Czech striker Patrik Schick (Leverkusen) announced his retirement from the national team immediately after his side finished bottom of its group and was eliminated from the 2026 FIFA North America World Cup.
The Football Association of the Czech Republic said Thursday that "Schick informed his national team teammates and the executive board of his retirement from international football after playing the final group-stage match against Mexico the previous day, when the team's elimination was confirmed."
Born in 1996, the 30-year-old Schick made his debut for the Czech national team in 2016, scoring 26 goals in 56 international appearances.
Schick entered the tournament carrying high expectations as the Czech Republic returned to the World Cup for the first time in 20 years. But his performance was disappointing. In the opening match against South Korea, he started as the lead striker but was tightly marked by Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) for 64 minutes, failing to register a single shot as he watched his team fall to a 1-2 defeat.
He also started in the second match against South Africa, playing the full 90 minutes, but missed a decisive scoring chance and failed to find the net. The Czech Republic drew 1-1 with South Africa.
Schick was ultimately left out of the starting lineup for the final group-stage match against Mexico and came on in the second half. He played 26 minutes but failed to make a notable impact, hanging his head as his team suffered a 0-3 defeat.
On his social media, Schick said it was "a conclusion reached after long and deep reflection." He added, "As a national team player, there were joy and regret, victories and difficult moments, all together. I always gave everything for the national team. I leave with great pride in what I achieved wearing the national team jersey."
He continued, "Czech football is a team with far greater potential than it has shown in recent years. Now we must face reality as it is and change the many things that have not worked properly for a long time."
