Latvia national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Latvia

Nickname(s)	11 vilki (11 Wolves)
Association	Latvijas Futbola federācija (LFF)
Confederation	UEFA
Head coach	Paolo Nicolato
Captain	Kristers Tobers
Most caps	Vitālijs Astafjevs (167)
Top scorer	Māris Verpakovskis (29)
Home stadium	Skonto Stadium Daugava Stadium (rare matches)
FIFA code	LVA
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	131 1 (7 February 2019)
Highest	45 (November 2009)
Lowest	148 (September 2017)
Elo ranking
Current	138 18 (3 March 2019)
Highest	45 (25 September 1938)
Lowest	155 (October 2019)
First international
Latvia 1–1 Estonia  (Riga, Latvia; 24 September 1922)
Biggest win
Estonia 1–8 Latvia  (Tallinn, Estonia; 18 August 1942)
Biggest defeat
Sweden 12–0 Latvia  (Stockholm, Sweden; 29 May 1927)
European Championship
Appearances	1 (first in 2004)
Best result	Group stage (2004)
Baltic Cup
Appearances	29 (first in 1928)
Best result	Champions (1928, 1932, 1936, 1937, 1993, 1995, 2001, 2003, 2008, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018)

The Latvia national football team (in Latvian: Latvijas futbola izlase) represents the country of Latvia in men's international football. The team is nicknamed 11 vilki, which means the "11 Wolves." It is managed by the Latvian Football Federation.

The team has never played in the FIFA World Cup. However, they achieved their greatest success in 2004. Under coach Aleksandrs Starkovs, they qualified for the European Championship for the first time.

Latvia also competes in the Baltic Cup, a tournament against their neighbors Lithuania and Estonia. They are the most successful team in the cup's history, having won it 13 times. The team plays most of its home games at the Skonto Stadium in Riga.

History

The Early Years (1922–1940)

The Latvia national team played its first-ever game on September 24, 1922. The match was against Estonia and ended in a 1–1 draw. In 1924, the team even competed in the Summer Olympics in Paris.

During the 1920s and 1930s, Latvia became a strong team in its region. They won the first Baltic Cup in 1928. In 1937, they came very close to qualifying for the 1938 FIFA World Cup. They beat Lithuania twice but lost a key game against Austria.

The team's activities stopped in 1940. For many years, Latvia was part of the Soviet Union, and the national team did not play as an independent country.

Return to Football and Euro 2004 Glory

Latvia became an independent country again in 1991. The national football team was re-formed and played its first match after 52 years in 1992. The team had to be built from scratch, but they quickly became competitive.

The team's greatest moment came during the qualification for UEFA Euro 2004. Coached by Aleksandrs Starkovs, Latvia finished second in their group. This earned them a play-off match against Turkey, who had finished third in the 2002 World Cup.

Marians Pahars was a key player for Latvia in the early 2000s.

In the first game in Riga, star striker Māris Verpakovskis scored the only goal in a 1–0 win. In the second game in Istanbul, Turkey was leading 2–0. But Latvia fought back with goals from Juris Laizāns and Verpakovskis to draw 2–2. Latvia won 3–2 overall and qualified for Euro 2004, a huge achievement for the country.

Performance at UEFA Euro 2004

At the tournament in Portugal, Latvia was in a very tough group with the Czech Republic, Germany, and the Netherlands.

Latvian fans at Euro 2004

In their first match, they lost 2–1 to the Czech Republic, but Verpakovskis scored Latvia's first-ever goal in a major tournament. Their most famous result came in the second game, where they held Germany to a 0–0 draw. This was a historic moment and earned them their first point. They lost their final game 3–0 to the Netherlands and did not advance, but their performance was celebrated back home.

Later Years (2005–Present)

After the success of 2004, Latvia has had ups and downs. The team has not qualified for another major tournament since. However, they have continued to be successful in the Baltic Cup, winning it many more times.

Latvia playing against Switzerland in a 2010 World Cup qualifier.

The team went through several coaches after Aleksandrs Starkovs left. They came close to qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, finishing third in their group. In recent years, the team has focused on bringing in younger players to build for the future.

In 2022, Latvia won its group in the UEFA Nations League D, earning a promotion to League C. This was a positive step for the team. As of 2024, the team is coached by Paolo Nicolato from Italy.

Team Image

Kits and Crest

Latvia's traditional home kit is a carmine red shirt, red shorts, and red socks. The away kit is usually all white.

In 2018, the team got a new crest. It is a shield with a football designed with the colors of the Latvian flag. It also has the word 'LATVIJA' (Latvia) written at the top. There is also a secondary logo of a howling wolf, which connects to the team's nickname, the "11 Wolves."

Kit suppliers

Kit supplier	Period
Umbro	1992-1994
Adidas	1994-1996
Tro	1996–1998
Puma	1998–2000
Tramondi	2000–2002
Adidas	2002–present

Stadium

The Latvian national team plays its home games in Riga, the capital city. For many years, they have played at two main stadiums: the Skonto Stadium and the Daugava Stadium.

The Daugava Stadium was the team's main home until 2000. After that, most games were moved to the Skonto Stadium. The Daugava Stadium was renovated and the team returned there in 2018. However, recently, the team has been playing at Skonto Stadium again. It is now considered the main home for the men's team.

Players

Current squad

The following players were called up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification matches in June 2025.

Caps and goals are correct as of 10 June 2025.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Krišjānis Zviedris	(1997-01-21) 21 January 1997 (age 28)	4	0	Riga
12	1GK	Frenks Dāvids Orols	(2000-06-26) 26 June 2000 (age 25)	0	0	SK Super Nova
23	1GK	Rihards Matrevics	(1999-03-18) 18 March 1999 (age 26)	13	0	Dukla Prague
2	2DF	Daniels Balodis	(1998-06-10) 10 June 1998 (age 27)	20	1	Tatran Prešov
3	2DF	Vitālijs Jagodinskis	(1992-02-28) 28 February 1992 (age 33)	37	0	Visakha
5	2DF	Antonijs Černomordijs	(1996-09-26) 26 September 1996 (age 28)	42	3	Riga
13	2DF	Raivis Andris Jurkovskis	(1996-12-09) 9 December 1996 (age 28)	53	0	Riga
14	2DF	Andrejs Cigaņiks	(1997-04-12) 12 April 1997 (age 28)	64	4	Luzern
20	2DF	Maksims Toņiševs	(2000-05-12) 12 May 2000 (age 25)	6	0	Riga
21	2DF	Deniss Meļņiks	(2002-09-07) 7 September 2002 (age 22)	6	0	Valmiera
	2DF	Vjačeslavs Isajevs	(1993-08-23) 23 August 1993 (age 31)	7	0	FK Auda
4	3MF	Kristaps Grabovskis	(2005-06-14) 14 June 2005 (age 20)	0	0	Boldklubben af 1893
6	3MF	Kristers Penkevics	(2003-01-28) 28 January 2003 (age 22)	1	0	FS Jelgava
7	3MF	Eduards Dašķevičs	(2002-07-12) 12 July 2002 (age 23)	20	0	Riga
8	3MF	Renārs Varslavāns	(2001-08-23) 23 August 2001 (age 23)	17	1	Valmiera
11	3MF	Gļebs Žaleiko	(2004-06-27) 27 June 2004 (age 21)	1	0	RFS
15	3MF	Dmitrijs Zelenkovs	(2000-05-15) 15 May 2000 (age 25)	17	0	RFS
16	3MF	Alvis Jaunzems	(1999-06-16) 16 June 1999 (age 26)	46	0	Lechia Gdańsk
17	3MF	Lukass Vapne	(2003-08-31) 31 August 2003 (age 21)	11	0	Sogndal
22	3MF	Aleksejs Saveļjevs	(1999-01-30) 30 January 1999 (age 26)	30	1	Gloria Buzău
	3MF	Kristers TobersINJ	(2000-12-13) 13 December 2000 (age 24)	37	1	Aberdeen
9	4FW	Vladislavs Gutkovskis	(1995-04-02) 2 April 1995 (age 30)	54	11	Daejeon Hana Citizen
10	4FW	Jānis Ikaunieks	(1995-02-16) 16 February 1995 (age 30)	68	12	RFS
18	4FW	Marko Regža	(1999-01-20) 20 January 1999 (age 26)	12	0	Riga
19	4FW	Bruno Melnis	(2004-01-21) 21 January 2004 (age 21)	1	0	FK Liepāja

Player Records

Here are some of the record-holding players for the Latvian national team.

Players in bold are still playing for Latvia.

Most Appearances

Vitālijs Astafjevs is Latvia's most capped player with 167 appearances.

Top Goalscorers

Māris Verpakovskis is Latvia's top scorer with 29 goals.

Competitive Record

FIFA World Cup

Latvia has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup.

FIFA World Cup record										Qualification record
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1930	Did not enter									Declined invitation
1934										Did not enter
1938	Did not qualify									3	2	0	1	10	5
1950	Part of the  Soviet Union									Part of the  Soviet Union
1954
1958
1962
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994	Did not qualify									12	0	5	7	4	21
1998										10	3	1	6	10	14
2002										8	1	1	6	5	16
2006										12	4	3	5	18	21
2010										10	5	2	3	18	15
2014										10	2	2	6	10	20
2018										10	2	1	7	7	18
2022										10	2	3	5	11	14
2026	Qualification in progress									3	1	1	1	2	4
2030	To be determined									To be determined
2034
Total		0/11								88	22	19	47	95	148

UEFA European Championship

Latvia has qualified for the European Championship one time, in 2004.

UEFA European Championship record											Qualifying record
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA	Squad		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1960	Part of the  Soviet Union										Part of the  Soviet Union
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996	Did not qualify										10	4	0	6	11	20
2000											10	3	4	3	13	12
2004	Group stage	14th	3	0	1	2	1	5	Squad		10	6	2	2	13	8
2008	Did not qualify										12	4	0	8	15	17
2012											10	3	2	5	9	12
2016											10	0	5	5	6	19
2020											10	1	0	9	3	28
2024											8	1	0	7	5	19
2028	To be determined										To be determined
2032
Total	Group stage	1/8	3	0	1	2	1	5	—		80	22	13	45	75	135

Honours

• Baltic Cup
  • Champions (13 times): 1928, 1932, 1936, 1937, 1993, 1995, 2001, 2003, 2008, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018

See also

In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Letonia para niños

• Latvia men's national under-21 football team
• Latvia men's national under-19 football team
• Latvia men's national under-17 football team
• Latvia women's national football team
• Latvia women's national under-17 football team