Ladislav Krejčí

Ladislav Krejčí (born 20 April 1999) is a Czech professional footballer who plays as a centre-back or defensive midfielder for club Wolverhampton Wanderers, and captains the Czech Republic national team.

In 2024, the Czech edition of Forbes featured Krejčí in their 30 under 30 list: 30 of the most talented Czechs under 30 years old.

Club career Zbrojovka Brno Krejčí made his professional debut for Zbrojovka Brno in its home match against Sparta Prague on 2 October 2016, which ended in a 3–3 draw. He scored his first league goal on 13 May 2018 in Brno's 4–1 win at Teplice.

Sparta Prague On 6 June 2019, Krejčí signed a four-year contract with Sparta Prague. In July 2022, he became Sparta's captain, replacing Bořek Dočkal who had retired the previous season.

In May 2023, Krejčí helped the club to win its first championship title since 2014 as captain. He was awarded as the midfielder and player of the 2022–23 season by the League Football Association.

On 10 March 2024, Krejčí received his fifth red card in Sparta Prague jersey (in 4–0 away loss against Viktoria Plzeň) and set the new record for most received red cards in Sparta Prague history in the league competition since 1954, supprasing Jiří Homola with four red cards. In May that year, he helped the club to win its second championship title in two seasons, and domestic cup as captain.

Girona On 14 June 2024, Krejčí signed a five-year contract with Spanish side Girona.

Loan to Wolverhampton Wanderers On 28 August 2025, Krejčí joined Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers on an initial season-long loan deal, joining on a four-year deal for a £26 million fee should certain clauses be met over the duration of the loan. The move saw him become the first Czech player in the club's history.

International career In March 2022, Krejčí received his first Czech senior call-up from coach Jaroslav Šilhavý.

In the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying match on 24 March 2023 against Poland, Krejčí scored his first goal which is considered to be the fastest in the Czech Republic national football team history. On 17 June 2023, he scored another goal against Faroe Islands resulting in a 3–0 victory. On 28 May 2024, he was named in the 26-man squad for the UEFA Euro 2024.

On 23 March 2026, Krejčí was confirmed as the new captain of the Czech Republic, after Tomáš Souček's earlier dismissal.

Krejčí proceeded to score in both matches of his nation's 2026 FIFA World Cup playoff path against the Republic of Ireland and Denmark, in addition to taking penalties in the resulting shootouts as both ties ended in draws, scoring against the former and missing against the latter as the Czech Republic qualified for the tournament for the first time since 2006.

On 31 May 2026, Krejčí was selected in the 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Career statistics Club

International

Scores and results list the Czech Republic's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Krejčí goal. Forbes Czech 30 Under 30: 2024.