Gibraltar vs Czech Republic

The senior men's international encounter between Gibraltar and the Czech Republic prepares to reach Estadio Algarve for their initial competition in World Cup 2026 qualifying Group L.

Portugal hosts outlined a three-one loss to Montenegro in their first match as they settled in their Portuguese base and the Czechs managed to win 2-1 against the Faroe Islands.

After a disgraceful finish at Euro 2024 where they collected only one point the Czech Republic brought Nations League promotion success followed by positive results in their World Cup qualifying matchups.

The Czech side faced a dicey match against the Faroe Islands whose 137th global rank did not change their outcome as Patrik Schick scored first before Gunnar Vatnhamar countered in stoppage time only for Schick to strike back seconds later.

Schick's impressive second volleyball header at the afternoon rescued the Czech Republic from losing position as they found themselves in second place in Group L but prevented qualification through this round.

The Euro 2004 semi-finalists enter Group L as potential top finishers yet another World Cup qualification is extremely necessary after their 2006 qualification yet they will face Croatia in upcoming matches.

Just before their clash with Gibraltar the Czech Republic must ignore France defeat in Nations League to claim their position as Group L's fifth team.

Gibraltar is not typically associated with extended unbeaten streaks, yet Los Llanis managed to avoid defeat in all seven of their matches in 2024. Their Nations League campaign included three draws and a victory across four games.

That said, aside from a surprising goalless draw against Wales in June, Gibraltar's opponents were far from top-tier, consisting of Andorra, Liechtenstein, San Marino, and Moldova. However, their recent encounter with Montenegro served as a stark reminder of the challenges they face at a higher level.

For a brief moment, an unexpected upset seemed possible when England-born Dan Bent opened the scoring for Gibraltar. However, experienced forward Stevan Jovetic quickly leveled the match, and second-half goals from Marko Tuci and Lazio’s Adam Marusic sealed Montenegro's comeback victory.

With that defeat, Gibraltar’s World Cup qualifying struggles continued, extending their record to 21 losses in 21 matches. Given their track record, even securing a single point in the campaign would be a historic achievement for the team currently ranked 196th in the world.

Once their inevitably unsuccessful qualification journey concludes, Gibraltar will shift their focus to a more promising Nations League campaign. In March, they will face Latvia in back-to-back matches, presenting a golden opportunity to earn promotion to League C.