Azerbaijan national football team facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

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

Quick facts for kids
Azerbaijan

Nickname(s)

Milli komanda (The National Team)

Association

Azərbaycan Futbol Federasiyaları Assosiasiyası (AFFA)

Confederation

UEFA (Europe)

Head coach

Fernando Santos

Captain

Emin Mahmudov

Most caps

Rashad Sadygov (111)

Top scorer

Gurban Gurbanov & Emin Mahmudov (14)

Home stadium

Baku Olympic Stadium

FIFA code

AZE

First colours

Second colours

Third colours

FIFA ranking

Current

108

1 (7 February 2019)

Highest

73 (July 2014)

Lowest

170 (June 1994)

Elo ranking

Current

105

4 (3 March 2019)

Highest

51 (28 June 1928)

Lowest

152 (2 June 2001)

First international

Official

Georgia 6–3 Azerbaijan

(Tbilisi, Georgia; 17 September 1992)

Biggest win

Azerbaijan 4–0 Liechtenstein

(Baku, Azerbaijan; 5 June 1999)

Azerbaijan 5–1 San Marino

(Baku, Azerbaijan; 4 September 2017)

Biggest defeat

France 10–0 Azerbaijan

(Auxerre, France; 6 September 1995)

The Azerbaijan national football team (Azerbaijani: Azərbaycan milli futbol komandası) is the official football team for Azerbaijan. It is managed by the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan (AFFA). This team plays for Azerbaijan in big international football games. Most of their home games are held at the Baku Olympic Stadium. Sometimes, friendly matches are played at other club stadiums.

The Azerbaijan national football team has tried to qualify for every major tournament since Euro 1996. However, they have never made it to the final stages of a World Cup or European Championships. Even so, Azerbaijan was the first country in the Caucasus region to host a major tournament, UEFA Euro 2020. But their own team was knocked out in the first round of qualifying.

History of Azerbaijani Football

Early Days (Before the 1920s)

Football became very popular in Azerbaijan in the early 1900s. At that time, Azerbaijan was part of the Russian Empire. In 1912, Azerbaijani football players had their first "international match." They won 4-2 against a local team called "Sokol" in Tbilisi, Georgia.

More matches between Azerbaijani and Georgian teams were played in 1912 and 1913. These games took place in Tbilisi and then in Baku. In 1914, the Football Union was started in Azerbaijan. This group helped organize official city championships and other football events.

Soviet Era (1920s–1991)

The first records of football teams in Soviet Azerbaijan are from 1926–1927. This was when the Trans-Caucasian Championship was held in Tbilisi. Three countries from the South Caucasia region played: Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia.

The Azerbaijan national football team played its first friendly matches against Georgia and Armenia in 1927. Also in 1926, Azerbaijani players played three matches against a team from Iran in Baku. In 1929, they played three more matches in Tehran. Azerbaijan won all these games.

The 1960s were a "Golden Age" for Azerbaijani football. Many great players came from Azerbaijan during this time. These included Anatoliy Banishevskiy and Alakbar Mammadov. Also, the famous football referee Tofiq Bahramov was from Azerbaijan. He is known for helping to award a goal for England in the 1966 World Cup Final.

After Independence (1992–Present)

The 1990s

After Azerbaijan became independent in 1991, the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan (AFFA) was created. In 1992, a famous Azerbaijani footballer, Alekper Mamedov, became the first head coach. His team won 3 out of 4 games. Their first ever national team win was against Georgia on May 25, 1993.

In 1994, the national team joined FIFA and UEFA. Because of safety concerns, the team had to play all its home Euro 96 qualifying games in Trabzon, Turkey.

The 2000s

The Azerbaijani squad in 2008.

In the early 2000s, the Azerbaijani football federation started to bring more players into the national team. They used FIFA eligibility rules to do this. In February 2004, Carlos Alberto Torres became the national coach. He was the captain of the Brazil team that won the 1970 FIFA World Cup.

Even though they started with a big 0–6 loss to Israel, Azerbaijan won their first ever away match. They beat Kazakhstan 3–2 on April 28, 2004. After a 3–0 loss to Poland in June 2005, Torres left. Vagif Sadygov took over as coach for his third time.

Shahin Diniyev became manager in November 2005. He resigned in October 2007, and Gjoko Hadzievski became the temporary coach. In April 2008, Berti Vogts, a former German player and coach, became Azerbaijan's manager. He signed a two-year contract. Azerbaijan had a mixed qualifying campaign, finishing with 5 points.

In November 2009, AFFA gave Berti Vogts another two-year contract. This made him the first manager to lead the Azerbaijani team through two qualifying periods.

The 2010s

In 2010, Azerbaijan had a surprising win against Turkey. This helped the team reach 90th place in the FIFA World Rankings, their highest ever position. After beating Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan also broke their records for goals and points. They earned 7 points and scored 10 goals.

In November 2011, Berti Vogts' contract was extended again. He was to lead Azerbaijan until the end of the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Under Vogts, Azerbaijan had some tough results. They struggled to beat weaker teams. Many local fans and media criticized Vogts.

However, Azerbaijan still finished the qualifying round in fourth place, which was their best finish ever. In December 2013, Vogts got another two-year contract to lead Azerbaijan through EURO 2016 qualifying. In July 2014, Azerbaijan reached its highest FIFA ranking of 73rd place. After three losses in a row, Vogts resigned. He had been in charge of Azerbaijan for six years.

After Vogts, former Croatia player Robert Prosinečki became the full-time manager. He led the team to another record for points (10) in 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying. But the team still finished fifth in their group. Prosinečki left, and Nikola Jurčević took over.

The 2020s

The UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying was a difficult time for Azerbaijan. The team finished last in their group, losing seven games. They only had one draw, which was a surprise against 2018 FIFA World Cup runners-up Croatia. Nikola Jurčević left after this poor performance. Azerbaijan became the only country that co-hosted a tournament but didn't qualify for it.

Team Look and Feel

Colours

The Azerbaijan national football team in October 2013.

For the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying round, Azerbaijan's home kit was all red. For away games, the team wears an all-blue kit. These colors have been traditional for the national team since their first game.

In the early 1990s, the team wore a white shirt. Later in the decade, it changed to blue-and-white striped shirts. In the early 2000s, the kit became a white shirt with a vertical stripe. This stripe had the colors of the national flag of Azerbaijan on the chest. For the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying round, the kit was blue shirts, red shorts, and green socks. After that tournament, the team went back to their usual colors.

Azerbaijan's away colors used to be yellow-and-black striped shirts, black shorts, and yellow socks. This changed for the UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying round, when they switched to an all-blue kit. During the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying round games, the team used an all-red kit.

Since 2017, Nike has supplied Azerbaijan's kits. Before that, Puma supplied them from 2004 to 2006. And before Puma, Umbro was the supplier from 2002 to 2004.

Nickname

The media and fans often call Azerbaijan's team Milli. This means "The National" in Azerbaijani. It's a common nickname for all of Azerbaijan's national sports teams. This is because the teams use the country's national colors.

Stadium

Most of Azerbaijan's home matches are played at the new Baku Olympic Stadium in Baku. This has been their main home stadium since 2015, when they moved from Tofiq Bahramov Stadium.

Today, some qualifying matches and friendly matches are still played at the Tofiq Bahramov Stadium. Other games are hosted at the Lankaran City Stadium, Bakcell Arena, and Dalga Arena. These stadiums meet UEFA standards.

Media Coverage

Azerbaijan's matches are currently shown on the public TV channel İTV. The rights for the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification matches were held by AZTV and Idman Azerbaijan TV. Other networks like AZTV, Idman Azerbaijan TV, and Lider TV have also shown live games in the past.

Kit Suppliers

Kit provider	Period
Adidas	1992–1994
Diadora	1995
Puma	1996–2000
Diadora	2000–2002
Umbro	2002–2004
Puma	2004–2006
Umbro	2006–2017
Nike	2017–present

Recent Games

Here's a quick look at some recent results and upcoming games for the team.

Win Draw Loss Fixture

In 2024, Azerbaijan played several matches. They won against Mongolia and Kazakhstan in friendly games. They drew against Bulgaria. However, they faced some tough losses in the Nations League, including games against Sweden and Slovakia.

Coaching Staff

Position	Name
Head coach	Fernando Santos

Coaching History Highlights

Under Berti Vogts, Azerbaijan reached its highest position ever in FIFA World Rankings.

Many coaches have led the Azerbaijan national team over the years. One notable coach was Berti Vogts from Germany. He managed the team from 2008 to 2014. During his time, Azerbaijan reached its highest ever position in the FIFA World Rankings, hitting 73rd place in July 2014. He was the longest-serving manager for the team.

Players

Current Squad

The players listed below were called up for the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League C matches.
Match dates: 5 and 8 September 2024
Opponents: Sweden and Slovakia

Caps (games played) and goals are correct as of June 11, 2024, after the match against Kazakhstan.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Rza Jafarov	(2003-07-03) 3 July 2003 (age 21)	1	0	Neftçi
12	1GK	Yusif İmanov	(2002-03-27) 27 March 2002 (age 23)	1	0	Sabah
23	1GK	Mekhti Dzhenetov	(1992-01-26) 26 January 1992 (age 33)	1	0	Sumgayit

15	2DF	Badavi Guseynov	(1991-07-11) 11 July 1991 (age 33)	71	1	Qarabağ
4	2DF	Behlul Mustafazade	(1997-02-27) 27 February 1997 (age 28)	30	1	Qarabağ
17	2DF	Toral Bayramov	(2001-02-23) 23 February 2001 (age 24)	23	2	Qarabağ
3	2DF	Elvin Cafarguliyev	(2000-10-26) 26 October 2000 (age 24)	21	1	Qarabağ
22	2DF	Abbas Hüseynov	(1995-06-13) 13 June 1995 (age 30)	21	0	Qarabağ
13	2DF	Rahil Mammadov	(1995-11-24) 24 November 1995 (age 29)	18	0	Radomiak Radom
2	2DF	Amin Seydiyev	(1998-11-15) 15 November 1998 (age 26)	8	0	Sabah
5	2DF	Şehriyar Aliyev	(1992-12-25) 25 December 1992 (age 32)	2	0	Turan Tovuz

8	3MF	Emin Mahmudov (captain)	(1992-04-27) 27 April 1992 (age 33)	53	14	Neftçi
7	3MF	Coşqun Diniyev	(1995-09-13) 13 September 1995 (age 29)	23	0	Bandırmaspor
20	3MF	Aleksey Isayev	(1995-11-09) 9 November 1995 (age 29)	22	1	Qarabağ
16	3MF	Elvin Camalov	(1995-02-04) 4 February 1995 (age 30)	18	0	Sabah
21	3MF	Qismət Alıyev	(1996-10-24) 24 October 1996 (age 28)	11	0	Zira
10	3MF	Ozan Kökçü	(1998-08-18) 18 August 1998 (age 26)	7	0	HJK Helsinki
6	3MF	Emil Mustafayev	(2001-09-24) 24 September 2001 (age 23)	4	0	Polissya
18	3MF	Jeyhun Nuriyev	(2001-12-18) 18 December 2001 (age 23)	4	0	Zira
4	3MF	Khayal Najafov	(1997-12-19) 19 December 1997 (age 27)	2	0	Turan Tovuz

11	4FW	Ramil Sheydayev	(1996-03-15) 15 March 1996 (age 29)	63	10	Neftçi
9	4FW	Renat Dadashov	(1999-05-17) 17 May 1999 (age 26)	30	3	Ankaragücü
14	4FW	Rustam Akhmedzade	(2000-12-25) 25 December 2000 (age 24)	8	0	Zira
19	4FW	Nariman Akhundzade	(2004-04-23) 23 April 2004 (age 21)	1	0	Qarabağ

Recent Call-ups

These players have been called up for the team in the last year and could still be chosen to play.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Shakhruddin Magomedaliyev	(1994-06-12) 12 June 1994 (age 31)	29	0	Qarabağ	v. Kazakhstan, 11 June 2024
GK	Rashad Azizli	(1994-01-01) 1 January 1994 (age 31)	0	0	Gabala	v. Kazakhstan, 11 June 2024
GK	Səlahət Ağayev	(1991-01-04) 4 January 1991 (age 34)	21	0	Gabala	v. Bulgaria, 25 March 2024

DF	Anton Kryvotsyuk	(1998-08-20) 20 August 1998 (age 26)	37	1	Daejeon Citizen	v. Kazakhstan, 11 June 2024
DF	Elvin Badalov	(1995-06-14) 14 June 1995 (age 30)	9	0	Sumgayit	v. Kazakhstan, 11 June 2024
DF	Bekhtiyar Hasanalizade	(1992-12-29) 29 December 1992 (age 32)	4	0	Araz Naxçıvan	v. Bulgaria, 25 March 2024
DF	Hojjat Haghverdi	(1993-02-03) 3 February 1993 (age 32)	24	1	Neftçi	v. Belgium, 19 November 2023
DF	Cəlal Hüseynov	(2003-01-02) 2 January 2003 (age 22)	5	0	Arda Kardzhali	v. Belgium, 19 November 2023
DF	Turan Manafov	(1998-08-19) 19 August 1998 (age 26)	0	0	Araz Naxçıvan	v. Belgium, 19 November 2023
DF	Yusif Nabiyev	(1997-09-03) 3 September 1997 (age 27)	1	0	Sabail	v. Austria 16 October 2023

MF	Vusal Isgandarli	(1995-11-03) 3 November 1995 (age 29)	3	0	Boluspor	v. Kazakhstan, 11 June 2024
MF	Emil Safarov	(2002-10-30) 30 October 2002 (age 22)	4	0	Neftçi	v. Kazakhstan, 11 June 2024
MF	Eddi Israfilov	(1992-08-02) 2 August 1992 (age 32)	26	0	Johor	v. Bulgaria, 25 March 2024
MF	Filip Ozobić	(1991-04-08) 8 April 1991 (age 34)	15	1	Neftçi	v. Bulgaria, 25 March 2024

FW	Mahir Emreli	(1997-07-01) 1 July 1997 (age 27)	48	6	1. FC Nürnberg	v. Kazakhstan, 11 June 2024
FW	Musa Qurbanlı	(2002-04-13) 13 April 2002 (age 23)	14	3	Qarabağ	v. Kazakhstan, 11 June 2024
^INJ Withdrew due to injury ^PRE Preliminary squad / standby ^RET Retired from the national team ^SUS Serving suspension

Player Statistics

Players in bold are still active with Azerbaijan.

Most Appearances

Rashad Sadygov has played the most games for Azerbaijan, with 111 appearances.

These players have played the most games for the Azerbaijan national team.

Rank	Name	Caps	Goals	Career
1	Rashad Sadygov	111	5	2001–2017
2	Maksim Medvedev	81	4	2009–2024
3	Aslan Kerimov	80	1	1994–2008
4	Kamran Agayev	79	0	2008–2018
5	Gara Garayev	76	0	2013–2022
5	Mahir Shukurov	76	4	2004–2014
7	Tarlan Ahmadov	74	0	1992–2005
8	Badavi Guseynov	73	1	2012–present
9	Mahmud Qurbanov	71	1	1994–2008
10	Gurban Gurbanov	68	14	1992–2005

Top Goalscorers

Emin Mahmudov is one of Azerbaijan's top goal scorers, with 14 goals.

These players have scored the most goals for the Azerbaijan national team.

Rank	Name	Goals	Caps	Average	Career
1	Emin Mahmudov	14	53	0.28	2016–present
1	Gurban Gurbanov	14	68	0.21	1992–2005
3	Ramil Sheydayev	10	65	0.15	2016–present
4	Vagif Javadov	9	58	0.16	2006–2014
5	Elvin Mammadov	7	39	0.18	2008–2017
	Branimir Subašić	7	40	0.18	2007–2013
	Dimitrij Nazarov	7	46	0.15	2014–2022
	Rauf Aliyev	7	47	0.15	2010–2018
9	Zaur Tagizade	6	40	0.15	1997–2008
9	Mahir Emreli	6	48	0.13	2017–present

Tournament Records

FIFA World Cup

The Azerbaijan national team has tried to qualify for the FIFA World Cup several times.

FIFA World Cup record									Qualification record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Position
1930 to 1990	Part of Soviet Union								Part of Soviet Union
1994	Not a FIFA member								Not a FIFA member
1998	Did not qualify								8	1	0	7	3	22	5/5
2002									10	1	2	7	4	17	6/6
2006									10	0	3	7	1	21	6/6
2010									10	1	2	7	4	14	5/6
2014									10	1	6	3	7	11	4/6
2018									10	3	1	6	10	19	5/6
2022									8	0	1	7	5	18	5/5
2026	To be determined								To be determined
2030
2034
Total		0/7							66	7	15	44	34	122	—

UEFA European Championship

The team has also competed in qualifiers for the UEFA European Championship.

UEFA European Championship record									Qualifying record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Position
1960 to 1988	Part of Soviet Union								Part of Soviet Union
1992	Part of CIS								Part of CIS
1996	Did not qualify								10	0	1	9	2	29	6/6
2000									10	1	1	8	6	26	5/6
2004									8	1	1	6	5	20	5/5
2008									12	1	2	9	6	28	8/8
2012									10	2	1	7	10	26	5/6
2016									10	1	3	6	7	18	5/6
2020									8	0	1	7	5	18	5/5
2024									8	2	1	5	7	17	4/5
2028	To be determined								To be determined
2032	To be determined								To be determined
Total		0/8							76	8	11	57	48	182	—

UEFA Nations League

Azerbaijan also plays in the UEFA Nations League, a competition for European national teams.

UEFA Nations League record
Season	Division	Group	Round	Pos.	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA	P/R	RK
2018–19	D	3	Group stage	2nd	6	2	3	1	7	6		46th
2020–21	C	1	Group stage	3rd	6	1	3	2	2	4		43rd
2022–23	C	3	Group stage	2nd	6	3	1	2	7	4		38th
2024–25	C	1	To be determined
Total			Group stage (C)	3/3	18	6	7	5	16	14	38th