Teenage sensation Hugo Sochůrek has capped off a breakthrough weekend by earning a spot in the Czech Republic’s final 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, becoming the youngest player to ever represent the Czech senior men’s national team during a warm-up fixture against Kosovo just hours before the roster was finalized.
The 17-year-old Sparta Prague midfielder came off the bench in Sunday’s 2-1 Czech victory over Kosovo, a warm-up test that double as the final evaluation opportunity for head coach Miroslav Koubek. Following the final whistle, the 74-year-old veteran coach trimmed his initial 29-player preliminary list down to the tournament-compliant 26, cutting three hopefuls who missed out on the trip to North America: FC Cincinnati midfielder Pavel Bucha, Mladá Boleslav forward Christophe Kabongo and Viktoria Plzeň midfielder Tomáš Ladra. Calling the difficult final cuts “probably the worst moment of my coaching career,” Koubek acknowledged the emotional weight of eliminating players who had come close to reaching the sport’s biggest stage.
In a major boost for the Czech side, attacking midfielder Adam Hložek of Hoffenheim marked his return to international action — his first cap for the national team since June — with a goal, after spending months sidelined with persistent calf and foot injuries. The 23-year-old, who has now notched five goals in 42 international appearances, brings much-needed attacking depth to a roster looking to make an impact on their first World Cup return in 20 years.
In a surprising roster call, Koubek also included two Slavia Prague players who were suspended by their club for the remainder of the domestic season and placed on the transfer list over disciplinary issues: forward Tomáš Chorý and defender David Douděra, both of whom will get the chance to resurrect their careers on the global stage.
The full roster, anchored by established Czech mainstays including Lyon midfielder Pavel Šulc, Bayer Leverkusen striker Patrik Schick and West Ham United star Tomáš Souček, will depart for the United States later on Sunday to complete their final preparation. Their final pre-tournament friendly is scheduled for June 4 against Guatemala in New Jersey, before the team sets up their tournament base in Mansfield, Texas.
The Czech Republic, who qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 2006, enter Group A of the tri-nation tournament co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada. They will kick off their World Cup campaign against South Korea in Guadalajara, Mexico on June 11, before facing South Africa in Atlanta on June 18 and closing out group play against hosts Mexico in Mexico City on June 25.
The full final 26-man Czech Republic squad is as follows:
Goalkeepers: Lukáš Horníček (Braga), Matěj Kovář (PSV Eindhoven), Jindřich Staněk (Slavia Prague)
Defenders: Vladimír Coufal (Hoffenheim), David Douděra (Slavia Prague), Tomáš Holeš (Slavia Prague), Robin Hranáč (Hoffenheim), Štěpán Chaloupek (Slavia Prague), David Jurásek (Slavia Prague), Ladislav Krejčí (Wolverhampton), Jaroslav Zelený (Sparta Prague), David Zima (Slavia Prague)
Midfielders: Lukáš Červ (Viktoria Plzeň), Vladimír Darida (Hradec Králové), Lukáš Provod (Slavia Prague), Michal Sadílek (Slavia Prague), Hugo Sochůrek (Sparta Prague), Alexandr Sojka (Viktoria Plzeň), Tomáš Souček (West Ham), Pavel Šulc (Lyon), Denis Višinský (Viktoria Plzeň)
Forwards: Tomáš Chorý (Slavia Prague), Adam Hložek (Hoffenheim), Mojmír Chytil (Slavia Prague), Jan Kuchta (Sparta Prague), Patrik Schick (Bayer Leverkusen)