The fixture brings together two sides that previously met during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, where Croatia secured a 5-1 victory at home before playing out a scoreless draw in Prague. Both national teams now enter the competition under new management, with Spain and England rounding out a challenging Group A3.
A New Era Under Santi Denia
Following the summer World Cup, the Czech national team appointed Santi Denia as head coach. The 52-year-old Spanish manager arrives with extensive experience leading Spain’s youth setups, having captured European titles at both under-17 and under-19 levels before guiding the under-23 squad to Olympic gold at the 2024 Paris Games. This assignment marks Denia’s first senior national team role.
Denia faced immediate roster challenges ahead of his debut selection due to a wave of injuries. Physical setbacks sidelined David Zima, Tomáš Vlček, Denis Višinský, Lukáš Provod, David Jurásek, Tomáš Chorý, and Matěj Ryneš. In response, the coaching staff handed late call-ups to Ondřej Kričfaluši, Martin Šubert, Martin Vitík, Václav Sejk, Daniel Vašulín, and Jiří Sláma. The initial roster also featured newcomers Lukáš Ambros, Roman Macek, and Matěj Radosta. Meanwhile, the Czech attack enters a transitional phase following Patrik Schick’s retirement from international football after the World Cup.
Current Squad Selection
The updated Czech roster features a mix of established names and fresh faces across all positions:
Goalkeepers: Horníček, Kinský, Kovář.
Defenders: Coufal, Hranáč, Chaloupek, Kričfaluši, Krejčí, Sáček, Zmrzlý, Sláma, Vitík.
Midfielders: Ambros, Bucha, Červ, Karabec, Macek, Král, Lingr, Sadílek, Radosta, Šubert, Šulc.
Forwards: Hložek, Sejk, Vašulín.
