Group: A — Mexico, South Korea, Czechia, South Africa

How they Qualified: Czechia had to survive the playoff route. They finished second behind Croatia in UEFA qualifying after a costly shock loss to the Faroe Islands, which led to a coaching change in December. Under new boss Miroslav Koubek, they then came back from 2-0 down to draw Ireland 2-2 and win on penalties, before drawing Denmark 2-2 and winning another shootout to book their first World Cup trip since 2006.

Best World Cup Finish: 2nd Place (1934 and 1962 as Czechoslovakia) — As an independent nation, their last appearance was a group-stage exit in 2006.

Transfermarkt Roster Value: $136.58 M

FIFA Rank: 41

Odds to Win Group: +240

Odds to Advance: -310

Odds to Win Cup: 250-1

Key Players:

  • Patrik Schick — Striker — Bayer Leverkusen (Germany). Schick is still the headline name and the main finishing threat. He has 25 goals in 52 caps in his international career and has netted 22 for Bayer Leverkusen this season.
  • Tomáš Souček — Midfielder — West Ham United (Premier League). Souček is the emotional and tactical heartbeat of the team, the kind of midfielder who can turn a flat match with a late run, an aerial duel, or a set-piece goal. He also calmly converted in the Denmark shootout.
  • Pavel Šulc — Attacking Midfielder — Lyon (France). Šulc gives them a bit more incision than the old stereotype of Czech teams suggests. He scored after just three minutes against Denmark in the playoff final and is one of the better open-play connectors around Schick.

Playing Style and Outlook

Czechia are not especially subtle. The playoff run painted a very clear picture of what they are right now: a physical, emotionally tough side that is comfortable without the ball and very dangerous on dead balls. Against Denmark, they had just 23% possession and were outshot 22-9, but still survived and advanced because they stayed in the fight and got their goals from set-piece situations. Reuters also noted that all four goals in that final came from dead balls.

That makes them pretty distinct from some of the other teams in this range. They are not trying to play polished, high-volume possession football. The current version of Czechia is more about grit, aerial power, and moments than control. The attacking formula is fairly straightforward: get Schick involved, let Souček and the center backs attack restarts, and trust that somebody like Šulc can provide one bit of quality from open play.

That style gives them a real chance in this group. Mexico are the favorites, but Czechia look like a very live contender with South Korea for second, while South Africa are close enough that there is not much margin for error. The opener against Korea feels especially important because it could decide whether Czechia are playing from strength or chasing the table the rest of the way. They do not have the ceiling of the tournament’s real dark horses, but they are the kind of compact, set-piece-heavy team that can make a group ugly and absolutely steal a knockout-round place.