ATLANTA ― The 2026 World Cup is officially a week into play, and Thursday's action kicks off with a Czechia vs South Africa matchup.

The Group A teams desperately need a win after losing their opening World Cup matches on June 11 and coming away with zero points. Mexico beat South Africa 2-0, and Czechia lost 2-1 to South Korea the same day.

The stakes are really high coming into Thursday's head-to-head, with many questions swirling: Who will win? Who will lose? Where is Czechia? If the last question resonates with you, don't worry. We've got you covered.

Where is Czechia?

Czechia is a country located in central Europe. It's landlocked by Poland (north), Austria (south), Germany (west), and Slovakia (east). The country has a reported population of more than 10 million people.

Czechia's capital city, Prague, is also one of Europe's most famous cultural locations.