Opinions, analysis and commentary
Every preview of Czechia at this tournament opens with Patrik Schick, five Euro 2020 goals, the halfway-line strike against Scotland, and 25 international goals. That framing is understandable. It is also increasingly fragile. The player who will decide whether Czechia wins matches in Group A is the man behind Schick, not Schick himself. Pavel Šulc spent one season at Lyon and became one of Ligue 1’s most productive attacking midfielders. He is both the reason Czechia could be dangerous and the reason they are vulnerable.
When Šulc joined Olympique Lyonnais in August 2025, few outside the Czech Republic knew his name. By the end of the Ligue 1 season, he had 11 goals and 3 assists in 27 appearances, tied for Lyon’s top scorer and among the eighth-highest goal tallies in the division. He averaged 1.09 key passes per game, created 22 chances, and placed his npxG in the top 96th percentile of all Ligue 1 players. Named Czech Footballer of the Year in 2025, he arrives at this tournament with 5 goals in 21 international caps and a play-off goal against Ireland in March 2026 to his name.
A left thigh fascia injury in late September 2025 kept Schick out for three weeks and cost him both Czechia qualifying fixtures against Croatia and the Faroe Islands, matches where every point proved decisive. A calf injury in December 2024 and a groin absence in late 2023 form a pattern consistent enough to plan around. Crucially, Václav Černý, Czechia’s other creative outlet, has been ruled out of the tournament. That absence turns Šulc’s role from important to irreplaceable. Schick’s final Bundesliga tally of 16 goals in 28 appearances confirms his class when fit , but a striker with a recurring injury record is a fragile foundation for three matches in three weeks.
Under Miroslav Koubek’s 3-4-2-1, Šulc operates as one of two attacking midfielders behind Schick, alongside Lukáš Provod. His role is to connect midfield to attack, receiving in tight spaces, driving at defenders, and arriving late into the box. Czechia scored 11 of their 22 qualifying goals from set pieces; their open-play threat runs almost entirely through him. Tomáš Souček provides the midfield engine and aerial presence at West Ham with 89 caps and 5 goals in 2025-26, but Souček does not create. Šulc does, and with Černý gone, there is nobody else in this squad who can.
| Player | Position | Club | 2025-26 Goals | Assists | Int’l Caps | Role |
| Pavel Šulc | Att. Mid | Lyon (FRA) | 11 | 3 | 21 | Creative engine / goals |
| Patrik Schick | Striker | Leverkusen (GER) | 16 | 3 | 52 | Lead striker |
| Tomáš Souček | Def. Mid | West Ham (ENG) | 5 | 0 | 89 | Midfield anchor |
| Adam Hložek | Forward | Hoffenheim (GER) | 0* | 0 | 41* | Impact sub (*injuries) |
Against South Korea on June 11 in Guadalajara, his ability to receive on the half-turn and drive into space is most likely to unlock a compact Korean press. South Africa, on June 18 in Atlanta, is the must-win, physically powerful opponents, limited in transition, where Šulc’s central interplay does the most damage. Mexico, on June 24 at the Estadio Azteca, brings 80,000 partisan fans and the most organised defensive block in the group. If Czechia is still alive that night, Šulc’s capacity to create under pressure is their primary option. His Nations League brace against Ukraine in September 2024 showed the composure for exactly that occasion.
At 25, Šulc arrives at the ideal tournament age, experienced enough for the occasion, young enough for the physical demands of summer heat. If Schick fires and Šulc creates, Czechia is a genuine dark-horse in Group A. If Schick misses a match, Šulc is the only player who can fill that creative void. No other player in this squad carries both 11 Ligue 1 goals and international match-winning moments, a play-off goal, and a Nations League brace. The Czechia FIFA World Cup 2026 question is not whether he matters. It is whether Czech football accepts that he matters most.
Is Pavel Šulc capable of leading Czechia past the group stage, or does it all depend on whether Schick stays fit? Drop your take in the comments.
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Who is Pavel Šulc in football?
Pavel Šulc is a Czech attacking midfielder born in December 2000 who plays for Olympique Lyonnais in Ligue 1. He was named Czech Footballer of the Year in 2025 after scoring 11 goals in his debut Lyon season, with an npxG in the top 96th percentile of the division.
What group is Czechia in at the 2026 tournament?
Czechia is in Group A alongside co-hosts Mexico, South Korea, and South Africa. Matches run from June 11 to June 24 across Mexico and the United States.
Who is Czechia’s best player heading into this tournament?
Pavel Šulc, with 11 goals and 3 assists for Lyon in 2025-26, is Czechia’s most important creative force. Patrik Schick leads in international goals but carries a recurring injury record, and Václav Černý has been ruled out entirely.
Will Patrik Schick start for Czechia in Group A?
Schick is expected to start if fit, but thigh, calf, and groin injuries, including a left thigh fascia tear in October 2025, mean his availability across all three matches is uncertain. He finished the Bundesliga season with 16 goals in 28 appearances.
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