Finland national football team facts for kids
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| Nickname(s) | Huuhkajat (The Eagle-owls) |
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| Association | Football Association of Finland | ||
| Confederation | UEFA (Europe) | ||
| Captain | Lukas Hradecky | ||
| Most caps | Jari Litmanen (137) | ||
| Top scorer | Teemu Pukki (42) | ||
| Home stadium | Helsinki Olympic Stadium | ||
| FIFA code | FIN | ||
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| FIFA ranking | |||
| Current | 59  1 (7 February 2019) |
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| Highest | 33 (March 2007) | ||
| Lowest | 110 (July–August 2017) | ||
| Elo ranking | |||
| Current | 53  12 (3 March 2019) |
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| Highest | 30 (March 2002) | ||
| Lowest | 125 (1962–63) | ||
| First international | |||
 Finland 2–5 Sweden  (Helsinki, Finland; 22 October 1911) as Finland Sweden 1–0 Finland  (Stockholm, Sweden; 29 May 1919) |
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| Biggest win | |||
 Finland 10–2 Estonia  (Helsinki, Finland; 11 August 1922) Finland 8–0 San Marino  (Helsinki, Finland; 17 November 2010) |
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| Biggest defeat | |||
 Germany 13–0 Finland (Leipzig, Germany; 1 September 1940) |
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| European Championship | |||
| Appearances | 1 (first in 2020) | ||
| Best result | Group stage (2020) | ||
| Olympic Games | |||
| Appearances | 4 (first in 1912) | ||
| Best result | Fourth place (1912) | ||
| Baltic Cup | |||
| Appearances | 2 (first in 2012) | ||
| Best result | Runners-up (2012) | ||
The Finland national football team represents Finland in international football games for men. The team is controlled by the Football Association of Finland, which was started in 1907. Finland joined FIFA in 1908 and UEFA in 1957.
For many years, Finland did not qualify for big tournaments. But they made history by reaching UEFA Euro 2020. In the 2000s, they got better, even beating some strong European teams. Their highest FIFA ranking was 33rd in 2007. After that, their ranking dropped to 110th in 2017. As of July 2024, they are ranked 63rd.
Contents
History of Finnish Football
Early Days of the Team
The Football Association of Finland was created in 1907. Finland joined FIFA the next year. At that time, Finland was a special part of the Russian Empire.
Finland played its first international game on October 22, 1911. Sweden won against Finland in Helsinki. Finland also played in the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm. They beat Italy and the Russian Empire. However, they lost the game for the bronze medal against the Netherlands.
Football After the Civil War
After the Finnish Civil War in 1918, sports in Finland were split. The Football Association of Finland was part of one group. The national team only picked players from this group. Another group, the Finnish Workers' Sports Federation, had its own football team.
But by the late 1920s, some top players from the Workers' Sports Federation joined the Football Association. This allowed them to play for the national team. For example, many players in the 1936 Summer Olympics team were from the Workers' Sports Federation. In 1937, Finland tried to qualify for the FIFA World Cup for the first time. They lost all their games. In 1956, the two football groups finally joined together.
Post-War Years and New Challenges
Finland hosted the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki. But their team lost to Austria in the first round. Still, Finland won the unofficial Nordic Championship in 1964 and 1966.
Finland also started playing in the European Championship qualifiers from 1968. But they had to wait until 1978 for their first win.
Late 20th Century Football
Finland almost qualified for Euro 1980 and the 1986 World Cup. They missed out by very few points. Finland was invited to the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. This happened because many Western countries boycotted the games. However, Finland did not get past the group stage.
By the mid-1990s, more Finnish players joined big European teams. One of the most famous was Jari Litmanen, who played for Ajax. In 1996, Richard Møller Nielsen, who won Euro 1992 with Denmark, became Finland's coach. He tried to lead Finland to the 1998 World Cup. The team had some good results, like a draw and a win against Norway and Switzerland. In their last game, they needed to beat Hungary to reach the play-offs. They were winning 1–0 in injury time, but then scored an own goal. This ended their dream of qualifying.
Antti Muurinen became the coach in 2000. He had a very talented group of players. These included Antti Niemi, Sami Hyypiä, Teemu Tainio, Mikael Forssell, and the legendary Litmanen. The team played well in the qualifiers for the 2002 World Cup. They drew twice with Germany and once with England. They also beat Greece 5–1. But England and Germany were too strong in the end. Finland finished third in their group.
Hopes were high for Euro 2004 qualifiers. But Finland started by losing to Wales and Yugoslavia. They also lost twice to Italy. A 3–0 win over Yugoslavia was not enough. Finland finished fourth in their group. For the 2006 World Cup qualifiers, Finland lost all six games against the top three teams. Coach Muurinen was let go in June 2005.
Recent History and Euro 2020 Qualification
In 2006, Englishman Roy Hodgson became the new coach. He stepped down after Finland did not qualify for Euro 2008. His replacement was Stuart Baxter. In the Euro 2008 qualifiers, Finland needed to win their last game against Portugal to qualify. But the game ended 0–0. Finland missed out, but their performance helped them reach their best-ever FIFA ranking of 33rd.
Under Stuart Baxter, Finland finished third in their 2010 World Cup qualifying group. They were the only team not to lose to Germany in that group.
Mixu Paatelainen's Time (2011–2015)
During the Euro 2012 qualifiers, coach Baxter was replaced by former player Mixu Paatelainen. Paatelainen started with a win against San Marino. But then they lost 5–0 to Sweden. Finland finished fourth in their group.
Paatelainen's main goal was to bring in new, younger players. He even left out the famous Jari Litmanen. In the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, Finland got a good 1–1 draw against world champions Spain. They finished third in their group. Paatelainen was fired in June 2015 after four losses in a row during the Euro 2016 qualifiers. Finland finished fourth in that group.
Paatelainen often used a 4–3–2–1 formation, which he called joulukuusi (Christmas tree). Because of the bad results and his defensive style, he became unpopular with fans and media.
Hans Backe (2016)
In August 2015, Hans Backe from Sweden became the new manager. His first game was a 3–0 loss to Sweden. Backe was fired in December 2016 during the 2018 World Cup qualifiers. Finland did not win any games under Backe. He had nine losses and two draws.
Markku Kanerva's Era (2016–2024)
Finland's FIFA ranking had dropped to 110th by 2017. When UEFA started the new UEFA Nations League, Finland was placed in League C. Coach Kanerva brought in new, younger players. With goals from Teemu Pukki and saves from captain Lukas Hradecky, Finland won their Nations League group. They were promoted to League B.
Kanerva continued to get great results in the UEFA Euro 2020 qualification. On November 15, 2019, Finland qualified for their first-ever major tournament, UEFA Euro 2020. They beat Liechtenstein 3–0. Teemu Pukki was amazing, scoring ten goals in ten games. The tournament was moved to 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament, Finland won their first game against Denmark 1–0. Joel Pohjanpalo scored the goal. This was Finland's first goal and first win in a major competition. Sadly, they lost their next two games and were knocked out.
Finland did not qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Pukki kept scoring goals, but it wasn't enough. They finished third in their group. Long-time defenders Jukka Raitala, Paulus Arajuuri, and Joona Toivio retired from international football after these qualifiers.
In the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League B, Finland was in a tough group with England, Ireland, and Greece. They lost all six games and were moved down to League C. On November 22, 2024, coach Kanerva was released from his contract.
Home Stadiums
Most of Finland's home games are played at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium in Helsinki. It has been their main stadium since it was built in 1938. Before that, Pallokenttä in Helsinki was mostly used.
In the 2000s and 2010s, some games were played in Tampere Stadium and Veritas Stadion in Turku. Helsinki's Bolt Arena, which has artificial grass, is also used. While the Olympic Stadium was being rebuilt (2016-2020), Tampere Stadium was the main venue.
The team returned to the Helsinki Olympic Stadium in 2020. For the UEFA Euro 2024 qualification games, the stadium had an average of over 31,000 fans per match. This is about 97% of its full capacity.
Kits and Crest
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| Finland's home kit worn at UEFA Euro 2020 |
Finland's football kits are made by the American company Nike. Before Nike, the German company Adidas supplied their kits from 1979 to 2013.
Kit Sponsorship
| Kit supplier | Period |
|---|---|
 Adidas |
1979–2013 |
 Nike |
2014–present |
Current Team and Coaching Staff
Coaching Staff
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach | |
| Assistant coach | Jani Honkavaara |
| Tim Sparv |
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| Teemu Tainio |
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| Goalkeeping coach | Antti Niemi |
| Fitness coach | Jari-Pekka Keurulainen |
| Joni Ruuskanen |
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| Doctor | Heikki Kinnunen |
| Kit manager | Sami Miettinen |
| Team manager | Joonas Vilkki |
| Press officer | Timo Walden |
Current Squad (November 2024)
The following players were called up for the UEFA Nations League games in November 2024. Caps and goals are correct as of November 17, 2024.
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Lukas Hradecky (captain) | 24 November 1989 | 97 | 0 | Bayer Leverkusen |
| 12 | GK | Jesse Joronen | 21 March 1993 | 20 | 0 |  Venezia |
| 23 | GK | Carljohan Eriksson | 25 April 1995 | 1 | 0 |  Sarpsborg |
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| 2 | DF | Daniel O'Shaughnessy | 14 September 1994 | 23 | 1 | HJK |
| 3 | DF | Juhani Pikkarainen | 30 July 1998 | 1 | 0 | Ilves |
| 4 | DF | Robert Ivanov | 19 September 1994 | 35 | 0 | Eintracht Braunschweig |
| 5 | DF | Arttu Hoskonen | 16 April 1997 | 17 | 1 |  Cracovia |
| 13 | DF | Tuomas Ollila | 25 April 2000 | 4 | 0 |  Paris FC |
| 15 | DF | Miro Tenho | 2 April 1995 | 4 | 0 | Djurgården |
| 17 | DF | Nikolai Alho | 12 March 1993 | 40 | 0 |  Asteras Tripolis |
| 18 | DF | Jere Uronen | 13 July 1994 | 70 | 1 | Charlotte FC |
| 22 | DF | Ilmari Niskanen | 12 October 1997 | 23 | 1 |  Exeter City |
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| 6 | MF | Glen Kamara | 28 October 1995 | 65 | 2 | Rennes |
| 11 | MF | Onni Valakari | 18 August 1999 | 11 | 1 | AIK |
| 14 | MF | Kaan Kairinen | 22 December 1998 | 19 | 0 |  Sparta Prague |
| 16 | MF | Urho Nissilä | 4 April 1996 | 15 | 0 |  Puskás Akadémia |
| 19 | MF | Anssi Suhonen | 14 January 2001 | 8 | 0 | Hamburger SV |
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| 7 | FW | Oliver Antman | 15 August 2001 | 18 | 6 |  Go Ahead Eagles |
| 8 | FW | Robin Lod | 17 April 1993 | 74 | 6 | Minnesota United |
| 9 | FW | Benjamin Källman | 17 June 1998 | 27 | 7 | Cracovia |
| 10 | FW | Teemu Pukki (vice-captain) | 29 March 1990 | 127 | 42 | Minnesota United |
| 20 | FW | Joel Pohjanpalo | 13 September 1994 | 77 | 16 | Venezia |
| 21 | FW | Daniel Håkans | 26 October 2000 | 10 | 4 | Lech Poznań |
Player Records
Players still active are highlighted in blue
Most Games Played
| Rank | Player | Caps | Goals | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jari Litmanen | 137 | 32 | 1989–2010 |
| 2 | Teemu Pukki | 127 | 42 | 2009–present |
| 3 | Jonatan Johansson | 106 | 22 | 1996–2010 |
| 4 | Sami Hyypiä | 105 | 5 | 1992–2010 |
| 5 | Ari Hjelm | 100 | 20 | 1983–1996 |
| 6 | Joonas Kolkka | 98 | 11 | 1994–2010 |
| 7 | Lukas Hradecky | 97 | 0 | 2010–present |
| 8 | Mikael Forssell | 87 | 29 | 1999–2014 |
| 9 | Erkka Petäjä | 84 | 0 | 1983–1994 |
| Tim Sparv | 84 | 1 | 2009–2021 |
Top Goal Scorers
| Rank | Player | Goals | Caps | Ratio | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Teemu Pukki | 42 | 127 | 0.33 | 2009–present |
| 2 | Jari Litmanen | 32 | 137 | 0.23 | 1989–2010 |
| 3 | Mikael Forssell | 29 | 87 | 0.33 | 1999–2014 |
| 4 | Jonatan Johansson | 22 | 106 | 0.21 | 1996–2010 |
| 5 | Ari Hjelm | 20 | 100 | 0.2 | 1983–1996 |
| 6 | Mixu Paatelainen | 18 | 70 | 0.26 | 1986–2000 |
| 7 | Verner Eklöf | 17 | 32 | 0.53 | 1919–1927 |
| 8 | Aulis Koponen | 16 | 39 | 0.41 | 1924–1935 |
| Gunnar Åström | 16 | 44 | 0.36 | 1923–1937 | |
| Joel Pohjanpalo | 16 | 77 | 0.21 | 2012–present |
Team Achievements
Regional Competitions
- Baltic Cup
- Runners-up (1): 2012
- Third-place (1): 2014
- Nordic Football Championship
- Champions (1): 2000–01
Friendly Tournaments
- King's Cup
- Runners-up (2): 2000, 2013
- Cyprus International Football Tournament
- Champions (1): 2005
Images for kids
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Jari Litmanen is widely regarded as Finland's greatest footballer of all time.
See also
In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Finlandia para niños
- Finland men's national under-21 football team
- Finland men's national under-19 football team
- Finland men's national under-17 football team
- Finland women's national football team
- Football in Finland
