Czechia will face the Republic of Ireland in a FIFA World Cup 2026 UEFA qualifying play-off semi-final in Prague on Thursday.
A win at the Fortuna Arena would bring either team one step closer to reaching the finals. The winner will host either Denmark or North Macedonia in the play-off final next week.
Czechia vs Ireland – Match preview and team news
- Date: Thursday, 26th March.
- Kick-off: 7:45pm BST.
- Venue: Fortuna Arena, Praha.
Czechia team news
Czechia will rely on experienced players like Vladimir Coufal and Tomas Soucek, with Bayer Leverkusen forward Patrik Schick expected to lead the team after scoring four goals in six qualifiers.
Winger Vaclav Cerny has declined to participate due to family reasons, and Celtic striker Tomas Cvancara has been left out of the squad after doubts about his commitment. Adam Hlozek is unavailable due to a fitness issue. Uncapped goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek has been called up after impressing during Braga’s Europa League run.
Ireland team news
Heimir Hallgrimsson has received a new contract following Ireland’s strong finish in the World Cup qualifying campaign. He will likely keep the same tactics that took them into the play-offs.
With a fully fit squad, Ireland may lineup similar to recent matches against Portugal and Hungary. They will be without Festy Ebosele and Liam Scales due to suspensions, and Ryan Manning is expected to fill the left wing-back position.
Troy Parrott will lead the attack again, with experienced defender Seamus Coleman starting, although he may not play the full match.
Jason Knight is anticipated to take over midfield duties in place of the injured Josh Cullen, while newcomer Harvey Vale aims to make an impact in his debut, possibly from the bench.
Form
Czechia
Czechia heads into the play-off on a high note after a 6-0 victory over Gibraltar in their last qualifying match. This win helped rebuild confidence after a surprising 2-1 loss to the Faroe Islands in Group L, which led to the departure of former coach Ivan Hasek. Miroslav Koubek now aims to guide the team back to the World Cup.
Ireland
Ireland ended their group stage impressively, winning three successive matches to secure a play-off spot. They achieved a narrow 1-0 victory over Armenia, followed by a significant 2-0 win against Portugal in Dublin, and Troy Parrott’s hat-trick in a 3-2 game against Hungary.
Predicted lineups
Czechia: Kovar; Coufal, Vitik, Krejci, Jurasek; Cerv, Soucek; Provod, Sulc, Karabec; Schick
Ireland: Kelleher; Coleman, O’Brien, Collins, O’Shea, Manning; Molumby, Knight, Azaz; Ogbene, Parrott
How to watch Czechia vs Ireland
In the UK, the match will be available live on Amazon Prime Video’s pay-per-view service.
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