kids encyclopedia robot

Czech Republic national football team facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Czech Republic
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s) Nároďák (The National Team)
Repre (The Representatives)
Association Football Association of the Czech Republic (FAČR)
Confederation UEFA (Europe)
Head coach Ivan Hašek
Captain Tomáš Souček
Most caps Petr Čech (124)
Top scorer Jan Koller (55)
Home stadium Various
FIFA code CZE
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 44 Decrease 2 (7 February 2019)
Highest 2 (September 1999; January – May 2000; April – May 2005; January – May 2006)
Lowest 67 (March 1994)
Elo ranking
Current NR (3 March 2019)
Highest 1 (June 2004, June 2005)
Lowest 47 (4 September 2017)
First international
 Hungary 2–1 Bohemia 
(Budapest, Hungary; 5 April 1903)
as Czech Republic
 Turkey 1–4 Czech Republic 
(Istanbul, Turkey; 23 February 1994)
Biggest win
 Czechoslovakia 7–0 Kingdom of SCS 
(Antwerp, Belgium; 28 August 1920)
as Czech Republic
 Czech Republic 8–1 Andorra 
(Liberec, Czech Republic; 4 June 2005)
 Czech Republic 7–0 San Marino 
(Liberec, Czech Republic; 7 October 2006)
 Czech Republic 7–0 San Marino 
(Uherské Hradiště, Czech Republic; 9 September 2009)
 Czech Republic 7–0 Kuwait 
(Olomouc, Czech Republic; 11 November 2021)
Biggest defeat
 Hungary 8–3 Czechoslovakia 
(Budapest, Hungary; 19 September 1937)
as Czech Republic
 England 5–0 Czech Republic 
(London, England; 22 March 2019)
World Cup
Appearances 9 (first in 1934 as Czechoslovakia
2006 as Czech Republic)
Best result As Czechoslovakia: Runners-up (1934, 1962)
As Czech Republic: Group stage (2006)
European Championship
Appearances 10 (first in 1960 as Czechoslovakia
1996 as Czech Republic)
Best result As Czechoslovakia: Champions (1976)
As Czech Republic: Runners-up (1996)
Confederations Cup
Appearances 1 (first in 1997)
Best result Third place (1997)
Medal record
FIFA World Cup
Silver 1934 Italy Team
Silver 1962 Chile Team
UEFA European Championship
Gold 1976 Yugoslavia Team
Silver 1996 England Team
Bronze 1960 France Team
Bronze 1980 Italy Team
Olympic Games
Gold 1980 Moscow Team
Silver 1964 Tokyo Team
FIFA Confederations Cup
Bronze 1997 Saudi Arabia Team

The Czech Republic national football team (Czech: Česká fotbalová reprezentace), also known as Czechia by FIFA, is the official men's football team for the Czech Republic. This team is managed by the Football Association of the Czech Republic (FAČR). In the past, the team played in major football events as Bohemia and Czechoslovakia.

After Czechoslovakia split up, the Czech Republic team played in its first big competition, UEFA Euro 1996. They did really well, finishing as runners-up. Since then, they have played in every European Championship. They have also played in one FIFA World Cup, which was in 2006.

Team History: Key Moments

Starting Fresh in the 1990s

When Czechoslovakia divided into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, a new Czech Republic football team was formed. Their very first friendly match was against Turkey on 23 February 1994. They won their first home game against Lithuania in Ostrava.

The team's first important match was a qualifier for Euro 1996, where they beat Malta 6–1. They finished first in their qualifying group, even ahead of strong teams like the Netherlands. At the Euro 1996 tournament in England, they made it to the final but lost 2–1 to Germany at Wembley Stadium.

The Czechs did not qualify for the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

Successes and Challenges in the 2000s

The Czech Republic qualified for Euro 2000 by winning all their group games. However, in the main tournament, they were in a tough group with France, the Netherlands, and Denmark. They lost to the Netherlands and France, which meant they couldn't move past the group stage.

Again, the Czech Republic missed out on the 2002 World Cup. They finished second in their qualifying group and then lost to Belgium in the play-offs.

A strong team with players like Pavel Nedvěd, Jan Koller, Tomáš Rosický, Milan Baroš, and goalkeeper Petr Čech had a great run in 2002 and 2003. They were unbeaten for 19 games, scoring 53 goals, and qualified for Euro 2004. At Euro 2004, they won their group, beating the Netherlands and Germany. They then beat Denmark in the quarter-finals. In the semi-final, they lost to Greece with a "silver goal" in extra time.

Closeup Czech Republic versus Ghana at 2006 World Cup
Czech Republic (red) playing against Ghana (white) at the 2006 World Cup.

The Czech Republic had their biggest win ever during the 2006 World Cup qualifiers, beating Andorra 8–1. In that game, Jan Koller became the team's all-time top scorer. After finishing second in their group and winning a play-off against Norway, the Czechs qualified for their first World Cup. They started the 2006 World Cup with a 3–0 win over the United States. However, key players like Jan Koller and Milan Baroš got injured, and the team lost to Ghana and Italy, which meant they didn't make it past the group stage. After the tournament, some important players like Pavel Nedvěd retired from the national team.

For Euro 2008, they topped their qualifying group. They won their first game at the finals against Switzerland but then lost to Portugal. In their final group game against Turkey, they were leading 2–0 but lost 3–2 after Turkey scored three late goals.

The Czechs did not qualify for the 2010 World Cup. They finished third in their qualifying group.

Ups and Downs in the 2010s

Under new coach Michal Bílek, the team started their Euro 2012 qualifiers with a loss. However, they recovered and secured a play-off spot. They faced Montenegro in the play-offs and won 3–0 over two games, qualifying for Euro 2012.

At the Euro 2012 tournament, they lost their first game 4–1 to Russia. But they bounced back with a 2–1 win against Greece and a 1–0 win against co-hosts Poland. This meant they finished top of their group. In the quarter-finals, they lost to Denmark 2–1.

The team then tried to qualify for the 2014 World Cup. They had a difficult campaign and did not qualify. Coach Bílek resigned and was replaced by Josef Pešice.

Pavel Vrba became the new coach in 2014 for Euro 2016 qualifiers. The Czech team started very well, winning their first four matches, including against the Netherlands. They qualified for their sixth European Championship. At Euro 2016, they only got one point from a draw with Croatia, losing to Spain and Turkey, and did not advance.

On 1 June 2018, the Czechs had their biggest defeat, losing 0–4 to Australia. This was later topped by a 0–5 loss to England in a Euro 2020 qualifier. However, they still qualified directly for Euro 2020 by finishing second in their group, even beating England at home.

Recent Years: 2020s

In November 2020, the Czech Republic earned promotion to League A in the Nations League by beating Slovakia.

The Euros, which were played in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, saw the Czech team do well. They won their first game against Scotland 2–0, with two goals from Patrik Schick, including a fantastic long-range shot. They then drew 1–1 with Croatia and lost 1–0 to England. They finished as one of the best third-place teams and moved to the knockout stage. In the Round of 16, they surprised the Netherlands with a 2–0 win. They reached the quarter-finals for the first time since 2012 but were beaten 2–1 by Denmark.

The Czech Republic did not qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. They finished third in their qualifying group. They made it to the play-offs thanks to their Nations League performance but were eliminated by Sweden in extra time. They were also relegated to League B in the 2022–2023 Nations League.

Despite a challenging qualifying campaign for Euro 2024, the Czech Republic qualified for the tournament in Germany by finishing second in their group. After qualifying, coach Jaroslav Šilhavý resigned.

On 4 January 2024, Ivan Hašek returned as the head coach. He led the team to 2–1 victories against Norway and Armenia. At Euro 2024, the Czech Republic did not make it to the Round of 16. They lost 2–1 to Portugal, drew 1–1 with Georgia, and lost 2–1 to Turkey in their final group match. They finished 4th in Group F.

Team Kit and Colors

Since 1994, the Czech Republic's home kit has mostly been red shirts with either blue or red shorts. Their away kit has usually been white shirts with white shorts. In 2020, they introduced a new alternate color for their away kit for the first time.

Year Kit supplier
1994-1996 Germany Adidas
1996-present Germany Puma

Home Stadiums

The Czech Republic national team has played matches in 14 different cities since 1994. The most used stadium is Stadion Letná in Prague, which is home to Sparta Prague. Another common stadium is Na Stínadlech in Teplice.

Since the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, important matches are often played at the newer Stadion Eden in Prague, home to Slavia Prague. Games are also held at Doosan Arena in Plzeň, and in the Moravia region at Andrův stadion in Olomouc and Městský stadion in Ostrava.

Here are the stadiums that have hosted Czech Republic international football matches:

Number of
matches
Stadium W D L First international Latest international
48 Stadion Letná, Prague 29 7 12 26 April 1995 11 October 2024
20 Na Stínadlech, Teplice 18 1 1 18 September 1996 11 September 2012
20 Stadion Eden, Prague 8 7 5 27 May 2008 10 September 2024
15 Andrův stadion, Olomouc 11 0 4 25 March 1998 19 November 2024
10 Štruncovy sady Stadion, Plzeň 9 1 0 12 October 2012 6 June 2025
5 Bazaly, Ostrava 4 0 1 25 May 1994 16 August 2000
4 Stadion u Nisy, Liberec 4 0 0 4 June 2005 11 August 2010
4 Městský stadion, Ostrava 3 1 0 26 March 1996 2 September 2021
3 Stadion Střelnice, Jablonec 3 0 0 4 September 1996 5 June 2009
3 Městský stadion, Uherské Hradiště 1 0 2 16 August 2006 6 September 2018
2 Stadion Evžena Rošického, Prague 1 1 0 24 April 1996 18 August 2004
2 Sportovní areál, Drnovice 2 0 0 18 August 1999 15 August 2001
2 Městský stadion, Mladá Boleslav 1 1 0 31 August 2016 15 November 2016
2 Malšovická aréna, Hradec Králové 2 0 0 10 June 2024 22 March 2025
1 Stadion FC Bohemia Poděbrady, Poděbrady 1 0 0 26 February 1997
1 Stadion Za Lužánkami, Brno 1 0 0 8 March 1995
1 Stadion Střelecký ostrov, České Budějovice 1 0 0 29 March 2011
1 Městský stadion, Ústí nad Labem 1 0 0 22 March 2017

Recent Matches and Upcoming Games

Here are the results from the last year and some future matches.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2024 Matches

18 June 2024 UEFA Euro 2024 Group F Portugal  2–1  Czech Republic Leipzig, Germany
21:00 UTC+2
  • Hranáč Goal 69' (o.g.)
  • Conceição Goal 90+2'
  • Provod Goal 62'
Stadium: Red Bull Arena
Attendance: 38,421
Referee: Marco Guida (Italy)
22 June 2024 UEFA Euro 2024 Group F Georgia  1–1  Czech Republic Hamburg, Germany
15:00 UTC+2
  • Mikautadze Goal 45+4' (pen.)
Stadium: Volksparkstadion
Attendance: 46,524
Referee: Daniel Siebert (Germany)
26 June 2024 UEFA Euro 2024 Group F Czech Republic  1–2  Turkey Hamburg, Germany
21:00 UTC+2
  • Souček Goal 66'
Stadium: Volksparkstadion
Attendance: 47,683
Referee: István Kovács (Romania)
7 September 2024 2024–25 Nations League Georgia  4–1  Czech Republic Tbilisi, Georgia
20:00 UTC+4
  • Kvaratskhelia Goal 33' (pen.)
  • Chakvetadze Goal 53'
  • Mikautadze Goal 63'
  • Kochorashvili Goal 66'
  • Kalvach Goal 80'
Stadium: Mikheil Meskhi Stadium
Attendance: 20,401
Referee: Orel Grinfeld (Israel)
10 September 2024 2024–25 Nations League Czech Republic  3–2  Ukraine Prague, Czech Republic
20:45 UTC+2
  • Šulc Goal 21'45+2'
  • Souček Goal 80' (pen.)
  • Vanat Goal 37'
  • Sudakov Goal 84'
Stadium: Fortuna Arena
Attendance: 18,722
Referee: John Beaton (Scotland)
11 October 2024 2024–25 Nations League Czech Republic  2–0  Albania Prague, Czech Republic
20:45 UTC+2
  • Chorý Goal 3'63'
Stadium: Stadion Letná
Attendance: 17,823
Referee: Benoît Bastien (France)
14 October 2024 2024–25 Nations League Ukraine  1–1  Czech Republic Wrocław, Poland
20:45 UTC+2
  • Dovbyk Goal 52' (pen.)
  • Červ Goal 18'
Stadium: Wrocław Stadium
Attendance: 14,734
Referee: Guillermo Cuadra Fernández (Spain)
16 November 2024 2024–25 Nations League Albania  0–0  Czech Republic Tirana, Albania
20:45 UTC+1 Stadium: Arena Kombëtare
Attendance: 20,800
Referee: Sandro Schärer (Switzerland)
19 November 2024 2024–25 Nations League Czech Republic  2–1  Georgia Olomouc, Czech Republic
20:45 UTC+1
  • Šulc Goal 3'
  • Hložek Goal 24'
  • Mikautadze Goal 60'
Stadium: Andrův stadion
Attendance: 12,221
Referee: Anastasios Papapetrou (Greece)

Upcoming 2025 Matches

22 March 2025 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Czech Republic  2–1  Faroe Islands Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
20:45 UTC+1
  • Vatnhamar Goal 83'
Stadium: Malšovická aréna
Attendance: 8,978
Referee: Rade Obrenovič (Slovenia)
25 March 2025 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Gibraltar  0–4  Czech Republic Faro/Loulé, Portugal
20:45 UTC+1
  • Černý Goal 21'
  • Schick Goal 50'
  • Šulc Goal 72'
  • Kliment Goal 90+5'
Stadium: Estádio Algarve
Attendance: 583
Referee: Horațiu Feșnic (Romania)
6 June 2025 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Czech Republic  2–0  Montenegro Plzeň, Czech Republic
20:45 UTC+2
Stadium: Doosan Arena
Attendance: 10,889
Referee: Serdar Gözübüyük (Netherlands)
9 June 2025 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Croatia  5–1  Czech Republic Osijek, Croatia
20:45 UTC+2
  • Souček Goal 58'
Stadium: Opus Arena
Attendance: 12,207
Referee: Jesús Gil Manzano (Spain)
5 September 2025 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Montenegro  v  Czech Republic Nikšić, Montenegro
20:45 UTC+2 Stadium: Gradski stadion
8 September 2025 Friendly Czech Republic  v  Saudi Arabia Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
Stadium: Malšovická aréna
9 October 2025 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Czech Republic  v  Croatia Prague, Czech Republic
20:45 UTC+2 Stadium: Fortuna Arena
12 October 2025 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Faroe Islands  v  Czech Republic Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
17:00 UTC+1 Stadium: Tórsvøllur
13 November 2025 Friendly Czech Republic  v TBC
17 November 2025 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Czech Republic  v  Gibraltar TBC
20:45 UTC+1

Coaching Staff

Position Name
Head coach Czech Republic Ivan Hašek
Assistant coach Czech Republic Jaroslav Veselý [cs]
Assistant coach Czech Republic Jaroslav Köstl [cs]
Goalkeeping coach Czech Republic Radek Černý
Slovakia Matúš Kozáčik

Coaching History

Current Players

The players listed below were chosen for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification matches against Montenegro and Croatia in June 2025. Caps (games played) and goals are updated as of 9 June 2025, after the match against Croatia.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Jindřich Staněk (1996-04-27) 27 April 1996 (age 29) 13 0 Czech Republic Slavia Prague
16 1GK Matěj Kovář (2000-05-17) 17 May 2000 (age 25) 13 0 Netherlands PSV Eindhoven
23 1GK Martin Jedlička (1998-01-24) 24 January 1998 (age 27) 0 0 Czech Republic Viktoria Plzeň

2 2DF David Zima (2000-11-08) 8 November 2000 (age 24) 24 1 Czech Republic Slavia Prague
3 2DF Tomáš Holeš (1993-03-31) 31 March 1993 (age 32) 37 2 Czech Republic Slavia Prague
4 2DF Václav Jemelka (1995-06-23) 23 June 1995 (age 30) 10 0 Czech Republic Viktoria Plzeň
5 2DF Vladimír Coufal (1992-08-22) 22 August 1992 (age 32) 55 1 England West Ham United
6 2DF Martin Vitík (2003-01-21) 21 January 2003 (age 22) 5 0 Italy Bologna
7 2DF Ladislav Krejčí (1999-04-20) 20 April 1999 (age 26) 20 3 Spain Girona
13 2DF David Douděra (1998-05-31) 31 May 1998 (age 27) 12 1 Czech Republic Slavia Prague
18 2DF Jan Bořil (1991-01-11) 11 January 1991 (age 34) 31 0 Czech Republic Slavia Prague
20 2DF Jaroslav Zelený (1992-08-20) 20 August 1992 (age 32) 16 0 Czech Republic Sparta Prague

8 3MF Michal Sadílek (1999-05-31) 31 May 1999 (age 26) 27 1 Czech Republic Slavia Prague
9 3MF Filip Zorvan (1996-04-07) 7 April 1996 (age 29) 0 0 Czech Republic Sigma Olomouc
12 3MF Lukáš Červ (2001-04-10) 10 April 2001 (age 24) 9 1 Czech Republic Viktoria Plzeň
14 3MF Lukáš Provod (1996-10-23) 23 October 1996 (age 28) 32 3 Czech Republic Slavia Prague
15 3MF Pavel Šulc (2000-12-29) 29 December 2000 (age 24) 14 4 Czech Republic Viktoria Plzeň
17 3MF Václav Černý (1997-10-17) 17 October 1997 (age 27) 26 7 Germany VfL Wolfsburg
21 3MF Alex Král (1998-05-19) 19 May 1998 (age 27) 47 2 Germany Union Berlin
22 3MF Tomáš Souček (captain) (1995-02-27) 27 February 1995 (age 30) 81 15 England West Ham United

10 4FW Patrik Schick (1996-01-24) 24 January 1996 (age 29) 46 24 Germany Bayer Leverkusen
11 4FW Vasil Kušej (2000-05-24) 24 May 2000 (age 25) 4 0 Czech Republic Slavia Prague
19 4FW Tomáš Chorý (1995-01-26) 26 January 1995 (age 30) 14 4 Czech Republic Slavia Prague
4FW Adam Hložek (2002-07-25) 25 July 2002 (age 23) 41 4 Germany TSG Hoffenheim

Other Players Called Up Recently

These players have also been called to the Czech Republic squad in the last year:


Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Antonín Kinský (2003-03-13) 13 March 2003 (age 22) 0 0 England Tottenham Hotspur v.  Georgia, 19 November 2024
GK Jakub Markovič (2001-07-13) 13 July 2001 (age 24) 0 0 Czech Republic Slavia Prague v.  Ukraine, 10 September 2024
GK Adam Zadražil (2000-08-06) 6 August 2000 (age 24) 0 0 Czech Republic Hradec Králové v.  Ukraine, 10 September 2024

DF David Jurásek (2000-08-07) 7 August 2000 (age 24) 12 1 Turkey Beşiktaş v.  Gibraltar, 25 March 2025
DF Milan Havel (1994-08-07) 7 August 1994 (age 30) 5 0 Czech Republic Viktoria Plzeň v.  Georgia, 19 November 2024
DF Patrizio Stronati (1994-11-17) 17 November 1994 (age 30) 4 1 Hungary Puskás Akadémia v.  Georgia, 19 November 2024
DF Robin Hranáč (2000-01-29) 29 January 2000 (age 25) 7 0 Germany TSG Hoffenheim v.  Ukraine, 14 October 2024
DF Ondřej Zmrzlý (1999-04-22) 22 April 1999 (age 26) 2 0 Czech Republic Slavia Prague v.  Ukraine, 14 October 2024

MF Matěj Šín (2004-06-02) 2 June 2004 (age 21) 1 0 Czech Republic Baník Ostrava v.  Gibraltar, 25 March 2025
MF Jiří Boula (1999-04-08) 8 April 1999 (age 26) 0 0 Czech Republic Baník Ostrava v.  Gibraltar, 25 March 2025
MF Ondřej Lingr (1998-10-07) 7 October 1998 (age 26) 24 1 United States Houston Dynamo v.  Georgia, 19 November 2024
MF Lukáš Kalvach (1995-07-19) 19 July 1995 (age 30) 5 1 Qatar Qatar v.  Albania, 11 November 2024 INJ
MF Matěj Ryneš (2001-05-30) 30 May 2001 (age 24) 1 0 Czech Republic Sparta Prague v.  Albania, 11 October 2024 INJ
MF Matěj Jurásek (2003-08-30) 30 August 2003 (age 21) 4 1 England Norwich City v.  Georgia, 7 September 2024 INJ

FW Jan Kuchta (1997-01-08) 8 January 1997 (age 28) 28 3 Czech Republic Sparta Prague v.  Gibraltar, 25 March 2025
FW Jan Kliment (1993-09-01) 1 September 1993 (age 31) 9 1 Czech Republic Sigma Olomouc v.  Gibraltar, 25 March 2025
FW Mojmír Chytil (1999-04-29) 29 April 1999 (age 26) 18 6 Czech Republic Slavia Prague v.  Georgia, 19 November 2024
FW Tomáš Čvančara (2000-08-13) 13 August 2000 (age 24) 8 1 Germany Borussia Mönchengladbach v.  Ukraine, 14 October 2024
  • INJ = Withdrew due to an injury.

Player Statistics

Players in bold are still active with the Czech Republic team. This list does not include players who played for Czechoslovakia.

Most Games Played

Petr Cech National
Petr Čech, who played the most games for the Czech Republic with 124 appearances.
Rank Name Caps Goals Career
1 Petr Čech 124 0 2002–2016
2 Karel Poborský 118 8 1994–2006
3 Tomáš Rosický 105 23 2000–2016
4 Jaroslav Plašil 103 7 2004–2016
5 Milan Baroš 93 41 2001–2012
6 Jan Koller 91 55 1999–2009
Pavel Nedvěd 91 18 1994–2006
8 Tomáš Souček 81 15 2016–present
Vladimír Šmicer 81 27 1993–2005
10 Marek Jankulovski 78 11 2000–2009
Tomáš Ujfaluši 78 2 2001–2009

Top Goal Scorers

Koller
Jan Koller, the player with the most goals for the Czech Republic, scoring 55 goals.
Rank Name Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Jan Koller (list) 55 91 0.6 1999–2009
2 Milan Baroš (list) 41 93 0.44 2001–2012
3 Vladimír Šmicer 27 81 0.33 1993–2005
4 Patrik Schick 24 46 0.52 2016–present
5 Tomáš Rosický 23 105 0.22 2000–2016
6 Pavel Kuka 22 63 0.35 1994–2001
7 Patrik Berger 18 44 0.41 1994–2001
Pavel Nedvěd 18 91 0.2 1994–2006
9 Tomáš Souček 15 81 0.19 2016–present
10 Vratislav Lokvenc 14 74 0.19 1995–2006

Team Achievements

Major Competitions

Regional Titles

  • Central European International Cup
    • Champions (1): 1955–60
    • Runners-up (2): 1927-30, 1948-53

Other Awards

  • Interallied Games
    • Champions (1): 1919

Summary of Medals

Competition 1 2 3 Total
FIFA World Cup 0 2 0 2
UEFA European Championship 1 1 2 4
FIFA Confederations Cup 0 0 1 1
Olympic Games 1 1 0 2
Total 2 4 3 9

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de la República Checa para niños

  • Football in the Czech Republic
  • Czech Republic national football team results (1994–2019)
  • Czech Republic national under-21 football team
  • Czech Republic national under-19 football team
  • Czech Republic national under-18 football team
  • Czech Republic national under-17 football team
kids search engine
Czech Republic national football team Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.