Tomáš Souček has been named in Czechia’s squad for a vital 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier to be played in early September.
The West Ham United midfielder and Czech national team captain will lead his country in their UEFA qualifying Group L tie away at Montenegro on Friday 5 September at 8.45pm CEST (7.45pm BST).
Czechia go into the September international window top of Group L with nine points from four ties played, but with Croatia second on six from two and Montenegro third on six from three, defeat in Podgorica would harm their chances of reaching next summer’s finals in North America.
Czechia have qualified for the World Cup just once since becoming an independent country in the 1990s, but did not progress from the group stage in 2006 when they were drawn alongside Italy, Ghana and the United States.
Czechia started their current qualifying campaign with three straight wins at home to the Faroe Islands and Montenegro and away to Gibraltar, but a 5-1 defeat in Croatia in June has brought the top three teams in the group closer together.
Czechia will host Croatia and travel to the Faroe Islands in October before rounding off their qualifiers with a home tie against Gibraltar in November.
Souček scored in that Croatia defeat and now has 15 goals in 81 appearances for his country.
With just one qualifier to play in September, Czechia will also welcome Saudi Arabia to Malšovická aréna in Hradec Králové for a friendly international on Monday 8 September at 7.15pm CEST (6.15pm BST).
