While the tournament hasn’t yet started, the 2026 FIFA World Cup has officially made its way to the Garden State, as one of the qualified teams for the tournament will be playing a friendly match at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey. On Thursday, June 4, Czechia and Guatemala will be facing one another in an international friendly match, just one week before the first game of the tournament.
Czechia is set to compete in its first FIFA World Cup since 2006, earning a spot in the tournament through the UEFA play-offs. Czechia has gone undefeated in its past five games, including a 2-1 win a day ago against Kosovo. In the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Czechia will be competing in Group A, which consists of Mexico, South Korea and South Africa.
Czechia is currently ranked as the 41st best team in the world, solidifying their status as one of the top international teams in the sport. The team will hope to keep their winning ways going as they face off against Guatemala on Thursday, which will be their final international match before starting the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Czechia will be playing in the second game of the tournament, taking on South Korea on June 11 at 10 p.m, playing at Akron Stadium in Zapopan, Mexico. The friendly match serves as a way for Czechia to get warmed up and prepared with the tournament looming. For Guatemala, it provides the team with an opportunity to face high-level competition and continue developing their players into high-end talents.
Guatemala has yet to qualify for a FIFA World Cup before, though the team is trending in the right direction, currently sitting as the 96th best team in the world. This placement is a significant improvement from 145th, where the team sat 7 years ago. At their current pace, combined with facing World Cup-bound teams, such as Czechia, Guatemala is hoping to continue moving up the standings.
Czechia and Guatemala have never played against one another before, meaning that their meeting at Sports Illustrated Stadium will be a historic matchup. After winning twice on penalties in the UEFA play-offs, Croatia narrowly escaped defeat twice to clinch their spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Now, with the tournament a week away, the team will head to the Garden State and face a talented Guatemala team to help prepare them for the world’s biggest sporting event.
Sports Illustrated Stadium, which is also the home of the New York Red Bulls, will continue bringing the soccer festivities to New Jersey after the conclusion of Thursday’s match. Two more international friendly matches will be played at the stadium on June 6 & 7, featuring Bolivia vs. Scotland and Morocco vs. Norway. As the tournament begins, the venue will be hosting Family Day on June 14, as well as musical performances on match days.