Czech Republic national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Czech Republic

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 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

The Czech Republic national football team represents the Czech Republic in men's international football (soccer). It's controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic (FAČR). Before the Czech Republic became its own country, the team played as Bohemia and later as Czechoslovakia.

After Czechoslovakia split up, the Czech Republic team first played in the UEFA Euro 1996 tournament. 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.

History of Czech Football

How the Team Started (1990s)

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

Their first official competition was for UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying. They beat Malta 6–1. The Czech Republic finished first in their qualifying group, even ahead of strong teams like the Netherlands. In the main tournament in England, they made it to the final. They lost 2–1 to Germany at Wembley Stadium.

The Czechs didn't qualify for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. They finished third in their group behind Spain and Yugoslavia.

Early 2000s: Euro 2000 and Beyond

The Czech Republic qualified for Euro 2000 by winning all their group games. In the finals, 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. They did win their last game 2–0 against Denmark.

They also missed out on the 2002 FIFA 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 played very well in 2002 and 2003. They were unbeaten for 20 games and scored 53 goals in 19 matches. This helped them qualify for Euro 2004. At Euro 2004, they came back from 2–0 down to beat the Netherlands 3–2. They also beat Germany. They reached the semi-finals but lost to Greece with a "silver goal" in extra time.

Czech Republic (red) vs Ghana (white) at the 2006 World Cup

The Czech Republic had their biggest win during the 2006 World Cup qualifiers. They beat Andorra 8–1. In that game, Jan Koller became the team's all-time top scorer. After finishing second in their group, they beat Norway in a play-off to qualify for their first FIFA World Cup. They were ranked second in the world at the time. They started the 2006 World Cup with a 3–0 win over the United States. However, Jan Koller got injured and couldn't play anymore. They then lost to Ghana and Italy, which meant they didn't get past the group stage. After the tournament, some key players like Pavel Nedvěd, Karel Poborský, and Vratislav Lokvenc retired from the national team.

For Euro 2008, they finished first in their qualifying group, even ahead of Germany. They won their first game in the finals against Switzerland 1–0. But they lost to Portugal and then dramatically lost 3–2 to Turkey in their final group game, after being 2–0 up. This meant they were out of the tournament.

The team didn't qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. They finished third in their group. After this, coach Petr Rada was fired, and Ivan Hašek took over for a short time.

2010s: Ups and Downs

Under new coach Michal Bílek, the team started their Euro 2012 qualifiers with a loss. But they managed to get enough points to reach the play-offs. They played against Montenegro and won both games, qualifying for Euro 2012.

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

The Czechs then tried to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. They had some draws and losses, and coach Bílek resigned. Josef Pešice took over, but they still didn't qualify for the World Cup.

Pavel Vrba became the new coach in 2014 for UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying. The team started very well, winning their first four matches against teams like the Netherlands and Turkey. They qualified for their sixth European Championship. At the tournament, they only got one point from a draw with Croatia, and lost to Spain and Turkey.

In 2018, they had their biggest loss, 0–4 to Australia. This was then 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. They even beat England at home (2–1).

Recent Years (2020s)

In 2020, the Czech Republic earned promotion to League A in the UEFA Nations League. This was a good step forward for the team.

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 a fantastic long-range goal from Patrik Schick. They drew 1–1 with Croatia and lost 1–0 to England. They made it to the knockout stage as one of the best third-place teams. In the Round of 16, they surprised everyone by beating the Netherlands 2–0. 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 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. They finished third in their group and lost in the play-offs to Sweden. They were also moved down to League B in the Nations League.

Even without their star striker Patrik Schick for most of the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign, the team qualified for the Euros in Germany. They secured their spot with a 3–0 home win against Moldova. After qualifying, coach Jaroslav Šilhavý resigned.

On 4 January 2024, Ivan Hašek returned as the head coach. His first games back were 2–1 wins against Norway and Armenia. At Euro 2024, the Czech Republic didn't make it to the Round of 16. They lost to Portugal and Turkey, and drew with Georgia.

Team Look and Home Grounds

Team Kit Colors

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

Where They Play: 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.

More recently, big matches are often played at the newer Stadion Eden in Prague, home of Slavia Prague. Other stadiums like Doosan Arena in Plzeň, Andrův stadion in Olomouc, and Městský stadion in Ostrava also host games.

Recent Matches and Schedule

Here are some of the Czech Republic's recent match results and upcoming games.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2024 Matches

• 22 March 2024: Norway 1–2 Czech Republic (Friendly) - Win
• 26 March 2024: Czech Republic 2–1 Armenia (Friendly) - Win
• 7 June 2024: Czech Republic 7–1 Malta (Friendly) - Win
• 10 June 2024: Czech Republic 2–1 North Macedonia (Friendly) - Win
• 18 June 2024: Portugal 2–1 Czech Republic (Euro 2024 Group F) - Loss
• 22 June 2024: Georgia 1–1 Czech Republic (Euro 2024 Group F) - Draw
• 26 June 2024: Czech Republic 1–2 Turkey (Euro 2024 Group F) - Loss
• 7 September 2024: Georgia 4–1 Czech Republic (Nations League) - Loss
• 10 September 2024: Czech Republic 3–2 Ukraine (Nations League) - Win
• 11 October 2024: Czech Republic 2–0 Albania (Nations League) - Win
• 14 October 2024: Ukraine 1–1 Czech Republic (Nations League) - Draw
• 16 November 2024: Albania 0–0 Czech Republic (Nations League) - Draw
• 19 November 2024: Czech Republic 2–1 Georgia (Nations League) - Win

Team Leaders and Players

Coaching Staff

The people who lead and train the team are called the coaching staff.

Position	Name
Head coach	Ivan Hašek
Assistant coach	Jaroslav Veselý
Assistant coach	Jaroslav Köstl
Goalkeeping coach	Radek Černý Matúš Kozáčik

Past Coaches

Many coaches have led the Czech national team over the years.

Current Players

These are the players recently called up for the Czech Republic team. Caps (games played) and goals are updated as of 19 November 2024.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Matěj Kovář	(2000-05-17) 17 May 2000 (age 25)	9	0	Bayer Leverkusen
16	1GK	Antonín Kinský	(2003-03-13) 13 March 2003 (age 22)	0	0	Slavia Prague
23	1GK	Martin Jedlička	(1998-01-24) 24 January 1998 (age 27)	0	0	Viktoria Plzeň
3	2DF	Tomáš Holeš	(1993-03-31) 31 March 1993 (age 32)	34	2	Slavia Prague
4	2DF	Milan Havel	(1994-08-07) 7 August 1994 (age 30)	5	0	Viktoria Plzeň
5	2DF	Vladimír Coufal	(1992-08-22) 22 August 1992 (age 32)	51	1	West Ham United
6	2DF	Václav Jemelka	(1995-06-23) 23 June 1995 (age 29)	10	0	Viktoria Plzeň
7	2DF	Patrizio Stronati	(1994-11-17) 17 November 1994 (age 30)	4	1	Puskás Akadémia
18	2DF	Jan Bořil	(1991-01-11) 11 January 1991 (age 34)	31	0	Slavia Prague
2	3MF	Jiří Boula	(1999-04-08) 8 April 1999 (age 26)	0	0	Baník Ostrava
8	3MF	Matěj Šín	(2004-06-02) 2 June 2004 (age 21)	0	0	Baník Ostrava
12	3MF	Lukáš Červ	(2001-04-10) 10 April 2001 (age 24)	6	1	Viktoria Plzeň
14	3MF	Lukáš Provod	(1996-10-23) 23 October 1996 (age 28)	28	3	Slavia Prague
15	3MF	Pavel Šulc	(2000-12-29) 29 December 2000 (age 24)	10	3	Viktoria Plzeň
17	3MF	Václav Černý	(1997-10-17) 17 October 1997 (age 27)	22	6	Rangers
20	3MF	Ondřej Lingr	(1998-10-07) 7 October 1998 (age 26)	24	1	Slavia Prague
21	3MF	Alex Král	(1998-05-19) 19 May 1998 (age 27)	43	2	Espanyol
22	3MF	Tomáš Souček (captain)	(1995-02-27) 27 February 1995 (age 30)	77	14	West Ham United
9	4FW	Adam Hložek	(2002-07-25) 25 July 2002 (age 22)	40	3	TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
10	4FW	Jan Kliment	(1993-09-01) 1 September 1993 (age 31)	8	0	Sigma Olomouc
11	4FW	Jan Kuchta	(1997-01-08) 8 January 1997 (age 28)	27	3	Midtjylland
13	4FW	Vasil Kušej	(2000-05-24) 24 May 2000 (age 25)	2	0	Mladá Boleslav
19	4FW	Tomáš Chorý	(1995-01-26) 26 January 1995 (age 30)	11	4	Slavia Prague
	4FW	Mojmír Chytil	(1999-04-29) 29 April 1999 (age 26)	18	6	Slavia Prague

Other Players Called Up Recently

These players have also been part of the Czech Republic squad in the last year.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Adam Zadražil	(2000-08-06) 6 August 2000 (age 24)	0	0	Hradec Králové	v.  Ukraine, 10 September 2024
GK	Jakub Markovič	(2001-07-13) 13 July 2001 (age 23)	0	0	Baník Ostrava	v.  Ukraine, 10 September 2024
GK	Jindřich Staněk	(1996-04-27) 27 April 1996 (age 29)	13	0	Slavia Prague	UEFA Euro 2024
GK	Vítězslav Jaroš	(2001-07-23) 23 July 2001 (age 23)	1	0	Liverpool	UEFA Euro 2024
DF	David Zima	(2000-11-08) 8 November 2000 (age 24)	22	1	Slavia Prague	v.  Albania, 11 November 2024INJ
DF	Ladislav Krejčí	(1999-04-20) 20 April 1999 (age 26)	16	3	Girona	v.  Albania, 11 November 2024INJ
DF	Martin Vitík	(2003-01-21) 21 January 2003 (age 22)	5	0	Sparta Prague	v.  Albania, 11 November 2024INJ
DF	Robin Hranáč	(2000-01-29) 29 January 2000 (age 25)	7	0	TSG 1899 Hoffenheim	v.  Ukraine, 14 October 2024
DF	Ondřej Zmrzlý	(1999-04-22) 22 April 1999 (age 26)	2	0	Slavia Prague	v.  Ukraine, 14 October 2024
DF	Jaroslav Zelený	(1992-08-20) 20 August 1992 (age 32)	12	0	Sparta Prague	v.  Albania, 11 October 2024INJ
DF	David Douděra	(1998-05-31) 31 May 1998 (age 27)	10	1	Slavia Prague	UEFA Euro 2024
DF	David Jurásek	(2000-08-07) 7 August 2000 (age 24)	11	1	TSG 1899 Hoffenheim	UEFA Euro 2024
DF	Tomáš Vlček	(2001-02-28) 28 February 2001 (age 24)	2	0	Slavia Prague	UEFA Euro 2024
DF	Adam Gabriel	(2001-03-28) 28 March 2001 (age 24)	1	0	Midtjylland	v.  Armenia, 26 March 2024
MF	Lukáš Kalvach	(1995-07-19) 19 July 1995 (age 29)	5	1	Viktoria Plzeň	v.  Albania, 11 November 2024INJ
MF	Matěj Ryneš	(2001-05-30) 30 May 2001 (age 24)	1	0	Sparta Prague	v.  Albania, 11 October 2024INJ
MF	Matěj Jurásek	(2003-08-30) 30 August 2003 (age 21)	4	1	Slavia Prague	v.  Georgia, 7 September 2024INJ
MF	Antonín Barák	(1994-12-03) 3 December 1994 (age 30)	44	11	Kasımpaşa	UEFA Euro 2024
MF	Petr Ševčík	(1994-05-04) 4 May 1994 (age 31)	17	0	Slavia Prague	UEFA Euro 2024
MF	Michal Sadílek	(1999-05-31) 31 May 1999 (age 26)	24	1	Twente	UEFA Euro 2024INJ
FW	Tomáš Čvančara	(2000-08-13) 13 August 2000 (age 24)	8	1	Borussia Mönchengladbach	v.  Ukraine, 14 October 2024
FW	Patrik Schick	(1996-01-24) 24 January 1996 (age 29)	42	20	Bayer Leverkusen	v.  Ukraine, 10 September 2024

• ^INJ = Withdrew due to an injury.

Player Statistics and Records

These lists show players who have played the most games or scored the most goals for the Czech Republic since 1994. Players in bold are still playing for the team.

Most Games Played (Caps)

Petr Čech, who played 124 games for the Czech Republic.

Top Goal Scorers

Jan Koller, the top scorer for the Czech Republic with 55 goals.

Tournament Records

FIFA World Cup History

The Czech Republic team (and previously Czechoslovakia) has played in the FIFA World Cup many times.

FIFA World Cup Record											Qualification Record
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	—
as  Czechoslovakia											as  Czechoslovakia
1930	Did not enter										Declined invitation
1934	Runners-up	2nd	4	3	0	1	9	6	Squad		1	1	0	0	2	1	1934
1938	Quarter-finals	5th	3	1	1	1	5	3	Squad		2	1	1	0	7	1	1938
1950	Did not enter										Did not enter
1954	Group stage	14th	2	0	0	2	0	7	Squad		4	3	1	0	5	1	1954
1958	Group stage	9th	4	1	1	2	9	6	Squad		4	3	0	1	9	3	1958
1962	Runners-up	2nd	6	3	1	2	7	7	Squad		5	4	0	1	20	7	1962
1966	Did not qualify										6	3	1	2	12	4	1966
1970	Group stage	15th	3	0	0	3	2	7	Squad		7	5	1	1	16	7	1970
1974	Did not qualify										4	2	1	1	9	3	1974
1978											4	2	0	2	4	6	1978
1982	Group stage	19th	3	0	2	1	2	4	Squad		8	4	2	2	15	6	1982
1986	Did not qualify										8	3	2	3	11	12	1986
1990	Quarter-finals	6th	5	3	0	2	10	5	Squad		8	5	2	1	13	3	1990
1994	Did not qualify										10	4	5	1	21	9	1994
as  Czech Republic											as  Czech Republic
1998	Did not qualify										10	5	1	4	16	6	1998
2002											12	6	2	4	20	10	2002
2006	Group stage	20th	3	1	0	2	3	4	Squad		14	11	0	3	37	12	2006
2010	Did not qualify										10	4	4	2	17	6	2010
2014											10	4	3	3	13	9	2014
2018											10	4	3	3	17	10	2018
2022											9	4	2	3	14	10	2022
2026	To be determined										To be determined						2026
2030																	2030
2034																	2034
Total	Runners-up	9/22	33	12	5	16	47	49	—		146	78	31	37	278	126	—

UEFA European Championship History

The Czech Republic (and Czechoslovakia before it) has a strong history in the European Championship.

UEFA European Championship Record											Qualifying Record
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	—
as  Czechoslovakia											as  Czechoslovakia
1960	Third place	3rd	2	1	0	1	2	3	Squad		6	4	1	1	16	5	1960
1964	Did not qualify										2	0	1	1	2	3	1964
1968											6	3	1	2	8	4	1968
1972											6	4	1	1	11	4	1972
1976	Champions	1st	2	1	1	0	5	3	Squad		8	5	2	1	19	7	1976
1980	Third place	3rd	4	1	2	1	5	4	Squad		6	5	0	1	17	4	1980
1984	Did not qualify										8	3	4	1	15	7	1984
1988											6	2	3	1	7	5	1988
1992											8	5	0	3	12	9	1992
as  Czech Republic											as  Czech Republic
1996	Runners-up	2nd	6	2	2	2	7	8	Squad		10	6	3	1	21	6	1996
2000	Group stage	10th	3	1	0	2	3	3	Squad		10	10	0	0	26	5	2000
2004	Semi-finals	3rd	5	4	0	1	10	5	Squad		8	7	1	0	23	5	2004
2008	Group stage	11th	3	1	0	2	4	6	Squad		12	9	2	1	27	5	2008
2012	Quarter-finals	6th	4	2	0	2	4	6	Squad		10	6	1	3	15	8	2012
2016	Group stage	21st	3	0	1	2	2	5	Squad		10	7	1	2	19	14	2016
2020	Quarter-finals	6th	5	2	1	2	6	4	Squad		8	5	0	3	13	11	2020
2024	Group stage	22nd	3	0	1	2	3	5	Squad		8	4	3	1	12	6	2024
2028	To be determined										To be determined						2028
2032																	2032
Total	1 Title	11/17	40	15	8	17	51	52	—		132	85	24	23	263	108	—

UEFA Nations League History

The Czech Republic also competes in the UEFA Nations League, a newer competition for European teams.

UEFA Nations League Record
Season	Division	Group	Pos	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	P/R	RK
2018–19	B	1	2nd	4	2	0	2	4	4		20th
2020–21	B	2	1st	6	4	0	2	9	5		19th
2022–23	A	2	4th	6	1	1	4	5	13		14th
2024–25	B	1	1st	6	3	2	1	9	8		TBD
Total				22	10	3	9	27	30	14th

FIFA Confederations Cup History

The Czech Republic has also played in the FIFA Confederations Cup once.

FIFA Confederations Cup Record
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad
1992	Did not qualify
1995
1997	Third place	3rd	5	2	1	2	10	7	Squad
1999	Did not qualify
2001
2003
2005
2009
2013
2017
Total	Third place	1/10	5	2	1	2	10	7	—

Team Achievements (Honours)

The Czech Republic national football team has won several awards and achieved high places in major tournaments.

Major Competitions

• FIFA World Cup
  • Runners-up (2 times): 1934, 1962 (as Czechoslovakia)
• FIFA Confederations Cup
  • Third place (1 time): 1997
• UEFA European Championship
  • Champions (1 time): 1976 (as Czechoslovakia)
  • Runners-up (1 time): 1996
  • Third place: 1960, 1980 (as Czechoslovakia)
• Olympic Games
  • Gold medal (1 time): 1980 (as Czechoslovakia)
  • Silver medal (1 time): 1964 (as Czechoslovakia)

Other Titles

• Central European International Cup
  • Champions (1 time): 1955–60
• Interallied Games
  • Champions (1 time): 1919

Summary of Medals

Competition				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

Images for kids

• 

  Czech Republic (red) vs Ghana (white) at the 2006 World Cup

• 

  Petr Čech, the most capped player in the history of the Czech Republic with 124 caps

• 

  Jan Koller, the top scorer in the history of the Czech Republic with 55 goals

See also

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