Czech Republic coach Miroslav Koubek named his final World Cup squad on May 31 ahead of the tournament in Mexico [1, 2]. The 74-year-old coach, who took over after a surprise qualifying loss to the Faroe Islands, led the team through playoffs to secure their first World Cup appearance since 2006 [1, 2].
The squad is anchored by experienced national team players Tomas Soucek of West Ham and Patrik Schick from Bayer Leverkusen [1, 2]. It also includes a blend of youth and veteran talent, such as 17-year-old Sparta Prague midfielder Hugo Sochurek and 35-year-old Hradec Kralove midfielder Vladimir Darida [1, 2].
Ten players from reigning Czech league champions Slavia Prague made the squad, emphasizing the club's key role in the national setup [1, 2]. Players who featured prominently in the playoff wins against Ireland and Denmark form the core of the team, including defender Ladislav Krejci from Wolverhampton and midfielder Pavel Sulc of Olympique Lyonnais [1, 2].
The full squad includes goalkeepers Lukas Hornicek (Braga), Matej Kovar (PSV Eindhoven), and Jindrich Stanek (Slavia Prague) [1, 2]. The defensive line features Vladimir Coufal (Hoffenheim), David Doudera, Tomas Holes, Stepan Chaloupek, David Jurasek, and David Zima from Slavia Prague, along with Robin Hranac (Hoffenheim), Ladislav Krejci (Wolverhampton), Jaroslav Zeleny (Sparta Prague) [1, 2].
Midfielders beyond Sochurek, Darida, Soucek, and Sulc include Lukas Cerv (Viktoria Plzen), Lukas Provod (Slavia Prague), Michal Sadilek (Slavia Prague), Alexandr Sojka (Viktoria Plzen), and Denis Visinsky (Viktoria Plzen) [1, 2].
In attack, Hoffenheim striker Adam Hlozek has recovered from injury and scored in a recent tune-up against Kosovo. He joins forwards Tomas Chory, Mojmir Chytil (both Slavia Prague), Jan Kuchta (Sparta Prague), and Patrik Schick in the squad [1, 2].
The Czech Republic will begin their World Cup campaign in Group A on June 12 against South Korea in Guadalajara. They will follow with matches against host Mexico and South Africa [1, 2].