Definitive End to International Career: Czech Darida's World Cup Return Was Temporary, He Explains

“The national team question pertained exclusively to the playoffs and the World Cup. General Manager Pavel Nedvěd and coach Koubek were aware of this. I didn't feel it was necessary to end a national team career that had already concluded again,” Darida stated, according to idnes.cz. “It wasn't intended as a comeback after which I would continue. We agreed on this beforehand,” added the player, who has 80 caps and eight goals for the Czech Republic.

 Darida originally retired from international football after Euro 2020, which was held in 2021 due to the pandemic. He returned to the national squad for the playoffs against Ireland and Denmark and subsequently traveled to the World Cup. At the tournament, he started in the 1-1 draw against South Africa, while remaining on the bench for matches against South Korea and Mexico. The Czechs finished last in their group and did not advance to the knockout stage.