechia on the international stage since Euro 2020, when they were eliminated by Denmark in the quarter-finals—a tournament where they earned widespread praise for their performances.

On the world stage, however, escaping the group would be Czechia’s best achievement as an independent nation. Twenty years on, getting out of the group may even banish some of the demons of that disappointment for their golden generation the last time they played in the World Cup.

The 2006 team had more individual talent but ultimately failed to deliver. The 2026 squad may lack household names, but they possess something potentially more valuable: unity, resilience, and a clear tactical identity. In tournament football, where momentum and belief can overcome talent gaps, these qualities shouldn’t be underestimated.

Read More: World Cup 2026: South Korea Preview – Why Tactical Flexibility Could Be Their Biggest Asset?
Also Read: World Cup 2026: Group A Predictions and Preview

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