Croatia vs Czech Republic

Croatia and the Czech Republic are set to trade tackles in an exciting 2026 World Cup qualifier at Osijek’s Opus Arena. 

Croatia posted their biggest-margin win in nine years to get their Group L journey off to a strong start, dispatching minnows Gibraltar 7-0 last week after an unenviable patch. Indeed, they had only won once in five previous games across all competitions (D2, L2), including a heartbreaking UEFA Nations League quarter-final loss to France, which saw them squander a 2-0 first-leg advantage and bow out on penalties. As the highest-ranked nation in this section, the Blazers are the favorites to reach the fourth consecutive World Cup finals. Further confidence comes from Croatia’s outstanding home form in the past three years, as they’ve only lost once in 11 such games in that stretch (W7, D3). That should put them in a perfect position to extend a ten-game unbeaten in World Cup qualifiers (W8, D2). 

In the meantime, the Czech Republic could throw a spanner in the works as they head into proceedings as Group L leaders after winning their opening three qualifying fixtures via an aggregate score of 8-1. A morale-boosting 2-0 victory over Montenegro last time out bolstered fans’ hopes that the Czechs could return to the World Cup finals for the first time in 20 years, but their sternest test has yet to come. Ivan Hasek’s appointment in January 2024 has reignited the Czechs’ potential, with the 61-year-old manager losing just three of his 16 matches in charge (W10, D3). Moreover, the ongoing four-game winning streak is the Czech Republic’s joint-longest in competitive matches since 2007, suggesting they could post their first-ever win over Croatia (D2, L2).