Cyprus national football team facts for kids
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Association | Cyprus Football Association (CFA) Κυπριακή Ομοσπονδία Ποδοσφαίρου Kıbrıs Futbol Federasyonu |
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Confederation | UEFA (Europe) | ||
Head coach | Akis Mantzios | ||
Captain | Kostakis Artymatas | ||
Most caps | Ioannis Okkas (103) | ||
Top scorer | Michalis Konstantinou (32) | ||
Home stadium | AEK Arena | ||
FIFA code | CYP | ||
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FIFA ranking | |||
Current | 87 ![]() |
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Highest | 43 (September 2010) | ||
Lowest | 142 (June 2014) | ||
Elo ranking | |||
Current | 102 ![]() |
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Highest | 69 (22 March 2000) | ||
Lowest | 141 (March 1992) | ||
First international | |||
Unofficial:![]() ![]() (Tel Aviv, Israel; 30 July 1949) Official: ![]() ![]() (Nicosia, Cyprus; 13 November 1960) |
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Biggest win | |||
![]() ![]() (Limassol, Cyprus; 15 November 2000) ![]() ![]() (Nicosia, Cyprus; 16 November 2014) ![]() ![]() (Nicosia, Cyprus; 21 March 2019) |
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Biggest defeat | |||
![]() ![]() (Essen, West Germany; 21 May 1969) |
The Cyprus national football team represents the country of Cyprus in men's international football games. This team is managed by the Cyprus Football Association. Their main home stadium is the AEK Arena in Larnaca.
Contents
Team History
Early Matches and First Wins
The Cyprus national football team played its first match on July 23, 1949. This was a friendly game against Maccabi Tel Aviv in Tel Aviv, which ended in a 3–3 draw. A week later, they played their first official international game, losing 3–1 to Israel.
After Cyprus became independent from British rule in November 1960, they had their first official post-independence match. It was a 1–1 draw against Israel during the 1962 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Cyprus got its first international win on November 27, 1963, beating Greece 3–1 in a friendly game. Their first win in a competitive match was on February 17, 1968, when they defeated Switzerland 2–1 in a European Championship qualifier in Nicosia.
In 1974, Cyprus had a famous 1–0 victory over Northern Ireland in Nicosia. Later, in February 1983, they drew 1–1 with world champions Italy in a Euro 1984 qualifier. A month later, they had the same result against Czechoslovakia. Four years later, in the Euro 1988 qualifiers, Cyprus earned their first away point against Poland. In 1989, they drew 1–1 with France in a World Cup qualifier. Cyprus finally got their first away win in 1992, beating the Faroe Islands 2–0.
The team's performance in qualifying tournaments got much better over the years. In the 1996 UEFA European Championship qualifiers, they drew 1–1 with the defending champions Denmark. Four years later, they almost made it to UEFA Euro 2000. They had exciting 3–2 wins against both Spain and Israel, and a big 4–0 win over San Marino.
Successes in the 2000s
On November 15, 2000, Cyprus achieved their biggest win ever, beating Andorra 5–0 in a 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier. On October 7, 2006, during the Euro 2008 qualifiers, Cyprus surprised many by beating the Republic of Ireland 5–2. Michalis Konstantinou and Constantinos Charalambidis each scored two goals in that game.
Just one month later, on November 15, 2006, they had another surprising result. They drew 1–1 at home against Germany, who had hosted the previous World Cup. On October 13, 2007, Cyprus beat Wales 3–1. A few days later, on October 17, 2007, they nearly won an away game against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin, but the hosts scored in the last minute, making it a 1–1 draw.
Highlights of the 2010s
On September 3, 2010, Cyprus had a memorable 4–4 draw against Portugal in a Euro 2012 qualifier.
During the Euro 2016 qualification, Cyprus, led by coach Pambos Christodoulou, achieved one of their most important wins. They defeated 2014 World Cup participant Bosnia 2–1. In their final group match, Cyprus needed to beat Bosnia and hope Belgium won against Israel to finish third in their group. Bosnia won the game 3–2, which meant they went to the play-offs instead of Cyprus.
In the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Cyprus finished fifth in their group. They had an impressive 3–2 home victory over Bosnia during this time.
Recent Years (2020s)
In the Euro 2020 qualifiers, Cyprus beat San Marino 5–0. However, they lost to stronger teams like Belgium and Scotland. Despite an away win against Kazakhstan, they finished fourth in their group.
The 2020–21 UEFA Nations League was a tough period for Cyprus. They lost their first three games and drew one. Even though they beat Luxembourg 2–1 at home, they finished last in their group. This meant they had to play Estonia in relegation play-offs, which they won 2–0 overall. In the next Nations League competition, Cyprus again finished last in their group.
In the 2024 Euro qualifiers, Cyprus lost all eight of their games. This was their worst Euro qualification campaign ever in terms of points and goal difference.
Team Kits
On October 7, 2006, Diadora revealed Cyprus' new kit. It featured a map of Cyprus in amber with a green line, which caused some discussion. This kit was used for the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying phase. Later, Adidas made Cyprus' kits for several World Cup and Euro qualifying phases. In 2018, Macron took over from Adidas as part of a UEFA program. Since 2022, Errea has been the kit provider.
Kit provider | Period |
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2000–2002 |
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2002–2006 |
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2006–2008 |
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2008–2018 |
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2018–2022 |
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2022–present |
Home Stadiums
Since late 2021, Cyprus has played its home matches at the Georgios Karapatakis AEK Arena in Larnaca.
Before this, home games were played at different stadiums across the country. Until 1974, they used the old GSP Stadium in Nicosia or the GSE Stadium in Famagusta. After the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, some matches were held at the Tsirion Stadium in Limassol and the Makario Stadium in Nicosia. In 1999, the New GSP Stadium in Nicosia became the team's new home. However, due to sponsorship changes, some games were played at the Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium in Larnaca. Cyprus returned to the GSP Stadium for the Euro 2012 qualifiers but has not played there since September 2021.
Recent Match Results
Here are some of the recent match results for the Cyprus national football team.
Win Draw Loss Fixture
2024 Matches
- September 6, 2024: Lithuania 0–1 Cyprus (Win)
- September 9, 2024: Cyprus 0–4 Kosovo (Loss)
- October 12, 2024: Cyprus 0–3 Romania (Loss)
- October 15, 2024: Kosovo 3–0 Cyprus (Loss)
- November 15, 2024: Cyprus 2–1 Lithuania (Win)
- November 18, 2024: Romania 4–1 Cyprus (Loss)
2025 Matches
- March 21, 2025: Cyprus 2–0 San Marino (Win)
- March 24, 2025: Bosnia and Herzegovina 2–1 Cyprus (Loss)
- June 6, 2025: Bulgaria 2–2 Cyprus (Draw)
- June 10, 2025: Romania 2–0 Cyprus (Loss)
Coaching Staff
The current coaching staff helps the team prepare for matches.
Coaching History
Many coaches have led the Cyprus national team over the years.
Argyrios Gavalas (1960–1967)
Pambos Avraamidis (1968–1969)
Ray Wood (1970–1971)
Sima Milovanov (1972)
Pambos Avraamidis (1972–1974)
Panikos Iakovou (1974)
Pambos Avraamidis (1975)
Kostas Talianos (1976)
Panikos Krystallis (1976–1977)
Andreas Lazarides (1977)
Kostas Talianos (1978–1982)
Vasil Spasov (1982–1984)
Panikos Iakovou (1984–1987)
Takis Charalambous (1987)
Panikos Iakovou (1988–1991)
Andreas Michaelides (1991–1996)
Stavros Papadopoulos (1997)
Panikos Georgiou (1997–1999)
Stavros Papadopoulos (1999–2001)
Takis Charalambous (2001)
Momčilo Vukotić (2001–2004)
Angelos Anastasiadis (2005–2011)
Nikos Nioplias (2011–2013)
Pambos Christodoulou (2014–2015)
Christakis Christoforou (2015–2017)
Ran Ben Shimon (2017–2020)
Johan Walem (2020–2021)
Nikos Kostenoglou (2021–2022)
Temur Ketsbaia (2022–2024)
Sofronis Avgousti (2024)
Akis Mantzios (2025–)
Team Players
Current Squad Members
These players were chosen for recent matches in June 2025. Their stats are updated as of June 6, 2025.
No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
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1 | GK | Joël Mall | 5 April 1991 | 17 | 0 | ![]() |
13 | GK | Demetris Demetriou | 15 January 1999 | 12 | 0 | ![]() |
22 | GK | Neofytos Michail | 16 December 1993 | 15 | 0 | ![]() |
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2 | DF | Kostas Pileas | 11 December 1998 | 10 | 1 | ![]() |
3 | DF | Nikolas Panagiotou | 12 May 2000 | 18 | 0 | ![]() |
7 | DF | Anderson Correia | 6 May 1991 | 14 | 0 | ![]() |
14 | DF | Giorgos Malekkidis | 14 July 1997 | 7 | 0 | ![]() |
15 | DF | Christos Sielis | 2 February 2000 | 7 | 0 | ![]() |
16 | DF | Evagoras Antoniou | 4 November 2002 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
24 | DF | Andreas Shikkis | 13 January 2002 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
DF | Konstantinos Laifis | 19 May 1993 | 65 | 4 | ![]() |
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5 | MF | Charalampos Charalampous | 4 April 2002 | 21 | 1 | ![]() |
6 | MF | Giannis Satsias | 28 December 2002 | 8 | 1 | ![]() |
8 | MF | Charalampos Kyriakou | 20 February 1995 | 68 | 0 | ![]() |
18 | MF | Kostakis Artymatas | 15 April 1993 | 76 | 1 | ![]() |
20 | MF | Grigoris Kastanos | 30 January 1998 | 70 | 7 | ![]() |
23 | MF | Ioannis Kosti | 17 March 2000 | 12 | 0 | ![]() |
25 | MF | Antonio Foti | 3 November 2003 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
MF | Rafail Mamas | 4 March 2001 | 2 | 0 | ![]() |
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9 | FW | Marios Ilia | 19 May 1996 | 16 | 1 | ![]() |
10 | FW | Pieros Sotiriou | 13 January 1993 | 65 | 12 | ![]() |
11 | FW | Andronikos Kakoullis | 3 May 2001 | 27 | 5 | ![]() |
12 | FW | Stavros Gavriel | 29 January 2002 | 4 | 0 | ![]() |
17 | FW | Loizos Loizou | 18 July 2003 | 39 | 1 | ![]() |
21 | FW | Marinos Tzionis | 16 July 2001 | 34 | 3 | ![]() |
26 | FW | Nikolas Koutsakos | 14 November 2003 | 1 | 1 | ![]() |
Other Players Called Up Recently
These players have also been part of the Cyprus squad in the last 12 months.
Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
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GK | Konstantinos Panagi | 8 October 1994 | 28 | 0 | ![]() |
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DF | Stelios Andreou | 24 July 2002 | 24 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
DF | Andreas Karo | 9 September 1996 | 25 | 1 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
DF | Nicholas Ioannou | 10 November 1995 | 48 | 2 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
DF | Minas Antoniou | 22 February 1994 | 20 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
DF | Marios Stylianou | 23 September 1993 | 6 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
DF | Andreas Panayiotou Filiotis | 31 May 1995 | 7 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
DF | Pavlos Korrea | 14 July 1998 | 4 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
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MF | Ioannis Kousoulos | 14 June 1996 | 43 | 4 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
MF | Hector Kyprianou | 27 May 2001 | 10 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
MF | Alex Gogić | 13 April 1994 | 33 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
MF | Andreas Chrysostomou | 14 January 2001 | 4 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
MF | Danilo Špoljarić | 14 July 1999 | 16 | 1 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
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FW | Ioannis Pittas | 10 July 1996 | 47 | 8 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
FW | Ruel Sotiriou | 24 August 2000 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
FW | Andreas Katsantonis | 16 February 2000 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
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Player Records
These tables show the players with the most games played and the most goals scored for Cyprus. Players in bold are still active with the team.
Most Games Played
Rank | Name | Caps | Goals | Career |
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1 | Ioannis Okkas | 103 | 27 | 1997–2011 |
2 | Constantinos Charalambidis | 93 | 12 | 2003–2017 |
3 | Michalis Konstantinou | 84 | 32 | 1997–2012 |
4 | Pambos Pittas | 82 | 7 | 1987–1999 |
5 | Kostakis Artymatas | 77 | 1 | 2012-present |
Constantinos Makrides | 77 | 5 | 2004–2016 | |
7 | Nicos Panayiotou | 74 | 0 | 1994–2006 |
8 | Demetris Christofi | 72 | 9 | 2008–2023 |
9 | Grigoris Kastanos | 71 | 7 | 2015-present |
10 | Charalampos Kyriakou | 69 | 0 | 2014-present |
Elias Charalambous | 69 | 0 | 2002–2017 | |
Chrysis Michael | 69 | 7 | 2000–2017 | |
Giorgos Theodotou | 69 | 0 | 1996–2008 |
Top Goal Scorers
Rank | Name | Goals | Caps | Ratio | Career |
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1 | Michalis Konstantinou | 32 | 86 | 0.37 | 1997–2012 |
2 | Ioannis Okkas | 27 | 103 | 0.26 | 1997–2011 |
3 | Pieros Sotiriou | 12 | 65 | 0.18 | 2012–present |
Constantinos Charalambidis | 12 | 93 | 0.13 | 2003–2017 | |
5 | Ioannis Pittas | 10 | 49 | 0.2 | 2019–present |
Efstathios Aloneftis | 10 | 62 | 0.11 | 2005–2017 | |
7 | Marios Agathokleous | 9 | 38 | 0.24 | 1994–2003 |
Demetris Christofi | 9 | 72 | 0.13 | 2008–2023 | |
9 | Fivos Vrahimis | 8 | 18 | 0.44 | 1977–1982 |
Milenko Špoljarić | 8 | 21 | 0.38 | 1997–2001 | |
Siniša Gogić | 8 | 37 | 0.22 | 1994–1999 | |
Andreas Sotiriou | 8 | 39 | 0.21 | 1991–1999 |
Tournament Records
FIFA World Cup History
Cyprus has tried to qualify for the FIFA World Cup many times but has not yet made it to the main tournament.
FIFA World Cup record | Qualification record | ||||||||||||||
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Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
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Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | |||||||||||||
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Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||
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Withdrew | Withdrew | |||||||||||||
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Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | ||||||||
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4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 19 | |||||||||
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6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 35 | |||||||||
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6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 14 | |||||||||
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6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 24 | |||||||||
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8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 29 | |||||||||
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6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 18 | |||||||||
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8 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 20 | |||||||||
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10 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 18 | |||||||||
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8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 15 | |||||||||
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10 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 13 | 31 | |||||||||
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10 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 20 | |||||||||
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10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 14 | 16 | |||||||||
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10 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 15 | |||||||||
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10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 18 | |||||||||
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10 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 21 | |||||||||
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To be determined | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||||||||
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To be determined | ||||||||||||||
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Total | 0/19 | 127 | 17 | 15 | 95 | 94 | 324 |
UEFA European Championship History
Cyprus has also competed in qualifiers for the UEFA European Championship but has not yet reached the final tournament.
UEFA European Championship record | Qualifying record | ||||||||||||||
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Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
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Not a UEFA member | Not a UEFA member | |||||||||||||
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Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||
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Did not qualify | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 25 | ||||||||
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6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 26 | |||||||||
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6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 16 | |||||||||
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6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 19 | |||||||||
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8 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 21 | |||||||||
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8 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 16 | |||||||||
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8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 25 | |||||||||
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10 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 20 | |||||||||
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8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 12 | 21 | |||||||||
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8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 18 | |||||||||
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12 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 17 | 24 | |||||||||
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8 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 20 | |||||||||
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10 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 16 | 17 | |||||||||
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10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 15 | 20 | |||||||||
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8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 28 | |||||||||
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To be determined | To be determined | |||||||||||||
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Total | 0/16 | 122 | 19 | 15 | 88 | 101 | 316 |
UEFA Nations League Performance
The UEFA Nations League is a newer competition. Here's how Cyprus has done in it.
UEFA Nations League record | ||||||||||
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Season | Division | Group | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | P/R | Rank |
2018–19 | C | 3 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 9 | ![]() |
36th |
2020–21 | C | 1 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 10 | ![]() |
46th |
2022–23 | C | 2 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 12 | ![]() |
45th |
2024–25 | C | 2 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 15 | ![]() |
43rd |
Total | 26 | 6 | 6 | 14 | 17 | 46 | 36th |
Team Achievements
Friendly Tournaments
- Cyprus International Football Tournament
- Champions (2): 1998, 2000
See also
In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Chipre para niños