Armenia national football team facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

This page is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Armenia women's national football team.

Quick facts for kids
Armenia

Nickname(s)

Հավաքական (Havakakan)

Association

Football Federation of Armenia (FFA)

Confederation

UEFA (Europe)

Head coach

Suren Chakhalyan (interim)

Captain

Varazdat Haroyan

Most caps

Sargis Hovsepyan (133)

Top scorer

Henrikh Mkhitaryan (32)

Home stadium

Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium

FIFA code

ARM

First colours

Second colours

FIFA ranking

Current

101

(7 February 2019)

Highest

30 (February 2014)

Lowest

159 (July 1994)

Elo ranking

Current

9 (3 March 2019)

Highest

65 (27 May 2014)

Lowest

126 (May 1995)

First international

Official
Template:Country data Armenia Soviet Union 4-3 Yugoslavia

(Yerevan, Armenia; 14 October 1992)

Biggest win

Armenia 7–1 Guatemala

(Los Angeles, United States; 28 May 2016)

Biggest defeat

Norway 9–0 Armenia

(Oslo, Norway; 29 March 2022)

The Armenia national football team is the official men's football team for Armenia. It is managed by the Football Federation of Armenia. This team plays in international football matches.

Armenia became independent from the Soviet Union in 1991. Their first international match was on October 12, 1992. Since 1996, the team has tried to qualify for major tournaments like the UEFA European Football Championship and the FIFA World Cup. They haven't reached the final stages yet. However, they finished third in the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying stage. They also moved up to 2022–23 UEFA Nations League B in the UEFA Nations League.

The team trains at the Technical Center-Academy in Yerevan. They play their home games at the Republican Stadium.

History of Armenian Football

Before Armenia became independent, it was part of the Soviet Union. During the 1920s and 1930s, Armenia played in the Trans-Caucasian Championship. They won games against Azerbaijan and tied with the Georgian SSR.

Armenia became an independent country in 1991. The Football Federation of Armenia was started on January 18, 1992. It joined FIFA in 1992 and UEFA in 1993. The first match for the independent Armenian team was on October 14, 1992, against Moldova. It was a 0-0 draw. Since 1996, Armenia has tried to qualify for every European and World Championship.

Early Coaches and Key Moments

Vardan Minasyan was the longest-serving head coach for Armenia.

The first head coach was Eduard Markarov, a famous Armenian football player. Other well-known players like Khoren Oganesian also coached the team. Many early coaches didn't stay for long.

In 2006, Scottish coach Ian Porterfield took over. Under him, Armenia had some good results. They beat Kazakhstan 2-1 and Poland 1-0. They even tied with Portugal 1-1, a team that included Cristiano Ronaldo. Sadly, Porterfield passed away from cancer. His assistant, Vardan Minasyan, took over.

Euro 2012 Qualifiers: A Strong Performance

Minasyan became the official head coach in 2009. He led Armenia in the Euro 2012 qualifiers. Armenia was in a tough group with teams like Russia and Slovakia. Many thought Armenia would not do well.

But Armenia surprised everyone! They beat Slovakia twice, 4-0 and 3-1. They also won against Andorra 4-0 and 3-0. They tied with Macedonia 2-2 and then beat them 4-1. Armenia scored the most goals in their group, with 22 goals. Henrikh Mkhitaryan scored 6 goals, the most in the group.

The team almost made it to the final tournament. In a key match against Ireland, they lost 1-2. There was a controversial moment when the Armenian goalkeeper, Roman Berezovsky, got a red card. Replays showed the ball hit his chest, not his hands. Despite protests, the decision stood. Even though they didn't qualify, Minasyan helped Armenia reach a record #41 in the FIFA World Rankings. He became the longest-serving coach for the team. Fans welcomed the team back as heroes.

Recent Challenges and Successes

After the Euro 2012 qualifiers, Armenia faced tougher times. They didn't do well in the 2014 World Cup or Euro 2016 qualifiers. They even finished last in Euro 2016 without a win.

In the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, they had a surprising 3-2 home win against Montenegro. This win affected Montenegro's chances to qualify. Vardan Minasyan returned to coach for the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League D. However, a tough 0-1 home loss to Gibraltar led to Minasyan being replaced by Armen Gyulbudaghyants.

For the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying, Armenia was in a group with strong teams like Italy and Bosnia and Herzegovina. After losing their first two games, Armenia made a comeback. They beat Liechtenstein 3-0 at home and had a shocking 3-2 away win against former European champions Greece. They also beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 4-2. Despite these wins, they didn't qualify for Euro 2020.

In the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League C, Armenia was in a group with North Macedonia and Georgia. They started with a loss but then beat Estonia 2-0. Due to challenges at home, Armenia had to play some "home" games in Poland. They drew with Georgia and Estonia. Later that year, even without their captain Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Armenia had an amazing comeback. They beat Georgia 2-1 in Tbilisi and then North Macedonia 1-0 in Cyprus. These wins helped Armenia get promoted to the 2022–23 UEFA Nations League B. This also meant Armenia could get a chance for a FIFA World Cup playoff spot.

In the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, Armenia was in a group with strong teams like Germany and Iceland. They started well with wins against Liechtenstein, Iceland, and Romania. This put them at the top of the group for the first time! However, they couldn't keep up this performance. They lost their remaining seven games, including a 6-0 loss to Germany. They finished fourth in their group.

Stadiums Where Armenia Plays

Armenia vs Portugal during a UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying match at the Republican Stadium in Yerevan

Armenia has two main stadiums for football: Hrazdan Stadium and Republican Stadium.

Hrazdan Stadium

Hrazdan Stadium was built between 1969 and 1970. It was built quickly, in just 18 months. It got money from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. The stadium is named after the nearby Hrazdan River. It is the biggest stadium in Armenia, with over 70,000 seats. It opened on November 29, 1970.

The Armenia national team played home matches here until 2000. It was one of the largest stadiums in the Soviet Union. Many important club matches were played here, including for Ararat Yerevan. The stadium was renovated in 2012.

Republican Stadium

The Republican Stadium was renovated in 1999. Since 2000, it has been the main home ground for the national team. It was built in 1953 and has about 14,968 seats. From 1953 to 1999, it was called Dinamo Stadium. In 1999, it was renamed after Vazgen Sargsyan, an Armenian war hero and former Prime Minister.

In 2008, the stadium was upgraded to meet UEFA standards. This included improving the playing field and VIP areas.

Team Look: Jerseys and Colors

Jerseys and Colors

The home jerseys used to have the Red-Blue-Orange colors of the Armenian flag. These colors were designed by Stepan Malkhasyants. The meaning of the colors is:

Red: Represents the Armenian Highland and the Armenian people's fight for survival. It also stands for keeping their Orthodox Christian faith, independence, and freedom.
Blue: Shows the Armenian people's wish to live under peaceful skies.
Orange: Represents the creative talent and hard work of the Armenian people.

For the Euro 2012 qualifiers, Armenia's home colors were red-blue-red. Later, in May 2012, they switched to all-red home kits and all-white away kits. These new kits were made by Adidas.

Kit Suppliers

The team's jerseys and gear have been made by different companies over the years:

Puma: 1992–1999
Lotto: 2000–2003
Hummel: 2004–2011
Adidas: 2012–2017
Macron: 2018–present

Players

Current Squad

Here are some of the players who were called up for recent matches in November 2024. This list shows their position, name, and the club they play for.

Goalkeepers: Ognjen Čančarević (Noah), Arsen Beglaryan (Ararat-Armenia), Henri Avagyan (Pyunik)
Defenders: Varazdat Haroyan (Captain, Qingdao West Coast), Hovhannes Hambardzumyan (Noah), André Calisir (IF Brommapojkarna), Georgy Arutyunyan (Krasnodar), Nair Tiknizyan (Lokomotiv Moscow), Sergey Muradyan (Noah), Edgar Grigoryan (Ararat-Armenia), Erik Simonyan (Urartu)
Midfielders: Vahan Bichakhchyan (Pogoń Szczecin), Eduard Spertsyan (Krasnodar), Lucas Zelarayán (Al-Fateh), Solomon Udo (Pyunik), Artur Serobyan (Ararat-Armenia), Ugochukwu Iwu (Rubin Kazan), Hovhannes Harutyunyan (Ararat-Armenia), Zhirayr Shaghoyan (Debreceni), Karen Muradyan (Ararat-Armenia), Narek Grigoryan (Farul Constanța), Gor Manvelyan (Noah)
Forwards: Grant-Leon Ranos (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Edgar Sevikyan (Lokomotiv Moscow), Artur Miranyan (Universitatea Cluj)

Team Records

These are some of the top players in Armenian football history.

Most Appearances

Sargis Hovsepyan has played the most games for Armenia, with 133 appearances.

1. Sargis Hovsepyan: 133 games (1992–2012) 2. Henrikh Mkhitaryan: 95 games (2007–2021) 3. Roman Berezovsky: 94 games (1996–2015) 4. Varazdat Haroyan: 89 games (2011–present) 5. Kamo Hovhannisyan: 86 games (2012–present)

Top Goalscorers

Henrikh Mkhitaryan is Armenia's top goalscorer with 32 goals.

1. Henrikh Mkhitaryan: 32 goals (2007–2021) 2. Yura Movsisyan: 14 goals (2010–2018) 2. Gevorg Ghazaryan: 14 goals (2007–2022) 4. Marcos Pizzelli: 11 goals (2004–2019) 4. Artur Petrosyan: 11 goals (1992–2004)

Competitive History

FIFA World Cup

Armenia has tried to qualify for the FIFA World Cup many times but has not yet reached the final tournament. Before 1994, Armenia was part of the Soviet Union team.

UEFA European Championship

Armenia has also tried to qualify for the UEFA European Championship since 1996. They have not yet made it to the main tournament. Before 1996, Armenia was part of the Soviet Union team.

UEFA Nations League

The UEFA Nations League is a newer competition. Armenia has played in it since 2018.

In 2018–19, they finished 2nd in their group in League D.
In 2020–21, they finished 1st in their group in League C and were promoted to League B.
In 2022–23, they finished 4th in their group in League B and were moved back to League C.

Images for kids

Vardan Minasyan, previously held the position from 2009 to 2014 and again briefly in 2018, the longest period of time.
Sargis Hovsepyan is Armenia's most capped player with 133 appearances.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan is Armenia's top goalscorer with 32 goals.