Michal Sadilek’s penalty secured the Czech Republic a spot in the 2026 World Cup after they defeated Denmark in a shootout in Prague on Tuesday. The match ended with a score of 2-2 following extra time, marking their first appearance since 2006 and facing off against Mexico, South Africa, and South Korea.
Tomas Chory and Tomas Soucek scored for the Czechs in their second shootout victory in six days, while Ladislav Krejci was denied by Danish goalkeeper Mads Hermansen. For Denmark, Christian Eriksen was the only scorer in the shootout phase, with Rasmus Hojlund hitting the crossbar, Anders Dreyer failing to beat Matej Kovar, and Mathias Jensen missing as well.
“I’m speechless. Hats off to everyone, I’m incredibly happy,” Krejci told Czech state television. “Let’s be honest, we were not the better team but we showed more heart and we fought harder,” added the Wolverhampton defender.
Czech coach Miroslav Koubek, 74, expressed his delight at the outcome, stating that they played their best possible game. He also noted the team’s struggles throughout qualification, which saw them swap coaches before the play-offs due to criticism from fans and pundits.
This unexpected triumph marks a significant achievement for the Czech Republic, who will record only the second appearance since it split with Slovakia in 1993. Denmark will miss out on their first World Cup since 2014.