Cyprus national football team facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

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

Quick facts for kids
Cyprus

Association

Cyprus Football Association (CFA)
Κυπριακή Ομοσπονδία Ποδοσφαίρου
Kıbrıs Futbol Federasyonu

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

First colours

Second colours

FIFA ranking

Current

1 (7 February 2019)

Highest

43 (September 2010)

Lowest

142 (June 2014)

Elo ranking

Current

102

2 (3 March 2019)

Highest

69 (22 March 2000)

Lowest

141 (March 1992)

First international

Unofficial:

Israel 3–1 Cyprus

(Tel Aviv, Israel; 30 July 1949)
Official:

Cyprus 1–1 Israel

(Nicosia, Cyprus; 13 November 1960)

Biggest win

Cyprus 5–0 Andorra

(Limassol, Cyprus; 15 November 2000)

Cyprus 5–0 Andorra

(Nicosia, Cyprus; 16 November 2014)

Cyprus 5–0 San Marino

(Nicosia, Cyprus; 21 March 2019)

Biggest defeat

West Germany 12–0 Cyprus

(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.

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

Cyprus national team playing against Bulgaria in 2012.

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
Lotto	0000–2000
Errea	2000–2002
Umbro	2002–2006
Diadora	2006–2008
Adidas	2008–2018
Macron	2018–2022
Errea	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.

Manager	Akis Mantzios
Assistant Manager	Pavlos Sokratidis
Assistant Manager	Panayiotis Engomitis
Goalkeeping Coach	Nicos Constantinidis
Physical Trainer	Panicos Sakki
Physical Trainer	Ioakim Ioakim
Match Analyst	Giorgos Christodoulou

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
1	1GK	Joël Mall	(1991-04-05) 5 April 1991 (age 34)	17	0	Servette
13	1GK	Demetris Demetriou	(1999-01-15) 15 January 1999 (age 26)	12	0	Apollon Limassol
22	1GK	Neofytos Michail	(1993-12-16) 16 December 1993 (age 31)	15	0	Pafos

2	2DF	Kostas Pileas	(1998-12-11) 11 December 1998 (age 26)	10	1	Pafos
3	2DF	Nikolas Panagiotou	(2000-05-12) 12 May 2000 (age 25)	18	0	Omonia
7	2DF	Anderson Correia	(1991-05-06) 6 May 1991 (age 34)	14	0	Aris Limassol
14	2DF	Giorgos Malekkidis	(1997-07-14) 14 July 1997 (age 28)	7	0	Apollon Limassol
15	2DF	Christos Sielis	(2000-02-02) 2 February 2000 (age 25)	7	0	Panetolikos
16	2DF	Evagoras Antoniou	(2002-11-04) 4 November 2002 (age 22)	0	0	APOEL
24	2DF	Andreas Shikkis	(2002-01-13) 13 January 2002 (age 23)	1	0	Omonia Aradippou
	2DF	Konstantinos Laifis	(1993-05-19) 19 May 1993 (age 32)	65	4	APOEL

5	3MF	Charalampos Charalampous	(2002-04-04) 4 April 2002 (age 23)	21	1	Omonia
6	3MF	Giannis Satsias	(2002-12-28) 28 December 2002 (age 22)	8	1	APOEL
8	3MF	Charalampos Kyriakou	(1995-02-20) 20 February 1995 (age 30)	68	0	Apollon Limassol
18	3MF	Kostakis Artymatas	(1993-04-15) 15 April 1993 (age 32)	76	1	Anorthosis Famagusta
20	3MF	Grigoris Kastanos	(1998-01-30) 30 January 1998 (age 27)	70	7	Hellas Verona
23	3MF	Ioannis Kosti	(2000-03-17) 17 March 2000 (age 25)	12	0	Levadiakos
25	3MF	Antonio Foti	(2003-11-03) 3 November 2003 (age 21)	1	0	Borussia Dortmund
	3MF	Rafail Mamas	(2001-03-04) 4 March 2001 (age 24)	2	0	AEL Limassol

9	4FW	Marios Ilia	(1996-05-19) 19 May 1996 (age 29)	16	1	Pafos
10	4FW	Pieros Sotiriou	(1993-01-13) 13 January 1993 (age 32)	65	12	APOEL
11	4FW	Andronikos Kakoullis	(2001-05-03) 3 May 2001 (age 24)	27	5	AIK
12	4FW	Stavros Gavriel	(2002-01-29) 29 January 2002 (age 23)	4	0	Zulte Waregem
17	4FW	Loizos Loizou	(2003-07-18) 18 July 2003 (age 22)	39	1	Omonia
21	4FW	Marinos Tzionis	(2001-07-16) 16 July 2001 (age 24)	34	3	UTA Arad
26	4FW	Nikolas Koutsakos	(2003-11-14) 14 November 2003 (age 21)	1	1	Omonia Aradippou

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
GK	Konstantinos Panagi	(1994-10-08) 8 October 1994 (age 30)	28	0	AC Omonia	v. San Marino, 11 June 2024

DF	Stelios Andreou	(2002-07-24) 24 July 2002 (age 23)	24	0	Charleroi	v. Bosnia and Herzegovina, 24 March 2025
DF	Andreas Karo	(1996-09-09) 9 September 1996 (age 28)	25	1	Maccabi Petah Tikva	v. Kosovo, 15 October 2024
DF	Nicholas Ioannou	(1995-11-10) 10 November 1995 (age 29)	48	2	Sampdoria	v. Kosovo, 15 October 2024
DF	Minas Antoniou	(1994-02-22) 22 February 1994 (age 31)	20	0	Karmiotissa FC	v. Kosovo, 15 October 2024
DF	Marios Stylianou	(1993-09-23) 23 September 1993 (age 31)	6	0	Ethnikos Achna FC	v. Kosovo, 15 October 2024
DF	Andreas Panayiotou Filiotis	(1995-05-31) 31 May 1995 (age 30)	7	0	Apollon Limassol	v. Moldova, 8 June 2024
DF	Pavlos Korrea	(1998-07-14) 14 July 1998 (age 27)	4	0	Volos	v. San Marino, 11 June 2024

MF	Ioannis Kousoulos	(1996-06-14) 14 June 1996 (age 29)	43	4	Omonia	v. Bosnia and Herzegovina, 24 March 2025
MF	Hector Kyprianou	(2001-05-27) 27 May 2001 (age 24)	10	0	Peterborough United	v. Bosnia and Herzegovina, 24 March 2025
MF	Alex Gogić	(1994-04-13) 13 April 1994 (age 31)	33	0	St Mirren	v. Kosovo, 15 October 2024
MF	Andreas Chrysostomou	(2001-01-14) 14 January 2001 (age 24)	4	0	Anorthosis Famagusta FC	v. Kosovo, 15 October 2024
MF	Danilo Špoljarić	(1999-07-14) 14 July 1999 (age 26)	16	1	Apollon Limassol FC	v. Kosovo, 9 September 2024

FW	Ioannis Pittas	(1996-07-10) 10 July 1996 (age 29)	47	8	CSKA Sofia	v. Bosnia and Herzegovina, 24 March 2025
FW	Ruel Sotiriou	(2000-08-24) 24 August 2000 (age 24)	1	0	Bristol Rovers	v. Bosnia and Herzegovina, 24 March 2025
FW	Andreas Katsantonis	(2000-02-16) 16 February 2000 (age 25)	1	0	Piast Gliwice	v. Kosovo, 9 September 2024
^INJ Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury. ^PRE Preliminary squad. ^RET Retired from international football. ^SUS Suspended

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

Ioannis Okkas has played the most games for Cyprus, with 103 appearances.

Rank	Name	Caps	Goals	Career
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
5	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
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
3	Constantinos Charalambidis	12	93	0.13	2003–2017
5	Ioannis Pittas	10	49	0.2	2019–present
5	Efstathios Aloneftis	10	62	0.11	2005–2017
7	Marios Agathokleous	9	38	0.24	1994–2003
7	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
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1930	Not a FIFA member								Not a FIFA member
1934
1938
1950	Did not enter								Did not enter
1954	Did not enter								Did not enter
1958	Withdrew								Withdrew
1962	Did not qualify								2	0	1	1	2	7
1966									4	0	0	4	0	19
1970									6	0	0	6	2	35
1974									6	1	0	5	1	14
1978									6	0	0	6	3	24
1982									8	0	0	8	4	29
1986									6	0	0	6	3	18
1990									8	0	1	7	6	20
1994									10	2	1	7	8	18
1998									8	3	1	4	10	15
2002									10	2	2	6	13	31
2006									10	1	1	8	8	20
2010									10	2	3	5	14	16
2014									10	1	2	7	4	15
2018									10	3	1	6	9	18
2022									10	1	2	7	4	21
2026	To be determined								3	1	0	2	3	4
2030									To be determined
2034									To be determined
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
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1960	Not a UEFA member								Not a UEFA member
1964	Did not enter								Did not enter
1968	Did not qualify								6	1	0	5	3	25
1972									6	0	0	6	2	26
1976									6	0	0	6	0	16
1980									6	0	1	5	2	19
1984									8	0	2	6	4	21
1988									8	0	1	7	3	16
1992									8	0	0	8	2	25
1996									10	1	4	5	6	20
2000									8	4	0	4	12	21
2004									8	2	2	4	9	18
2008									12	4	2	6	17	24
2012									8	0	2	6	7	20
2016									10	4	0	6	16	17
2020									10	3	1	6	15	20
2024									8	0	0	8	3	28
2028	To be determined								To be determined
2032	To be determined								To be determined
Total		0/16							122	19	15	88	101	316