Benfica's €14m flop called up for the World Cup | OneFootball

The Czech Republic’s extended squad for the 2026 World Cup brought several surprises and opened the door to unexpected scenarios, with particular emphasis on names linked to Portuguese football, several absolute first-time call-ups, and a former Benfica player who failed to establish himself at the Luz.

David Jurásek, a former Benfica full-back, is back involved with the Czech national team after returning to Slavia Prague, strengthening the link to players with experience in top-level European football.

Another name in the spotlight is Braga goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek, who is still searching for his first senior cap. The young keeper appears as one of the most intriguing new faces in this preparation phase.

The squad also includes three absolute debutants: midfielders Hugo Sochurek (Sparta Prague) and Alexandr Sojka (Viktoria Plzen), as well as forward Christophe Kabongo, in a clear commitment to renewing the group for the tournament. In addition, there are also players awaiting their first cap, such as Pavel Bucha and Denis Visinsky, who had already been called up in earlier stages of qualification but have yet to make their official debut.

, who had not worn the Czech Republic shirt since June last year. The final squad, which will be reduced to 26 players, will be announced on 31 May, before preparations for the World Cup begin in Prague.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.