- Tomás Souček has been named in the Czech Republic squad for their first World Cup in two decades
- Soucek has 89 appearances for the national team
- Former West Ham player Vladimír Coufal is in Czechia’s final 26-man squad
Tomáš Souček has been named in Miroslav Koubek’s final squad for Czechia’s first FIFA World Cup in two decades ahead of the 2026 North American edition.
Despite West Ham United’s relegation, Souček’s individual performances remained commendable throughout a challenging Premier League season in which the Hammers suffered their first top-flight drop in 14 years.
The club have backed Nuno Espírito Santo after confirming their support for him to continue as the head coach for next season in the Championship. Although West Ham will require a significant financial influx following relegation, the club can be expected to try to keep characters like Souček as they navigate the second tier.
West Ham’s Tomás Souček included in Czech Republic’s first World Cup squad in 20 years
Souček, 31, remains one of the most prominent figures in Czech football and will enter the tournament as the squad’s most experienced international with 89 caps and 17 goals for his country following the nation’s announcement on Sunday.
The Hammers midfielder was previously included in Czechia’s preliminary World Cup squad last month, and his inclusion in the final 26-man squad was never in question.
The tournament held in the USA, Mexico and Canada is a culmination of a qualification campaign that ended Czechia’s 20-year hiatus from football’s greatest stage. The country last competed in a World Cup in Germany in 2006, and with an experienced core group consisting of Souček, Bayer Leverkusen striker Patrik Schick, and former West Ham and now-Hoffenheim full-back Vladimír Coufal.
While Souček was relieved of the Czech captaincy earlier this year after players declined to acknowledge supporters during a 6-0 victory over Gibraltar, his influence within the squad has not diminished.
Czechia has been placed in Group A alongside Mexico, South Africa, and South Korea, with their first match against the South Koreans in the Mexican city of Guadalajara.
