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Finland national football team facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The Finland national football team (called Huuhkajat or "The Eagle-owls" in Finnish) plays for Finland in international football games. It's managed by the Football Association of Finland, which started in 1907. Finland has been a member of FIFA since 1908 and UEFA since 1957.

For a long time, Finland didn't qualify for big tournaments. But in the 2000s, they started getting better, even reaching their highest FIFA World Ranking of 33rd in 2007. After a dip, they made history by qualifying for UEFA Euro 2020, their first major tournament! As of July 2025, they are working to improve their ranking and qualify for more big events.

Quick facts for kids
Finland
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s) Huuhkajat
(The Eagle-owls)
Association Football Association of Finland
Confederation UEFA (Europe)
Head coach Jacob Friis
Captain Lukas Hradecky
Most caps Jari Litmanen (137)
Top scorer Teemu Pukki (42)
Home stadium Helsinki Olympic Stadium
FIFA code FIN
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 59 Decrease 1 (7 February 2019)
Highest 33 (March 2007)
Lowest 110 (July–August 2017)
Elo ranking
Current 53 Increase 12 (3 March 2019)
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)
Biggest win
 Finland 10–2 Estonia 
(Helsinki, Finland; 11 August 1922)
 Finland 8–0 San Marino 
(Helsinki, Finland; 17 November 2010)
Biggest defeat
 Germany 13–0 Finland 
(Leipzig, Germany; 1 September 1940)
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)

Team History and Milestones

Early Days of Finnish Football

The Football Association of Finland started in 1907. Finland played its first international game on October 22, 1911, against Sweden. Finland also took part in the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, where they beat Italy and the Russian Empire. They finished fourth in the tournament.

Moscow v Finland, 1912, Zamoskvoretsky Club, Moscow
Finland team playing a Moscow XI in Moscow 1912

Football After the Civil War

After the Finnish Civil War in 1918, sports in Finland were split. The national team only picked players from the Football Association. However, some top players from the Workers' Sports Federation later joined the Football Association to play for the national team. By 1956, the two football groups joined together.

FIN-NationalFootballTeam1933
The Finnish national team against Denmark in 1933

Mid-Century and Beyond

Finland hosted the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, but lost in the first round. They did win the unofficial Nordic Football Championship in 1964 and 1966. Finland started playing in European Championship qualifiers in 1968, but their first win didn't come until 1978.

Suomi Jugoslavia
Finnish team after beating Yugoslavia in 1950
Nederland tegen Finland 4-1 Harry Lubse rechts in aktie tegen de Finse keeper E, Bestanddeelnr 928-1355
Finland playing against the Netherlands in 1975

Late 20th Century Progress

In the mid-1990s, more Finnish players started playing in big European leagues, like Jari Litmanen at Ajax. In 1996, Richard Møller Nielsen, who had won the Euro 1992 with Denmark, became Finland's coach. The team had some good moments, like drawing with Norway and beating Switzerland. They almost made it to the 1998 FIFA World Cup play-offs, but an own goal in the last minute of their final game against Hungary ended their hopes.

Jari Litmanen 2015
Jari Litmanen is often called Finland's greatest footballer ever.

Early 2000s and Challenges

Antti Muurinen took over as coach in 2000. He had a very talented group of players, including Sami Hyypiä and Mikael Forssell, along with Litmanen. They played well in the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification, drawing twice with Germany and once with England. However, they didn't qualify. Later, under Muurinen, results declined, and he was replaced in 2005.

Roy Hodgson became the coach in 2006. Finland came very close to qualifying for UEFA Euro 2008, needing a win against Portugal in their last game. The match ended in a 0-0 draw, and they missed out. However, this strong performance helped them reach their best-ever FIFA ranking of 33rd.

Recent Years and Euro 2020 Qualification

Under coach Markku Kanerva, Finland's ranking had dropped to 110th by 2017. However, Kanerva rebuilt the team. With key players like Teemu Pukki scoring goals and captain Lukas Hradecky making saves, Finland won their Nations League group and got promoted.

Markku Kanerva 2021
Markku Kanerva led Finland to qualify for their first major UEFA European Tournament.

Then came the UEFA Euro 2020 qualification. On November 15, 2019, Finland made history by qualifying for their first major tournament, UEFA Euro 2020, after beating Liechtenstein 3-0. Teemu Pukki was a star, scoring ten goals in ten games. The tournament was moved to 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

At UEFA Euro 2020, Finland won their first-ever game in a major tournament, beating Denmark 1-0 with a goal from Joel Pohjanpalo. Sadly, they lost their next two games and were knocked out in the group stage.

Finland did not qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. They also missed out on UEFA Euro 2024 after losing a play-off match to Wales in March 2024.

Markku Kanerva's time as coach ended in November 2024. He had brought in many new, younger players like Kaan Kairinen and Oliver Antman, helping the team improve its FIFA ranking to 63rd by summer 2024.

New Coach: Jacob Friis

On January 20, 2025, Jacob Friis from Denmark was announced as the new head coach for the Finland national team. He signed a three-year deal. His first official matches were in March 2025 for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification.

Home Stadiums

Lyhdynkantajat EM-asussa 1
Lantern carriers at Helsinki Central Station dressed in national colors during the 2020 European Championships in 2021
Pohjoiskaarre-SMJK
Finnish national team supporters at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium in 2009

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. Other stadiums like Tampere Stadium and Veritas Stadion have also hosted games. During the renovation of the Helsinki Olympic Stadium from 2016 to 2020, Tampere Stadium was the main venue. The team returned to the renovated Helsinki Olympic Stadium in 2020.

Team Kits and Sponsors

Finland's football kits are currently made by the American brand Nike. Before Nike, the German company Adidas supplied their kits from 1979 to 2013.
Finland's home kit worn at UEFA Euro 2020

Current Team Players

Current Squad Members

Here are the players who were called up for the FIFA World Cup qualification matches in June 2025. Caps and goals are updated as of June 10, 2025, after the match against Poland.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Lukas Hradecky (captain) (1989-11-24) 24 November 1989 (age 35) 101 0 Germany Bayer Leverkusen
12 1GK Jesse Joronen (1993-03-21) 21 March 1993 (age 32) 20 0 Free agent
23 1GK Viljami Sinisalo (2001-10-11) 11 October 2001 (age 23) 3 0 Scotland Celtic
2 2DF Juhani Pikkarainen (1998-07-30) 30 July 1998 (age 27) 1 0 Sweden Degerfors
3 2DF Ville Tikkanen (1999-08-10) 10 August 1999 (age 26) 0 0 Finland HJK
4 2DF Robert Ivanov (1994-09-19) 19 September 1994 (age 30) 39 0 Free agent
5 2DF Arttu Hoskonen (1997-04-16) 16 April 1997 (age 28) 19 1 England Stockport County
15 2DF Miro Tenho (1995-04-02) 2 April 1995 (age 30) 8 0 Sweden Djurgården
17 2DF Nikolai Alho (1993-03-12) 12 March 1993 (age 32) 44 0 Greece Asteras Tripolis
18 2DF Jere Uronen (1994-07-13) 13 July 1994 (age 31) 74 1 Sweden AIK
22 2DF Ilmari Niskanen (1997-10-12) 12 October 1997 (age 27) 25 1 England Exeter City
6 3MF Glen Kamara (1995-10-28) 28 October 1995 (age 29) 68 2 France Rennes
7 3MF Tommi Jyry (1999-08-16) 16 August 1999 (age 26) 0 0 Romania Petrolul Ploiești
8 3MF Robin Lod (1993-04-17) 17 April 1993 (age 32) 78 6 United States Minnesota United
9 3MF Fredrik Jensen (1997-09-09) 9 September 1997 (age 27) 36 8 Greece Aris
13 3MF Onni Valakari (1999-08-18) 18 August 1999 (age 26) 12 1 United States San Diego FC
14 3MF Kaan Kairinen (1998-12-22) 22 December 1998 (age 26) 23 1 Czech Republic Sparta Prague
16 3MF Matti Peltola (vice-captain) (2002-07-03) 3 July 2002 (age 23) 18 0 United States D.C. United
21 3MF Anssi Suhonen (2001-01-14) 14 January 2001 (age 24) 10 0 Sweden Öster
3MF Matias Siltanen (2007-03-29) 29 March 2007 (age 18) 0 0 Sweden Djurgården
10 4FW Teemu Pukki (vice-captain) (1990-03-29) 29 March 1990 (age 35) 130 42 Finland HJK
11 4FW Oliver Antman (2001-08-15) 15 August 2001 (age 24) 22 7 Netherlands Go Ahead Eagles
19 4FW Benjamin Källman (1998-06-17) 17 June 1998 (age 27) 31 8 Germany Hannover 96
20 4FW Joel Pohjanpalo (vice-captain) (1994-09-13) 13 September 1994 (age 30) 81 18 Italy Palermo

Recently Called-Up Players

These players have been called up in the last year and could still be selected.


Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Carljohan Eriksson (1995-04-25) 25 April 1995 (age 30) 1 0 Norway Sarpsborg v.  Greece, 17 November 2024
DF Tuomas Ollila (2000-04-25) 25 April 2000 (age 25) 5 0 France Paris FC v.  Lithuania, 24 March 2025
DF Daniel O'Shaughnessy (1994-09-14) 14 September 1994 (age 30) 23 1 Finland HJK v.  Lithuania, 24 March 2025
DF Noah Pallas (2001-02-09) 9 February 2001 (age 24) 3 0 Norway Vålerenga v.  Lithuania, 24 March 2025
DF Adam Ståhl (1994-10-08) 8 October 1994 (age 30) 3 0 Sweden Djurgården v.  Lithuania, 24 March 2025
DF Leo Väisänen (1997-07-24) 24 July 1997 (age 28) 28 0 Sweden Häcken v.  Lithuania, 24 March 2025
DF Tomas Galvez (2005-01-28) 28 January 2005 (age 20) 5 0 England Manchester City v.  England, 13 October 2024
MF Roman Eremenko (1987-03-19) 19 March 1987 (age 38) 73 5 Finland Gnistan v.  Netherlands, 7 June 2025 INJ
MF Rasmus Schüller (vice-captain) (1991-06-18) 18 June 1991 (age 34) 79 0 Sweden Djurgården v.  Malta, 21 March 2025 ILL
MF Urho Nissilä (1996-04-04) 4 April 1996 (age 29) 15 0 Hungary Puskás Akadémia v.  Greece, 17 November 2024
MF Leo Walta (2003-06-24) 24 June 2003 (age 22) 6 0 Sweden Sirius v.  England, 13 October 2024
FW Daniel Håkans (2000-10-26) 26 October 2000 (age 24) 12 4 Poland Lech Poznań v.  Lithuania, 24 March 2025
FW Topi Keskinen (2003-03-07) 7 March 2003 (age 22) 4 0 Scotland Aberdeen v.  England, 13 October 2024
FW Santeri Haarala (1999-12-17) 17 December 1999 (age 25) 0 0 Sweden Djurgården v.  England, 10 September 2024
Notes
  • INJ = Withdrew due to an injury
  • ILL = Withdrew due to an illness
  • WD = Withdrew due to a non-injury issue
  • PRE = Preliminary squad / standby
  • RET = Retired from international duty

Player Records

These tables show the players with the most games played and the most goals scored for Finland. Players who are still active are highlighted in blue.

Most Games Played

Litmanen jari
Jari Litmanen has played the most games for Finland with 137 appearances.
Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Jari Litmanen 137 32 1989–2010
2 Teemu Pukki 130 42 2009–present
3 Jonatan Johansson 106 22 1996–2010
4 Sami Hyypiä 105 5 1992–2010
5 Lukas Hradecky 101 0 2010–present
6 Ari Hjelm 100 20 1983–1996
7 Joonas Kolkka 98 11 1994–2010
8 Mikael Forssell 87 29 1999–2014
9 Erkka Petäjä 84 0 1983–1994
Tim Sparv 84 1 2009–2021

Top Goal Scorers

Norwich 2 Chelsea 3 - Teemu Pukki
Teemu Pukki is Finland's top scorer with 42 goals.
Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Teemu Pukki 42 130 0.32 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
Joel Pohjanpalo 18 81 0.22 2012–present
8 Verner Eklöf 17 32 0.53 1919–1927
9 Aulis Koponen 16 39 0.41 1924–1935
Gunnar Åström 16 44 0.36 1923–1937

Team Achievements

Regional Cups

Friendly Tournaments

  • King's Cup
    • Runners-up (2): 2000, 2013
  • Cyprus International Football Tournament
    • Champions (1): 2005

More About Finnish Football

  • Finland men's national under-21 football team
  • Finland women's national football team
  • Football in Finland

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Finlandia para niños

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