Sport
sport
Share
The reason why the Czech Republic changed their name to Czechia
Published 16:24 18 Jun 2024 BST
Updated 16:15 18 Jun 2026 BST
Homesport
Whilst watching the World Cup, football fans may notice a change to the way one nation is referred to.
Known to many as the Czech Republic, Czechia continue off their World Cup campaign tonight against South Africa, but why the name change?
In 2016, the country’s government requested that the name Czechia be used in any sporting, literary, musical or media context with the name Czech Republic being reserved for official purposes.
The new name is also said to be viewed as a more universal name which will avoid confusion when translated into other languages, and help boost their reputation abroad.
[dbo-widget]
The nation was formerly known as Czechoslovakia until 1992 when it split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Explore more on these topics:
