Czechia CZE

Czechia arrive at the 2026 World Cup as UEFA's 41st-ranked side, guided by manager Miroslav Koubek. They earned their place the hard way, squeezing through the playoffs to reach the tournament, and Koubek's well-drilled outfit will be quietly confident of advancing from what looks like a navigable group.

The spine of the side carries genuine pedigree. Tomas Soucek anchors the midfield with the kind of experience that steadies a team in big moments, while Patrik Schick arrives in sharp form after netting 16 Bundesliga goals this season — a striker capable of deciding matches at the highest level.

The concern, however, is a notable shortage of technical quality across the squad. Czechia lean heavily on physicality, work rate, aggression and set-piece situations, which can be effective but may leave them exposed against sides with the technical sophistication to bypass those attributes.

Much will depend on the contributions of a broader cast that includes Jindrich Stanek in goal, defenders Robin Hranac and Vladimir Coufal, and attacking options such as Adam Hlozek, Jan Kuchta, Pavel Sulc and Tomas Chory. Midfielders Tomas Holes, Ladislav Krejci, Michal Sadilek, Jaroslav Zeleny and Hugo Sochurek round out a squad built on collective effort rather than individual flair.

Czechia are unlikely to dazzle, but they are hard to beat and organised to a fault. In a tournament where fine margins decide everything, Koubek's pragmatic approach could yet carry them further than their ranking suggests.