Lithuania national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Lithuania

Nickname(s)	Nacionalinė komanda (National team) Trispalvės (Tricolours)
Association	Lithuanian Football Federation (LFF)
Confederation	UEFA (Europe)
Head coach	Edgaras Jankauskas
Captain	Fedor Černych
Most caps	Saulius Mikoliūnas (101)
Top scorer	Tomas Danilevičius (19)
Home stadium	Darius and Girėnas Stadium
FIFA code	LTU
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	132 1 (7 February 2019)
Highest	37 (October 2008)
Lowest	149 (December 2017)
Elo ranking
Current	124 19 (3 March 2019)
Highest	47 (10 September 2009)
Lowest	150 (27 May 1990, 18 December 2022)
First international
Lithuania 0–5 Estonia  (Kaunas, Lithuania; 24 June 1923)
Biggest win
Lithuania 7–0 Estonia  (Riga, Latvia; 20 May 1995)
Biggest defeat
Egypt 10–0 Lithuania  (Paris, France; 27 May 1924)
Baltic Cup
Appearances	30 (first in 1928)
Best result	Champions (1930, 1935, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2005, 2010)

The Lithuania national football team represents Lithuania in men's international football. This team is managed by the Lithuanian Football Federation, which is the main group for football in Lithuania. They played their very first game in 1923.

Lithuania was under the control of the Soviet Union from 1940 until 1990. After gaining independence again in 1990, they played their first match against Georgia on May 27 of that year.

Even though Lithuania has never made it to the FIFA World Cup or the UEFA European Championship, they have done very well in the Baltic Cup. This is a special tournament held every two years between Lithuania and its neighbors, Latvia and Estonia. Lithuania has won the Baltic Cup 10 times. They even hold the record for winning it four times in a row, from 1996 to 2000!

From 2012 to 2022, the team played their home games at the LFF Stadium in Vilnius. Since 2022, they play their home matches at the Darius and Girėnas Stadium in Kaunas.

History of Lithuanian Football

Lithuanian football team at the 1924 Summer Olympics

Lithuania's first official football game was on June 24, 1923. They played against Estonia at the Lietuvos Fizinio Lavinimosi Sąjunga Stadionas and lost 5–0. In 1924, Lithuania took part in the 1924 Olympics in France. They lost 9–0 to Switzerland and then 10–0 to Egypt. That 10–0 loss is still their biggest defeat ever.

In the early years, Lithuania often played against their Baltic neighbors, Estonia and Latvia. Their first win was a 2–1 victory against Estonia in Tallinn on August 24, 1924. In 1930, Lithuania won the third Baltic Cup in Kaunas. Their last game before the Soviet occupation was on October 13, 1940, a 4–3 win against Latvia.

After Lithuania became independent again in 1990, their first game was a 2–2 draw against Georgia on May 27, 1990. In the 1990s, Lithuania started to do better in qualifying games for the World Cup and European Championship. They finished third in their group for both Euro 1996 and the 1998 World Cup qualifiers.

In the Euro 2004 qualifiers, they almost made it to the main tournament. They even got a draw against world champions Germany and won against Scotland. However, a loss to Scotland in their last game ended their hopes.

On September 2, 2006, Lithuania drew 1–1 with Italy in a Euro 2008 qualifying game. This was Italy's first game after winning the World Cup! On September 6, 2008, Lithuania had a "historic win" by beating Romania 3–0 in a World Cup qualifier. They followed this up with a 2–0 win against Austria.

Recent Matches and Future Games

Here's a quick look at how the team has played recently and some upcoming games.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2024 Matches

• March 21, 2024: Lithuania won 1–0 against Gibraltar in a Nations League play-out game.
• March 26, 2024: Lithuania won 1–0 against Gibraltar at home, winning 2–0 overall and staying in League C.
• June 8, 2024: Lithuania won 2–0 against Latvia in the Baltic Cup.
• June 11, 2024: Lithuania drew 1–1 with Estonia in the Baltic Cup, but lost 3–4 in a penalty shootout.
• September 6, 2024: Lithuania lost 0–1 to Cyprus in a Nations League game.
• September 9, 2024: Lithuania lost 1–3 to Romania in a Nations League game.
• October 12, 2024: Lithuania lost 1–2 to Kosovo in a Nations League game.
• October 15, 2024: Lithuania lost 1–2 to Romania in a Nations League game.
• November 15, 2024: Lithuania lost 1–2 to Cyprus in a Nations League game.
• November 18, 2024: Lithuania lost 0–1 to Kosovo in a Nations League game.

Team Management

The current manager of the Lithuania national football team is Edgaras Jankauskas. He leads the team along with his coaching staff.

Position	Name
Manager	Edgaras Jankauskas
Assistant coach	Andrius Velička
Assistant coach	Vaidas Sabaliauskas
Fitness coach	Georgas Freidgeimas
Goalkeeping coach	Audrius Paškevičius
Analyst	Rokas Pranaitis

Key Players and Records

Here are some of the most important players in the history of the Lithuanian national football team.

Most Games Played

Saulius Mikoliūnas is Lithuania's most capped player with 101 appearances.

The player who has played the most games for Lithuania is Saulius Mikoliūnas, with 101 appearances. He played from 2004 to 2022.

Top Goal Scorers

Tomas Danilevičius is Lithuania's top scorer with 19 goals.

The player who has scored the most goals for Lithuania is Tomas Danilevičius, with 19 goals.

Tournament History

Lithuania has taken part in several major football tournaments, trying to qualify for the biggest stages in international football.

FIFA World Cup Participation

Lithuania has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup. They started trying to qualify in 1934. From 1950 to 1990, they were part of the Soviet Union team. Since regaining independence, they have tried to qualify for every World Cup but haven't made it to the final tournament yet.

UEFA European Championship Participation

Similar to the World Cup, Lithuania has never qualified for the UEFA European Championship. They began trying to qualify in 1996. Before that, they were part of the Soviet Union team. They continue to compete in the qualifying rounds for this major European tournament.

UEFA Nations League Performance

The UEFA Nations League is a newer tournament for European teams. Lithuania has played in League C.

• In 2018–19, they finished last in their group.
• In 2020–21, they improved, finishing third in their group.
• In 2022–23, they finished last in their group but managed to stay in League C after winning a play-out match.

Baltic Cup Success

The Baltic Cup is a regional tournament that Lithuania has done very well in. They compete against Latvia and Estonia.

Achievements

Regional Titles

• Baltic Cup
  • Champions (10 times): 1930, 1935, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2005, 2010
  • Runners-up (8 times)
  • Third place (9 times)

See also

In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Lituania para niños

• Lithuania national under-21 football team
• Lithuania national under-19 football team
• Lithuania national under-18 football team
• Lithuania national under-17 football team

Images for kids

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  Official badge of the Lithuanian national football teams.