Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers match.
Croatia and the Czech Republic are the two frontrunners vying for top spot in Group L. With limited competition from the other teams in the group, qualification is likely to hinge on the outcome of their two meetings. The first of these takes place on Monday in Osijek, Croatia.
Croatia
The generational transition for Croatia appears to have been successfully managed. The team recently earned a clean-sheet win over France in the UEFA Nations League play-offs (2:0), and followed that result with a 1:1 draw at home against Portugal. More recently, they recorded an emphatic 7:0 victory over Gibraltar. One of the key players in this squad is Ante Budimir. The seasoned forward has scored twice in his last three international appearances and found the net 21 times during the La Liga season.
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic have made a perfect start to their qualifying campaign, winning all three of their matches. However, these wins came against the Faroe Islands (2:1), Gibraltar (4:0), and Montenegro (2:0) — teams that are not considered strong opposition. Their performances in the Nations League were less encouraging. Alongside draws against Ukraine (1:1) and Albania (0:0) — both significantly weaker than Croatia — the squad also endured a heavy 1:4 loss to Georgia.
Croatia vs Czech Republic Prediction
While the Czech Republic are no pushovers, they are likely to find it difficult against the current Croatia side. The experienced players in the squad understand the stakes and are expected to deliver a home victory.
