Greece national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Greece

Nickname(s)	Ethniki (The National) Galanolefki (The Azure & White) Piratiko (The Pirate Ship)
Association	Hellenic Football Federation (HFF) (Ελληνική Ποδοσφαιρική Ομοσπονδία – ΕΠΟ)
Confederation	UEFA (Europe)
Head coach	Ivan Jovanović
Captain	Anastasios Bakasetas
Most caps	Giorgos Karagounis (139)
Top scorer	Nikos Anastopoulos (29)
Home stadium	Karaiskakis Stadium
FIFA code	GRE
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	45 2 (7 February 2019)
Highest	8 (April 2008, October 2011)
Lowest	66 (September 1998)
Elo ranking
Current	55 6 (3 March 2019)
Highest	7 (August 2004)
Lowest	78 (May 1963, November 1963)
First international
Greece 1–4 Italy  (Piraeus, Greece; 7 April 1929)
Biggest win
Greece 8–0 Syria  (Athens, Greece; 25 November 1949)
Biggest defeat
Hungary 11–1 Greece  (Budapest, Hungary; 25 March 1938)
World Cup
Appearances	3 (first in 1994)
Best result	Round of 16 (2014)
European Championship
Appearances	4 (first in 1980)
Best result	Champions (2004)
Olympic Games
Appearances	3 (first in 1920)
Best result	Group stage (2004)
Confederations Cup
Appearances	1 (first in 2005)
Best result	Group stage (2005)
Medal record Men's football UEFA European Championship Gold 2004 Portugal Team Mediterranean Games Gold 1951 Alexandria Team Gold 1991 Athens Team Bronze 1997 Bari Team Mediterranean Cup Silver 1950–53 Mediterranean Cup Balkan Cup Silver 1934–35 Balkan Cup Bronze 1929–31 Balkan Cup Bronze 1935 Balkan Cup Bronze 1936 Balkan Cup
Website	epo.gr

The Greece national football team represents Greece in international men's football games. It is managed by the Hellenic Football Federation. Greece is one of only ten national teams to have won the UEFA European Championship.

Greece first played in a big tournament at UEFA Euro 1980. They were knocked out in the group stage. This placed them among the top eight European football nations that year. Greece did not qualify for another major tournament until the 1994 FIFA World Cup. After a great qualifying run, they did not perform well in the finals, losing all three group matches without scoring.

UEFA Euro 2004 was the best moment in Greece's football history. They won the tournament in only their second try. Many people thought they had no chance before the tournament. But Greece beat strong teams like defending champions France and hosts Portugal twice. They defeated Portugal in the opening game and again in the final. This win earned them a spot in the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup.

In the ten years after their 2004 victory, Greece qualified for almost every major competition. They reached the quarter-finals at UEFA Euro 2012 and the round of 16 at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. During this time, they were often in the top 20 of the FIFA Men's World Rankings. They even reached their highest rank of eighth in the world in April 2008 and October 2011.

Since 2014, Greece has not played in the finals of any major tournament.

History of Greek Football

Early Football Matches

On 12 April 1896, a Greek team played against a Denmark XI in Athens. They lost by a large score in a special game during the 1896 Olympic Games.

The first few Olympic football events (1900–06) were not official for national teams. Only a few club teams played. Greece hosted the 1906 Olympics. A team from Athens played against a Danish club and two teams from the Ottoman Empire. In the final, the Athens team was losing badly and stopped playing at halftime.

Greece's next unofficial game was 13 years later at the Inter-Allied Games in Paris in 1919. They lost their first two games by big scores. But they managed to beat Romania 3–2 in their last match. The next year, Greece played in the 1920 Summer Games in Antwerp. They lost 9–0 to Sweden in the first round. This game is recognized by FIFA as their first official match.

The Greece national team's first official match was on 7 April 1929. They lost 1–4 to Italy B. Alberto Nahmias scored Greece's first official goal.

Balkan and Mediterranean Cups

Between 1929 and 1936, Greece played in six Balkan Cups. Their best result was finishing second in the 1934–35 Balkan Cup. They were just one point behind Yugoslavia. Kostas Choumis was a key player, scoring 7 goals in the Balkan Cup.

From 1949 to 1958, Greece played in three Mediterranean Cups. They finished second in the 1950–53 Mediterranean Cup, just one point behind Italy B. Georgios Darivas was the top scorer in that edition with 4 goals.

In 1951, Greece won the first Mediterranean Games men's football tournament. This was held in Alexandria, Egypt. They beat Syria and hosts Egypt to win the title. Nikos Lekatsas was the star, scoring 4 goals.

World Cup Near Misses in the 1970s

In the decades after World War II, Greece did not have much international success in football. The country's economic and social situation made it hard to develop a strong national team.

Greece almost qualified for the FIFA World Cup twice. These were in 1970 and 1978. They had good players like Mimis Domazos and Giorgos Sideris during these years.

Euro 1980 Debut

Greece made its first appearance in a major tournament at the Euro 1980 in Italy. They qualified by finishing first in a tough group. This group included strong teams like the Soviet Union and Hungary. In the tournament, Greece was in Group A with West Germany, the Netherlands, and Czechoslovakia.

In their first game, Greece lost 1–0 to the Netherlands. Three days later, they lost 3–1 to Czechoslovakia. In their last game, Greece earned a 0–0 draw against West Germany, who went on to win the tournament. This was seen as a good performance for their first time in a major competition.

Struggles Before 1994

Greece did not qualify for six major tournaments after Euro 1980. These included three World Cups and three Euros. During this time, Greece often played poorly. However, they did have some surprising good results. These included a draw against Italy in 1982 World Cup qualifiers. They also had a 3–2 win over Hungary and a 0–0 draw against England in Euro 1984 qualifiers.

Greece struggled to score goals and their defense was often disorganized. This led to them losing important games and failing to qualify.

1994 World Cup Experience

The team qualified for the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States. This was their first time reaching the World Cup finals. Greece finished first and undefeated in their qualifying group. They beat Russia in the final game to secure their spot.

In the tournament, Greece was in Group D with Nigeria, Bulgaria, and Argentina. People in Greece had high hopes after the successful qualifying campaign. However, the team performed very poorly. They lost all three games, scoring no goals and letting in ten. This was a tough learning experience for the team.

Near Misses After 1994

Greece did not qualify for UEFA Euro 1996, finishing third in their group. In the 1998 World Cup qualifiers, they missed out by just one point. They finished behind Croatia, who went on to do very well in that World Cup.

For Euro 2000 qualifiers, Greece again finished third. They were two points behind Slovenia. In the 2002 World Cup qualifiers, Greece finished fourth. This led to a change in coach, with Otto Rehhagel taking over.

European Champions: Euro 2004 Triumph

Qualifying for Euro 2004

Greece started their UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying games with two losses. They lost 2–0 at home to Spain and away to Ukraine. But then, the team won all of their next six games. This included a 1–0 win over Spain in Zaragoza. This amazing comeback secured their first-place finish in the group. It also meant they would play in the European Championship finals for the first time in 24 years.

Before the Tournament

Greece was considered one of the least likely teams to win the tournament. Many saw them as underdogs. They were placed in Group A, which was called a "group of death." It included hosts Portugal, Spain, and Russia. Very few people thought Greece would even make it past the group stage.

Group Stage Success

In the first match against hosts Portugal, Greece won 2–1. This was a big surprise! They earned the nickname "pirate ship" (Το Πειρατικό). Giorgos Karagounis scored from far away, and Angelos Basinas scored a penalty. Four days later, Greece drew 1–1 with Spain. They were down 1–0 at halftime but Angelos Charisteas scored to tie the game. In their last group match, Greece was losing 2–0 to Russia early on. But Zisis Vryzas scored, and Greece moved on to the next round because they had scored more goals than Spain.

Quarter-finals Victory

In the quarter-finals, Greece played against the undefeated champions, France. In the 65th minute, Greece took the lead. Captain Theodoros Zagorakis made a great play, and Angelos Charisteas scored with a header. Greece held on to win, even though France attacked strongly at the end. They became the first team to beat both the hosts and the defending champions in the same tournament.

Semi-finals Thriller

Greece reached the semi-finals to face the Czech Republic. The Czechs had won all their games so far. They were expected to win the trophy. The game was very tense. The Czech Republic attacked a lot, but Greece's goalkeeper Antonios Nikopolidis made many saves. A key Czech player, Pavel Nedvěd, got injured in the first half. The game ended 0–0 after 90 minutes. In the last minute of the first half of extra time, Traianos Dellas scored a "silver goal" with a header from a corner kick. This sent Greece to the final!

Euro 2004 Final

For the first time, the final was a repeat of the opening match. Greece and hosts Portugal played each other again. In the 57th minute, Charisteas scored with a header from a corner by Angelos Basinas. Portugal had a lot of the ball, but Greece's defense was very strong. Cristiano Ronaldo had a chance to score late in the game, but he missed. Greece won 1–0, winning the tournament! Many people call this one of the biggest upsets in football history. Greece captain Zagorakis was named the best player of the tournament.

Recognition for the Champions

Greece's victory made them jump from 35th to 14th in the FIFA World Rankings in just one month. This was a huge jump! Winning Euro 2004 is the biggest team sports achievement in Greece's history. The team was honored with medals and a huge celebration. They were also named "World Team of the Year" at the 2005 Laureus World Sports Award for Team of the Year.

After the Euro 2004 Win

2005 Confederations Cup

As European champions, Greece played in the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup in Germany. They were in a group with 2002 FIFA World Cup champions Brazil, 2004 AFC Asian Cup champions Japan, and 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup champions Mexico. Greece lost their first two matches and drew their last one, finishing last in the group.

Euro 2008 Campaign

Greece was a top seed for the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying tournament. They won their qualifying group with 31 points, which was the most points of any team. This secured their spot in the Euro 2008 finals.

In the tournament, Greece was in Group D with Sweden, Spain, and Russia. Greece lost all three of their games and scored only one goal. They became the first defending champion not to earn any points in the next European Championship.

2010 World Cup Journey

Greece qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup after beating Ukraine in a playoff. This was their second World Cup appearance. They were grouped with Argentina and Nigeria, who they had also played in 1994. South Korea was the other team in their group.

Greece lost their first game 2–0 to South Korea. In their second game against Nigeria, Greece won 2–1. This was their first-ever World Cup victory! Dimitris Salpingidis scored Greece's first World Cup goal. Vasilis Torosidis scored the winning goal. In their third match against Argentina, Greece lost 2–0. They finished third in their group and did not move on.

After the 2010 World Cup, Otto Rehhagel stepped down as coach. Fernando Santos became the new manager. Under Santos, Greece went on an amazing 17-game unbeaten streak. They also moved up to eighth in the FIFA world rankings, matching their highest-ever position.

Euro 2012 Performance

Greece qualified for UEFA Euro 2012 without losing a single game in their qualifying group. This was the second time they had done this for a major tournament. They often scored late goals, especially from defenders.

In the tournament, Greece was in Group A with hosts Poland, Russia, and the Czech Republic. In their opening match against Poland, Greece drew 1–1. They played with ten men for much of the game. In their second match, Greece lost 2–1 to the Czech Republic. In their final group game, Greece needed to win against Russia to advance. They won 1–0 with a goal from captain Giorgos Karagounis. This sent them to the quarter-finals for the second time.

Euro 2012 Quarter-finals

In the quarter-finals, Greece played against Germany. Germany had won all their group matches. Germany scored first, but Georgios Samaras equalized for Greece. However, Germany then scored three more goals quickly. Greece scored a late penalty, but the match ended 4–2 to Germany. This ended Greece's Euro 2012 journey.

2014 World Cup Journey

To reach the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, Greece played in a tough qualifying group. They finished second behind Bosnia and Herzegovina. Greece's defense was very strong, letting in only four goals in ten games.

Greece then played Romania in a two-game playoff. Greece won 4–2 on total goals, with Kostas Mitroglou scoring three goals. This sent Greece to the World Cup.

2014 World Cup Finals

Greece was in Group C with Colombia, Côte d'Ivoire, and Japan. In their first game, they lost 3–0 to Colombia. In their second game, Greece drew 0–0 with Japan, even though their captain Kostas Katsouranis received two yellow cards and was sent off.

In their final group match, Greece needed to beat Ivory Coast to reach the next round. Andreas Samaris scored Greece's first goal. Ivory Coast equalized, but in the last minute of the game, Georgios Samaras scored a penalty kick. This gave Greece a 2–1 win and sent them to the Round of 16 for the first time in their history!

In the Round of 16, Greece played Costa Rica. Costa Rica had surprisingly won their group. Greece was losing 1–0, but Sokratis Papastathopoulos scored a goal in the last seconds to force extra time. The game went to a penalty shootout, where Costa Rica won 5–3. This ended Greece's best World Cup run.

Recent Years: 2014 Onwards

Euro 2016 and 2018 World Cup Qualifiers

After 2014, Greece had a difficult period. They appointed Claudio Ranieri as coach, but he was soon replaced after a shocking home defeat to the Faroe Islands. Greece finished last in their Euro 2016 qualifying group and did not qualify.

For the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Greece showed some improvement. They finished second in their group behind Belgium. However, they lost to Croatia in the playoff round and did not qualify for the World Cup.

Nations League and Euro 2020 Qualifiers

Greece played in League C of the UEFA Nations League. They finished third in their group. For UEFA Euro 2020 qualifiers, Greece finished third in their group. The team showed improvement in their attacking style in their final games.

2022 World Cup Qualifiers

Greece remained in League C for the 2020–21 Nations League. They needed a win against Slovenia in their last game to get promoted but drew 0–0. They finished unbeaten and only conceded one goal.

For the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Greece started with a good 1–1 draw against Spain. They had some draws and wins, but eventually lost to Sweden and Spain. This meant Greece did not qualify for the World Cup for the second time in a row.

Euro 2024 Qualifiers and Nations League Promotion

Under coach Gus Poyet, Greece had a good run in the 2022–23 UEFA Nations League. They won their group and earned promotion to League B. This also gave them a playoff spot for Euro 2024.

In the Euro 2024 qualifiers, Greece finished third in their group. They then played in the playoffs. They won easily against Kazakhstan (5–0) in the semi-final. However, they lost to Georgia on penalties in the final after a 0–0 draw. So, they did not qualify for Euro 2024.

Recent Success: Nations League Promotion

Greece started their new UEFA Nations League campaign under coach Ivan Jovanović. On 10 October 2024, they surprised England by beating them 2–1 at Wembley Stadium. Vangelis Pavlidis scored both goals for Greece.

Greece finished second in their group, which earned them a spot in the promotion playoffs against Scotland. In the first game on 20 March 2025, Greece lost 0–1 at home. However, in the second game on 23 March 2025, Greece won 3–0 away from home! This meant they won 3–1 on total goals and earned their first-ever promotion to League A of the Nations League. Young players like Giannis Konstantelias, Konstantinos Karetsas, and Christos Tzolis were key to this victory.

Home Stadiums of Greece

Greece has played its home matches in many different stadiums over the years. Most of these stadiums are in or near Athens.

The Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus was the main home ground from 2004 until 2017. It became the national venue again in 2024. Before that, the Leoforos Alexandras Stadium in Athens was used regularly for 33 years, starting in 1929.

Other stadiums like Kaftanzoglio Stadium in Thessaloniki and the Athens Olympic Stadium have also hosted many games. The Athens Olympic Stadium is the largest in Greece and was the main home ground during the 1980s and 1990s.

In 2023, the new Agia Sophia Stadium in Athens was announced as the national team's new home. However, for the 2024 Nations League, Greece returned to the Karaiskakis Stadium.

Team Look and Nicknames

Greece's traditional colors are blue and white, just like the Greek flag. Blue was the main home color for a long time. But after UEFA Euro 2004, white became the main home color. The team usually wears either all white or all blue uniforms.

On 10 April 2013, the Hellenic Football Federation announced that Nike would be their official uniform supplier. Their first Nike uniform was used on 7 June 2013. The team's crest, called εθνόσημο (national sign), is the official symbol on their uniforms.

Team Nicknames

The Greek national team is often called Ethniki (Εθνική) by the media and people in Greece. This simply means 'National'. They are also called Galanolefki (Sky blue-white) because of their uniform colors, which come from the Greek flag. These nicknames are used for other Greek national sports teams too.

During the opening ceremony of UEFA Euro 2004, a replica of an old ship was used. A Greek sports journalist joked that Greece should become "pirates" and "steal the victory." Greece then won the opening game against Portugal. After that, the team was called Piratiko, meaning the 'Pirate ship'. This nickname became very popular, especially after Greece won the Euro 2004 final. It celebrates their amazing win as European champions.

Rivalries with Other Teams

Greece has a long-standing rivalry with Turkey. They have played 13 matches, with Greece winning three, drawing three, and losing seven. Both teams are known for surprising people with their success. This rivalry is very strong because of historical reasons and past incidents between clubs from both countries.

Greece also has a rivalry with Romania. They have played 36 matches. Greece has won 8, Romania has won 18, and 10 matches have been draws.

Recent Matches and Schedule

The following lists Greece's match results from the last 12 months and any upcoming games.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2024 Matches

2025 Matches

Coaching Staff

Here are the people who help manage and train the Greek national football team.

Position	Name
Manager	Ivan Jovanović
Assistant manager	Predrag Erak
Goalkeeping coach	Fanis Katergiannakis
Sporting director	Vasilis Torosidis
Sporting director	Dimitris Salpingidis
Technical director	Dimitris Papadopoulos

Coaching History

This table shows all the main coaches for the national team and their results since 1929.

Updated 10 June 2025.

Name	Greece career	Pld	W	D	L	Win %	Major competitions
Apostolos Nikolaidis	1929 1934–1935	5	1	1	3	20%
Jan Kopřiva	1929–1930	3	1	1	1	33.3%
Josef Švejk	1930	1	0	0	1	0%
Hellenic Football Federation	1930–1931	5	1	0	4	20%
Loukas Panourgias	1932	4	0	0	4	0%
Kostas Negrepontis	1933–1934 1938 1948–1950 1953	16	5	1	10	31.3%
Kostas Konstantaras	1935	4	0	1	3	0%
József Künsztler	1936	2	0	0	2	0%
Bill Baggett	1938	1	0	0	1	0%
Antonis Migiakis	1951 1952–1953 1954–1955 1958 1961	12	3	4	5	17%
Nikos Katrantzos	1951	1	1	0	0	100%
Giannis Chelmis	1951 1954 1955	8	3	1	4	37.5%
Kostas Andritsos	1956	1	0	0	1	0%
Rino Martini	1957–1958	7	2	1	4	28.6%
Paul Baron	1959–1960	5	1	0	4	20%
Tryfon Tzanetis	1960–1961 1962–1964	11	5	1	5	45.5%
Lakis Petropoulos	1964–1965 1967 1969–1971 1976–1977	35	6	9	20	17.1%
Panos Markovic	1966–1967	2	2	0	0	100%
Kostas Karapatis	1968	1	0	0	1	0%
Dan Georgiadis	1968–1969	8	3	4	1	37.5%
Billy Bingham	1971–1973	12	2	3	7	16.7%
Alketas Panagoulias	1973–1976 1977–1981 1992–1994	74	23	20	31	31.1%	1980 European Championship– Group stage 1994 World Cup– Group stage
Christos Archontidis	1982–1984	21	5	3	13	23.8%
Miltos Papapostolou	1984–1988	46	14	15	17	30.4%
Alekos Sofianidis	1988–1989	7	3	1	3	42.9%
Antonis Georgiadis	1989–1991 1992	30	11	9	10	36.7%
Stefanos Petritsis	1992	1	0	0	1	0%
Kostas Polychroniou	1994–1998	34	17	6	11	50%
Anghel Iordănescu	1998–1999	7	4	2	1	57.1%
Vasilis Daniil	1999–2001	30	14	8	8	46.7%
Nikos Christidis	2001	1	0	1	0	0%
Otto Rehhagel	2001–2010	106	53	23	30	50%	2004 European Championship– Champions 2008 European Championship– Group stage 2010 World Cup– Group stage
Fernando Santos	2010–2014	49	26	17	6	53.1%	2012 European Championship– Quarter-final 2014 World Cup– Round of 16
Claudio Ranieri	2014	4	0	1	3	0%
Kostas Tsanas	2014, 2015	5	1	1	3	20%
Sergio Markarián	2015	3	0	2	1	0%
Michael Skibbe	2015–2018	27	11	5	11	40.7%
Angelos Anastasiadis	2018–2019	7	2	1	4	28.6%
John van 't Schip	2019–2021	26	11	9	6	42.3%
Gus Poyet	2022–2024	22	12	4	6	54.5%
Nikos Papadopoulos	2024	2	1	0	1	50%
Ivan Jovanović	2024–	10	8	0	2	80.0%
Total	1929–present	656	252	155	249	38.4%
Santos has the national record of 17 consecutive unbeaten games.

Current Players

Here are the players who were called up for the friendly matches against Slovakia on 7 June 2025 and Bulgaria on 10 June 2025.

Caps and goals are updated as of 10 June 2025, after the match against Bulgaria.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Odysseas Vlachodimos	(1994-04-26) 26 April 1994 (age 31)	48	0	Newcastle United
12	1GK	Konstantinos Tzolakis	(2002-11-08) 8 November 2002 (age 22)	4	0	Olympiacos
13	1GK	Christos Mandas	(2001-09-17) 17 September 2001 (age 23)	2	0	Lazio
2	2DF	Georgios Vagiannidis	(2001-09-12) 12 September 2001 (age 23)	5	0	Panathinaikos
3	2DF	Konstantinos Koulierakis	(2003-11-28) 28 November 2003 (age 21)	14	0	VfL Wolfsburg
4	2DF	Konstantinos Mavropanos	(1997-12-11) 11 December 1997 (age 27)	36	2	West Ham United
5	2DF	Panagiotis Retsos	(1998-08-09) 9 August 1998 (age 26)	17	0	Olympiacos
15	2DF	Lazaros Rota	(1997-08-23) 23 August 1997 (age 27)	23	0	AEK Athens
17	2DF	Pantelis Chatzidiakos	(1997-01-18) 18 January 1997 (age 28)	36	0	Copenhagen
21	2DF	Kostas Tsimikas	(1996-05-12) 12 May 1996 (age 29)	41	0	Liverpool
22	2DF	Dimitris Giannoulis	(1995-10-17) 17 October 1995 (age 29)	33	0	FC Augsburg
6	3MF	Dimitrios Kourbelis	(1993-11-02) 2 November 1993 (age 31)	45	2	Al-Khaleej
10	3MF	Dimitrios Pelkas	(1993-10-26) 26 October 1993 (age 31)	46	5	PAOK
11	3MF	Anastasios Bakasetas (captain)	(1993-06-28) 28 June 1993 (age 32)	75	17	Panathinaikos
16	3MF	Christos Zafeiris	(2003-02-23) 23 February 2003 (age 22)	9	0	Slavia Prague
18	3MF	Giannis Konstantelias	(2003-03-05) 5 March 2003 (age 22)	13	4	PAOK
20	3MF	Konstantinos Karetsas	(2007-11-19) 19 November 2007 (age 17)	3	1	Genk
23	3MF	Manolis Siopis	(1994-05-14) 14 May 1994 (age 31)	39	1	Panathinaikos
25	3MF	Sotiris Alexandropoulos	(2001-11-26) 26 November 2001 (age 23)	10	0	Fortuna Düsseldorf
26	3MF	Christos Mouzakitis	(2006-12-25) 25 December 2006 (age 18)	4	0	Olympiacos
7	4FW	Georgios Masouras	(1994-01-01) 1 January 1994 (age 31)	51	10	Olympiacos
8	4FW	Fotis Ioannidis	(2000-01-10) 10 January 2000 (age 25)	17	6	Panathinaikos
9	4FW	Anastasios Douvikas	(1999-08-02) 2 August 1999 (age 26)	19	2	Como
14	4FW	Vangelis Pavlidis	(1998-11-21) 21 November 1998 (age 26)	48	9	Benfica
19	4FW	Christos Tzolis	(2002-01-30) 30 January 2002 (age 23)	24	6	Club Brugge
24	4FW	Taxiarchis Fountas	(1995-09-04) 4 September 1995 (age 29)	19	1	OFI

Recent Call-ups

These players have also been called up to the Greece squad in the last year.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
DF	Andreas Ntoi	(2003-02-02) 2 February 2003 (age 22)	2	0	Olympiacos	v.  Finland, 17 November 2024
MF	Petros Mantalos	(1991-08-31) 31 August 1991 (age 33)	68	7	AEK Athens	v.  Scotland, 23 March 2025
MF	Konstantinos Galanopoulos	(1997-12-28) 28 December 1997 (age 27)	9	1	Unattached	v.  Scotland, 23 March 2025
MF	Andreas Bouchalakis	(1993-04-05) 5 April 1993 (age 32)	47	1	Unattached	v.  Republic of Ireland, 10 September 2024
FW	Anastasios Chatzigiovanis	(1997-05-31) 31 May 1997 (age 28)	15	0	Omonia	v.  Scotland, 20 March 2025PRE
Notes PRE = Preliminary squad/standby. RET = Retired from international football.

Player Records

Here are some records for players who have played for Greece.

Players in bold are still active with Greece.

Most Games Played

Rank	Name	Caps	Goals	Position	Career
1	Giorgos Karagounis	139	10	MF	1999–2014
2	Theodoros Zagorakis	120	3	MF	1994–2007
3	Kostas Katsouranis	116	10	MF	2003–2015
4	Vasilis Torosidis	101	10	DF	2007–2019
5	Angelos Basinas	100	7	MF	1999–2009
6	Stratos Apostolakis	96	5	DF	1986–1998
7	Antonios Nikopolidis	90	0	GK	1999–2008
	Sokratis Papastathopoulos	90	3	DF	2008–2019
9	Angelos Charisteas	88	25	FW	2001–2011
10	Dimitris Salpingidis	82	13	FW	2005–2014

Top Goal Scorers

Rank	Player	Goals	Caps	Ratio	Period
1	Nikos Anastopoulos	29	74	0.39	1977–1988
2	Angelos Charisteas	25	88	0.28	2001–2011
3	Theofanis Gekas	24	78	0.31	2005–2014
4	Dimitris Saravakos	22	78	0.28	1982–1994
5	Mimis Papaioannou	21	61	0.34	1963–1978
6	Nikos Machlas	18	61	0.3	1993–2002
7	Demis Nikolaidis	17	54	0.31	1995–2004
	Kostas Mitroglou	17	65	0.26	2009–2019
	Tasos Bakasetas	17	75	0.23	2016–present
10	Panagiotis Tsalouchidis	16	76	0.21	1987–1995

Team Captains

This list shows the players who have been captains of the Greek national team over the years.

Name	Period	Notes
Georgios Andrianopoulos	1929–1930
Giorgos Giamalis	1930–1932
Filippos Kourantis	1932–1935
Antonis Migiakis	1935–1938
Kleanthis Maropoulos	1948–1950
Nikos Pentzaropoulos	1950–1951
Thanasis Bebis	1951–1954
Ilias Rosidis	1954–1960
Kostas Polychroniou	1961–1967
Giorgos Sideris	1968–1970
Mimis Domazos	1970–1979
Giorgos Koudas	1979–1982	Captain at the 1980 European Championship. First captain of Greece in a major competition.
Anthimos Kapsis	198200000
Nikos Anastopoulos	1983–1988
Tasos Mitropoulos	1988–1994	Captain at the 1994 World Cup. First captain of Greece in a World Cup.
Stratos Apostolakis	1994–1998
Demis Nikolaidis	1998–1999
Nikos Machlas	1999
Marinos Ouzounidis	1999–2001
Theodoros Zagorakis	2001–2007	Captain when Greece won the 2004 European Championship.
Angelos Basinas	2007–2009	Captain at the 2008 European Championship.
Giorgos Karagounis	2009–2014	Captain at the 2010 World Cup, 2012 European Championship, and 2014 World Cup.
Dimitris Salpingidis	2014
Vasilis Torosidis	2014–2019
Kostas Stafylidis	2019–2020
Anastasios Bakasetas	2020–

Team Achievements

Major Competitions

• UEFA European Championship
  • Champions: 2004

Regional Competitions

• Mediterranean Games
  • Gold medals: 1951, 1991
  • Third place: 1997
• Mediterranean Cup
  • Runners-up: 1950–53
• Balkan Cup
  • Runners-up: 1934–35
  • Third place: 1929–31, 1935, 1936

Friendly Tournaments

• Cyprus International Football Tournament
  • Champions: 1999, 2006

Awards and Honors

• Laureus World Team of the Year: 2005
• World Soccer Team of the Year: 2004
• FIFA Confederations Cup Fair Play Award: 2005

Summary of Wins

Competition				Total
FIFA World Cup	0	0	0	0
UEFA European Championship	1	0	0	1
FIFA Confederations Cup	0	0	0	0
Olympic Games	0	0	0	0
Total	1	0	0	1

Images for kids

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  The national team for the Inter-Allied Games in Paris, 1919

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  Greece squad for the 1920 Olympics

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  Alketas Panagoulias led Greece to the Euro 1980 and 1994 FIFA World Cup.

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  Greece line-up in Euro 2004

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  Vasilios Tsiartas

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  Theodoros Zagorakis, captain of the national team and "player of the tournament" in Euro 2004

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  Angelos Charisteas scoring Greece's winning goal in the Euro 2004 final

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  Greece vs Spain in Red Bull Arena during UEFA Euro 2008

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  Fernando Santos

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  Greece players singing the Greece national anthem in Euro 2012 opening match against the hosts Poland (1–1)

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  Greece played against Germany for a place in the semi-finals of Euro 2012, but they were eliminated after a 4–2 loss in the quarter-final match.

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  Greece national team in 2013

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  Arena das Dunas before the Japan vs Greece match

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  Flag of Greece held by fans

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  Nikos Anastopoulos is Greece's top scorer with 29 goals.

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  Giorgos Karagounis is Greece's most capped player with 139 appearances.

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  The Greece national team at the UEFA Euro 2004 trophy ceremony

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  Manager Otto Rehhagel, under whose guidance Greece were crowned European champions in 2004

See also

In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Grecia para niños