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Georgia national football team facts for kids

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This page is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Georgia women's national football team.
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Georgia
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s) ჯვაროსნები
Jvarosnebi (The Crusaders)
Association Georgian Football Federation (GFF)
Confederation UEFA (Europe)
Head coach Willy Sagnol
Captain Guram Kashia
Most caps Guram Kashia (124)
Top scorer Shota Arveladze (26)
Home stadium Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena (main)
Adjarabet Arena (second)
Mikheil Meskhi Stadium & Ramaz Shengelia Stadium (third)
FIFA code GEO
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 91 Decrease 2 (7 February 2019)
Highest 42 (September 1998)
Lowest 156 (March 1994)
Elo ranking
Current 69 Increase 16 (3 March 2019)
Highest 49 (11 October 1995)
Lowest 108 (late 2009)
First international
Unofficial
Georgian SSR 2–4 Azerbaijan SSR
(Tbilisi, Georgian SSR; December 1926)
Official
 Lithuania 1–0 Georgia 
(Kaunas, Lithuania; 2 September 1992)
Biggest win
 Georgia 8–0 Thailand 
(Tbilisi, Georgia; 12 October 2023)
Biggest defeat
 Georgia 1–7 Spain 
(Tbilisi, Georgia; 8 September 2023)
European Championship
Appearances 1 (first in 2024)
Best result Round of 16 (2024)

The Georgia national football team represents Georgia in international men's football games. The team is managed by the Georgian Football Federation. This group controls football in Georgia.

Georgia is a member of UEFA (Europe) and FIFA (global competitions). Their first match was on May 27, 1990, against Lithuania. At that time, Georgia was still part of the Soviet Union.

The team has tried to qualify for major tournaments since Euro 1996. They finally made it to their first big tournament, the UEFA Euro 2024. They qualified by beating Greece in a play-off final.

People often call the team Jvarosnebi, which means The Crusaders. Their symbol is Saint George, who is a patron saint of Georgia. When Georgia joined FIFA, they were ranked 156th. They reached their highest rank of 42nd in 1998. The team plays its home games at the Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena in Tbilisi.

History of Georgian Football

Early Days of Football

Football came to Georgia in the early 1900s. English sailors brought the sport when their ships docked in Poti and Batumi. Local players, who played a traditional game called Lelo burti, quickly learned and loved football. The first mention of football in Georgian newspapers was in 1890.

From 1923 to 1990, Georgian players were part of the USSR national team. Two Georgians, Murtaz Khurtsilava and Aleksandre Chivadze, even captained the USSR team. Georgian players helped the USSR team a lot. For example, Slava Metreveli scored in the 1960 European Nations' Cup final. Murtaz Khurtsilava was a key player in the 1966 FIFA World Cup, where the USSR finished fourth. Other famous Georgian players from that time include Vitaly Daraselia, David Kipiani, Ramaz Shengelia, and Vladimir Gutsaev.

Georgia's Own Team Begins

After the Soviet Union, Georgia formed its own national football team in 1990. Their first international match was against Lithuania on May 27, 1990. The game was a 2–2 draw. This was before Georgia declared its independence on April 9, 1991.

The Georgian Football Federation joined UEFA and FIFA in 1992. This allowed Georgia to play in official competitions. Their first competitive match was a 1–0 loss to Moldova in September 1994. This was part of the qualifiers for Euro 1996. Georgia finished third in their group.

Georgia did not qualify for the 1998 World Cup in France. They finished fourth in their group. Around this time, Georgia reached its highest FIFA World Ranking of 42nd place.

21st Century Challenges and Successes

Georgia continued to try and qualify for major tournaments. They did not make it to UEFA Euro 2000 or Euro 2004. However, they did beat Russia in a qualifier for Euro 2004. They also did not qualify for the 2006 World Cup or Euro 2008.

In June 2016, Georgia had a big friendly win. They beat Spain 1–0, who were two-time European champions.

In 2018, Georgia made history in the new UEFA Nations League. They were the first team to win promotion in the tournament. They won their group in League D with two games left. This earned them their first-ever chance to play in a major tournament play-off.

For UEFA Euro 2020, Georgia beat Belarus in the play-off semi-final. This gave them hope for qualification. But they lost to North Macedonia in the final match. So, they missed out on Euro 2020.

TUR-GEO 18.06.24, Batum (4)
Georgian fans watching the match in a fan zone in Batumi. They are celebrating Georgia's first goal in the history of the championship (against Turkey).

Georgia showed great improvement by beating Sweden 2–0 in a 2022 World Cup qualification match in November 2021. They continued to get better. They won their group in the 2022–23 UEFA Nations League C. This meant they were promoted to 2024-25 UEFA Nations League B. It also gave them another play-off chance for Euro 2024.

Georgia won 2–0 against Luxembourg in the play-off semi-final. This put them in the final of the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying play-offs. They then beat Greece 4–2 in a penalty shootout after a 0–0 draw. This amazing win guaranteed Georgia's first-ever spot in a major international tournament, Euro 2024.

Euro 2024 Journey

At Euro 2024, Georgia was in Group F. They lost 3–1 to Turkey. In that match, Georges Mikautadze scored Georgia's first-ever goal in the Euros. They then drew 1–1 with the Czech Republic.

Their 2–0 victory against Portugal was a huge surprise. Many called it one of the biggest upsets in European Championship history. This win was enough to send Georgia to the Round of 16 in their first tournament. In the Round of 16, Georgia played against Spain, who later became champions. Georgia lost 4–1. Georges Mikautadze finished Euro 2024 as one of the top goalscorers.

Recent Matches and Schedule

Main article: Georgia national football team results (2020–present)

Here are some recent match results and upcoming games for Georgia.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2024 Matches

7 September 2024 2024–25 Nations League Georgia  4–1  Czech Republic Tbilisi, Georgia
20:00
  • Kvaratskhelia Goal 33' (pen.)
  • Chakvetadze Goal 63'
  • Mikautadze Goal 57'
  • Kochorashvili Goal 66'
  • Kalvach Goal 80'
 Stadium: Mikheil Meskhi Stadium
Attendance: 20,401
Referee: Orel Grinfeld (Israel)
10 September 2024 2024–25 Nations League Albania  0–1  Georgia Tirana, Albania
20:45
  • Kochorashvili Goal 71'
 Stadium: Arena Kombëtare
Attendance: 20,400
Referee: Erik Lambrechts (Belgium)
11 October 2024 2024–25 Nations League Ukraine  1–0  Georgia Poznań, Poland
20:45
  • Mudryk Goal 35'
 Stadium: Poznań Stadium
Attendance: 21,700
Referee: Julian Weinberger (Austria)
14 October 2024 2024–25 Nations League Georgia  0–1  Albania Tbilisi, Georgia
20:00
  • Asllani Goal 48'
 Stadium: Mikheil Meskhi Stadium
Attendance: 19,981
Referee: Danny Makkelie (Netherlands)
16 November 2024 2024–25 Nations League Georgia  1–1  Ukraine Batumi, Georgia
21:00
  • Mikautadze Goal 76'
  • Kvirkvelia Goal 7' (o.g.)
 Stadium: Adjarabet Arena
Attendance: 19,120
Referee: Chris Kavanagh (England)
19 November 2024 2024–25 Nations League Czech Republic  2–1  Georgia Olomouc, Czech Republic
20:45
  • Šulc Goal 3'
  • Hložek Goal 24'
  • Mikautadze Goal 60'
 Stadium: Andrův stadion
Attendance: 12,221
Referee: Anastasios Papapetrou (Greece)

2025 Matches

20 March 2025 2024–25 UEFA Nations League promotion/relegation play-offs Armenia  0–3  Georgia Yerevan, Armenia
21:00
  • Kochorashvili Goal 33'
  • Mikautadze Goal 37', 59'
 Stadium: Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium
Attendance: 14,414
Referee: Radu Petrescu (Romania)
23 March 2025 2024–25 UEFA Nations League promotion/relegation play-offs Georgia  6–1
(9–1 agg.)		  Armenia Tbilisi, Georgia
18:00
  • Haroyan Goal 4' (o.g.)
  • Mikautadze Goal 14', 35'
  • Chakvetadze Goal 23'
  • Kiteishvili Goal 27'
  • Kvaratskhelia Goal 62'
  • Sevikyan Goal 48'
 Stadium: Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena
Attendance: 47,903
Referee: Anthony Taylor (England)
5 June 2025 Friendly Georgia  1–0  Faroe Islands Tbilisi, Georgia
20:00
  • Lochoshvili Goal 9'
 Stadium: Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena
Referee: Jasper Vergoote (Belgium)
8 June 2025 Friendly Georgia  1–1  Cape Verde Kutaisi, Georgia
20:00
  • Lobzhanidze Goal 45+1'
  • Mendes Goal 80' (pen)
 Stadium: Ramaz Shengelia Stadium
Attendance: 9,940
Referee: Henrik Nalbandyan (Armenia)
4 September 2025 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Georgia  v  Turkey Tbilisi, Georgia
20:00 Stadium: Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena
7 September 2025 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Georgia  v  Bulgaria Tbilisi, Georgia
17:00 Stadium: Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena
11 October 2025 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Spain  v  Georgia Barcelona, Spain
20:45 Stadium: RCDE Stadium
14 October 2025 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Turkey  v  Georgia Turkey
21:45
15 November 2025 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Georgia  v  Spain Georgia
21:00
18 November 2025 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Bulgaria  v  Georgia Sofia, Bulgaria
21:45 Stadium: Vasil Levski National Stadium

Coaching Team

The coaching staff helps the team play its best.

Position Name
Manager France Willy Sagnol
Assistant Manager Tunisia Adel Chedli
Georgia (country) Zurab Khizanishvili
England David Webb
Goalkeeping Coach Georgia (country) Davit Gvaramadze
Analyst Georgia (country) Irakli Chitauri
Georgia (country) Levan Zamtaradze
Fitness Trainer France Fabien Bossuet

Team Players

Current Squad Members

These players were chosen for the friendly matches against Faroe Islands (June 5) and Cape Verde (June 8). Budu Zivzivadze and Giorgi Zaria had to leave due to injuries. Davit Volkovi joined as a replacement.

Caps (games played) and goals are correct as of June 9, 2025, after the match against Cape Verde.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Giorgi Loria (1986-01-27) 27 January 1986 (age 39) 79 0 Georgia (country) Dinamo Tbilisi
12 1GK Davit Kereselidze (1999-08-19) 19 August 1999 (age 26) 1 0 Georgia (country) Dila Gori
23 1GK Luka Gugeshashvili (1999-04-29) 29 April 1999 (age 26) 2 0 Greece PAOK
2 2DF Guram Giorbelidze (1996-02-25) 25 February 1996 (age 29) 12 0 Turkey Erzurumspor
3 2DF Lasha Dvali (1995-05-14) 14 May 1995 (age 30) 45 1 Cyprus APOEL
4 2DF Luka Lochoshvili (1998-05-29) 29 May 1998 (age 27) 23 2 Germany Nürnberg
5 2DF Iva Gelashvili (2001-04-08) 8 April 2001 (age 24) 2 0 Greece Panserraikos
13 2DF Giorgi Gocholeishvili (2001-02-14) 14 February 2001 (age 24) 14 0 Ukraine Shakhtar Donetsk
15 2DF Giorgi Gvelesiani (1991-05-05) 5 May 1991 (age 34) 10 0 Iran Persepolis
16 2DF Saba Kharebashvili (2008-09-03) 3 September 2008 (age 16) 1 0 Georgia (country) Dinamo Tbilisi
6 3MF Shota Nonikashvili (2001-01-10) 10 January 2001 (age 24) 2 0 Ukraine LNZ Cherkasy
7 3MF Anzor Mekvabishvili (2001-06-05) 5 June 2001 (age 24) 23 0 Romania Universitatea Craiova
8 3MF Sandro Altunashvili (1997-05-19) 19 May 1997 (age 28) 8 0 Austria Wolfsberger AC
9 3MF Saba Lobzhanidze (1994-12-18) 18 December 1994 (age 30) 40 4 United States Atlanta United
10 3MF Nika Kvekveskiri (1992-05-29) 29 May 1992 (age 33) 62 0 Hungary Nyíregyháza
17 3MF Vladimer Mamuchashvili (1997-08-29) 29 August 1997 (age 27) 12 0 Georgia (country) Torpedo Kutaisi
19 3MF Levan Shengelia (1995-10-27) 27 October 1995 (age 29) 23 1 Greece OFI Crete
20 3MF Nika Gagnidze (2001-03-20) 20 March 2001 (age 24) 2 0 Ukraine Kolos Kovalivka
11 4FW Giorgi Kvilitaia (1993-10-01) 1 October 1993 (age 31) 40 6 Cyprus Aris Limassol
14 4FW Giorgi Beridze (1997-05-12) 12 May 1997 (age 28) 10 1 Hungary Újpest
18 4FW Davit Volkovi (1995-06-03) 3 June 1995 (age 30) 7 2 Azerbaijan Zira
21 4FW Giorgi Guliashvili (2001-09-05) 5 September 2001 (age 23) 3 0 Bosnia and Herzegovina Sarajevo
22 4FW Giorgi Gagua (2001-10-10) 10 October 2001 (age 23) 0 0 Croatia Istra 1961

Other Players Called Up Recently

These players were not chosen for the latest matches but have played for the team in the last 12 months.


Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Giorgi Mamardashvili (2000-09-29) 29 September 2000 (age 24) 29 0 England Liverpool v.  Armenia, 23 March 2025
DF Guram Kashia (1987-07-04) 4 July 1987 (age 38) 124 3 Slovakia Slovan Bratislava v.  Armenia, 23 March 2025
DF Otar Kakabadze (1995-06-27) 27 June 1995 (age 30) 73 0 Poland Cracovia v.  Armenia, 23 March 2025
DF Irakli Azarovi (2002-02-21) 21 February 2002 (age 23) 19 0 Ukraine Shakhtar Donetsk v.  Armenia, 23 March 2025
DF Saba Goglichidze (2004-06-25) 25 June 2004 (age 21) 3 0 Italy Empoli v.  Armenia, 23 March 2025
DF Luka Latsabidze (2004-03-18) 18 March 2004 (age 21) 0 0 Ukraine Shakhtar Donetsk v.  Armenia, 23 March 2025
DF Solomon Kvirkvelia (1992-02-06) 6 February 1992 (age 33) 62 0 Georgia (country) Torpedo Kutaisi v.  Czech Republic, 19 November 2024
DF Aleksandre Kalandadze (2001-05-09) 9 May 2001 (age 24) 2 0 Poland Wisła Płock v.  Czech Republic, 19 November 2024
DF Jemal Tabidze (1996-03-18) 18 March 1996 (age 29) 15 1 Russia Dynamo Makhachkala v.  Albania, 10 September 2024
DF Luka Gadrani (1997-04-12) 12 April 1997 (age 28) 0 0 Kazakhstan Kairat v.  Albania, 10 September 2024
MF Giorgi Zaria (1997-07-14) 14 July 1997 (age 28) 2 0 Kazakhstan Kairat v.  Faroe Islands, 5 June 2025 INJ
MF Otar Kiteishvili (1996-03-26) 26 March 1996 (age 29) 47 4 Austria Sturm Graz v.  Armenia, 23 March 2025
MF Zuriko Davitashvili (2001-02-15) 15 February 2001 (age 24) 46 6 France Saint-Étienne v.  Armenia, 23 March 2025
MF Giorgi Chakvetadze (1999-08-29) 29 August 1999 (age 25) 37 10 England Watford v.  Armenia, 23 March 2025
MF Giorgi Tsitaishvili (2000-11-18) 18 November 2000 (age 24) 25 1 France Metz v.  Armenia, 23 March 2025
MF Giorgi Kochorashvili (1999-06-29) 29 June 1999 (age 26) 19 3 Portugal Sporting CP v.  Armenia, 23 March 2025
FW Budu Zivzivadze (1994-03-10) 10 March 1994 (age 31) 36 8 Germany 1. FC Heidenheim v.  Faroe Islands, 5 June 2025 INJ
FW Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (2001-02-12) 12 February 2001 (age 24) 41 18 France Paris Saint-Germain v.  Armenia, 23 March 2025
FW Georges Mikautadze (2000-10-31) 31 October 2000 (age 24) 37 20 France Lyon v.  Armenia, 23 March 2025

INJ Player withdrew from the squad due to injury

Team Records

Here are some records for the Georgia national football team. Players in bold are still playing for Georgia.

Most Games Played

Geo Team (Kashia)
Guram Kashia has played the most games for Georgia with 124 appearances.
Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Guram Kashia 124 3 2009–present
2 Jaba Kankava 101 10 2004–2024
3 Levan Kobiashvili 100 12 1996–2011
4 Zurab Khizanishvili 92 1 1999–2015
5 Kakha Kaladze 83 1 1996–2011
6 Giorgi Loria 79 0 2008–2025
7 Otar Kakabadze 73 0 2015–present
8 Giorgi Nemsadze 69 0 1992–2004
9 Aleksandre Iashvili 67 15 1996–2011
10 Gocha Jamarauli 62 6 1994–2004
Nika Kvekveskiri 62 0 2015–present
Solomon Kvirkvelia 62 0 2014–present
Valeri Qazaishvili 62 13 2014–2022

Top Goal Scorers

Shota Arveladze
Shota Arveladze is Georgia's top scorer with 26 goals.
Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Shota Arveladze 26 61 0.43 1992–2007
2 Georges Mikautadze 20 37 0.54 2021–present
3 Khvicha Kvaratskhelia 18 41 0.44 2019–present
4 Temur Ketsbaia 17 52 0.33 1990–2003
5 Aleksandre Iashvili 15 67 0.22 1996–2011
6 Tornike Okriashvili 13 50 0.26 2010–2021
Valeri Qazaishvili 13 62 0.21 2014–2022
8 Giorgi Demetradze 12 56 0.21 1996–2007
Levan Kobiashvili 12 100 0.12 1996–2011
10 Giorgi Chakvetadze 10 37 0.27 2018–present
Jaba Kankava 10 101 0.1 2004–2024

Tournament History

FIFA World Cup Appearances

FIFA World Cup record FIFA World Cup qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA Position
Uruguay 1930 to Italy 1990 Part of the  Soviet Union Part of the  Soviet Union
United States 1994 FIFA member from 1992. Not admitted to the tournament. Not admitted to the tournament
France 1998 Did not qualify 8 3 1 4 7 9 4/5
South Korea Japan 2002 8 3 1 4 12 12 3/5
Germany 2006 12 2 4 6 14 25 6/7
South Africa 2010 10 0 3 7 7 19 6/6
Brazil 2014 8 1 2 5 3 10 4/5
Russia 2018 10 0 5 5 8 14 5/6
Qatar 2022 8 2 1 5 6 12 4/5
Canada Mexico United States 2026 To be determined To be determined
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total 0/7 64 11 17 36 57 101 —

UEFA European Championship Appearances

Main article: Georgia at the UEFA European Championship
UEFA European Championship record UEFA European Championship qualifying record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA Position
France 1960 to Sweden 1992 Part of the  Soviet Union Part of the  Soviet Union
England 1996 Did not qualify 10 5 0 5 14 13 3/6
Belgium Netherlands 2000 10 1 2 7 8 18 6/6
Portugal 2004 8 2 1 5 8 14 5/5
Austria Switzerland 2008 12 3 1 8 16 19 6/7
Poland Ukraine 2012 10 2 4 4 7 9 5/6
France 2016 10 3 0 7 10 16 5/6
Europe 2020 10 3 2 5 8 12 4/5 (PO runners-up)
Germany 2024 Round of 16 15th 4 1 1 2 5 8 Squad 10 3 3 4 14 18 4/5 (PO winners)
United Kingdom Republic of Ireland 2028 To be determined To be determined
Italy Turkey 2032
Total Round of 16 1/8 4 1 1 2 5 8 — 80 22 13 45 85 119 —

UEFA Nations League History

UEFA Nations League record
Season League Group Pos Pld W D L GF GA P/R RK
2018–19 D 1 1st 6 5 1 0 12 2 Rise 40th
2020–21 C 2 3rd 6 1 4 1 6 6 Same position 42nd
2022–23 C 4 1st 6 5 1 0 16 3 Rise 33rd
2024–25 B 1 3rd 8 4 1 3 16 7 Same position 26th
Total 26 15 7 4 50 18 26th

Team Achievements

Friendly Tournaments

  • Malta International Football Tournament
    • Champions (1): 1998

More About Georgian Football

  • Football in Georgia
  • List of Georgia international footballers
  • Georgia national football team results (1990–2019)
  • Georgia national football team results (2020–present)
  • List of Georgian national football team captains
  • Georgia national under-21 football team
  • Georgia national under-19 football team
  • Georgia national under-17 football team
  • Georgia national futsal team
  • Georgia national beach soccer team

See also

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

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