Vladimir Darida comes out of retirement to help the Czech Republic reach World Cup qualification

Former captain Vladimír Darida has agreed to come out of international retirement to help the Czech Republic qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

35-year-old Darida retired from international football in 2021 after the Czechs were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the European Championship.

The playmaker agreed to rejoin the team after being approached by coach Miroslav Koubek and Czech Football Association general manager Pavel Nedvěd.

Darida said on Tuesday that his decision was not about his personal ambitions, but about “doing the maximum together to return Czech football to the World Cup.”

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The Czechs last participated in the World Cup in 2006.

Darida made his debut for the national team in 2012 and played 76 matches, scoring eight times. Lihat juga qaz2. After previously playing in the Bundesliga with Freiburg, Hertha Berlin and Greek side Aris Thessaloniki, Darida returned home last summer and captained Hradec Králové in the Czech league.

The Czech Republic is in the World Cup play-offs after finishing second in the qualifying group behind Croatia. They meet Ireland in a single elimination match at home on March 26. The winner will then host Denmark or North Macedonia for a spot in the tournament co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The team that makes the tournament will join Mexico, South Africa and South Korea in Group A.

Published on February 24, 2026