History of international football in Russia facts for kids

Russian Empire

The first national football team of Russia was the Russian Empire national football team. They were founded in 1910. They played 16 matches (8 official and 8 unofficial). Their first unofficial match was a 5-4 win against Bohemia on October 16, 1910. Their first official match was a 2-1 loss against Finland at the 1912 Summer Olympics. That match was played on June 30, 1912. Their last game was a 1-1 draw against Norway on July 12, 1914. Their heaviest defeat was a 16-0 loss against Germany during the Consolation tournament at the 1912 Summer Olympics. The match was played on July 1, 1912. This was 1 day after the Russian Empire's loss against Finland. After World War I started, the Russian Empire national football team was dissolved.

Soviet Union

The successor to the Russian Empire was the Soviet Union national football team. It was founded in 1922. This was the same year that the Soviet Union took control after the Russian Revolution. They would play their first game on November 16, 1924. That game was a 3-0 win against Turkey. In July 1960, the Soviet Union reached 1st on the FIFA World Rankings. They won a gold medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics, the 1960 UEFA European Championship, and finished 4th at the 1966 FIFA World Cup.

They played most of their games at the Central Lenin Stadium in Moscow. Oleg Blokhin has the most caps (112 caps) and most goals (42 goals) for the Soviet Union. There have been 3 Soviet Union player that have won a Ballon d'Or. Those players are Lev Yashin, Oleg Blokhin, and Igor Belanov.

CIS

After the breakup of the Soviet Union, the CIS national football team was the national team that represented the Commonwealth of Independent States. It took the Soviet Union's spot at UEFA Euro 1992. They finished last in their group after draws against the Netherlands and Germany, and a loss against Scotland.

Russia

The successor of the CIS is the Russia national football team. Their first match as Russia was a 2-0 win against Mexico. The match was played on August 16, 1992. They have played a majority of their games at either the Luzhniki Stadium (33 games), the Lokomotiv Stadium (28 games), or the Central Dynamo Stadium (18 games). All 3 stadiums are located in Moscow.

Some of their former managers include Oleg Romantsev, Guus Hiddink, Dick Advocaat, and Fabio Capello. They reached the Semi-Finals of UEFA Euro 2008, and the Quarter-Finals of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.