kids encyclopedia robot

Moldova national football team facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
This page is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Moldova women's national football team.
Quick facts for kids
Moldova
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s) Tricolorii (The Tricolours)
Association Moldovan Football Federation
(Federația Moldovenească de Fotbal, FMF)
Confederation UEFA (Europe)
Head coach Serghei Cleșcenco
Captain Vadim Rață
Most caps Alexandru Epureanu (100)
Top scorer Ion Nicolaescu (16)
Home stadium Zimbru Stadium
FIFA code MDA
First colours
Second colours
Third colours
FIFA ranking
Current 170 Steady (7 February 2019)
Highest 37 (April 2008)
Lowest 181 (October 2021 – February 2022)
Elo ranking
Current 131 Decrease 8 (3 March 2019)
Highest 86 (February 2008)
Lowest 151 (19 November 2020)
First international
Unofficial
 Moldova 2–4 Georgia 
(Chișinău, SSR Moldova, Soviet Union; 2 July 1991)
Official
 United States 1–1 Moldova 
(Jacksonville, United States; 16 April 1994)
Biggest win
 Pakistan 0–5 Moldova 
(Amman, Jordan; 18 August 1992)
Biggest defeat
 Denmark 8–0 Moldova 
(Herning, Denmark; 28 March 2021)

The Moldova national football team is a group of male football players who represent Moldova in international matches. They are known as Tricolorii, which means "The Tricolours". The team is managed by the Moldovan Football Federation. Their main home stadium is Zimbru Stadium in Chișinău. The current head coach is Serghei Cleșcenco.

Moldova played its first unofficial game against Georgia in 1991, just before the Soviet Union broke up. The team has had some exciting moments. In 2023, they beat Poland 3–2 and drew 0–0 with the Czech Republic during the Euro 2024 qualifiers. They also famously beat Hungary 3–0 in 2007. Another big win was 5–2 against Montenegro in 2014. However, the team has not yet qualified for the final stages of the UEFA European Championship or the FIFA World Cup.

After Moldova lost to England in 1997, a British writer named Tony Hawks traveled to Moldova. He wanted to challenge and beat all 11 Moldovan national football players at tennis. This fun adventure was turned into a book and a movie called Playing the Moldovans at Tennis. The movie was filmed in Chișinău in 2010 and came out in 2012.

Team History and Achievements

Early Years: The 1990s

The Moldovan Football Federation started in 1990. Moldova's national team played its first official game in 1991, losing 4–2 to Georgia. Alexandru Spiridon scored the very first goal for the team.

In 1992, Moldova joined the 1992 Jordan International Tournament. Here, they achieved their biggest win ever, a 5–0 victory against Pakistan. In that match, Serghei Alexandrov scored four goals, which was Moldova's first "hat-trick" (three or more goals by one player). Later in the same tournament, Iurie Miterev scored another hat-trick in a 3–1 win against Congo.

Moldova became a member of UEFA (Europe's football governing body) in 1993 and FIFA (the world's football governing body) in 1994. Their first game recognized by FIFA was a 1–1 draw against the United States. Moldova tried to qualify for the Euro 1996 tournament. They won their first competitive match 1–0 against Georgia. They also beat Georgia again and Wales once, finishing 4th in their group. For the 1998 World Cup qualifiers, Moldova lost all their matches and finished last. They also finished last in the Euro 2000 qualifiers, but managed to get four draws.

Challenges and Progress: The 2000s

In the 2002 World Cup qualifiers, Moldova lost 6–0 to Sweden. This was their biggest defeat for almost 20 years. They finished second to last in their group, above Azerbaijan, whom they beat 2–0. For the Euro 2004 qualifiers, Moldova beat Austria and Belarus, finishing above Belarus. In the 2006 World Cup qualifiers, they finished last but managed draws against Norway and Scotland.

In 2006, Serghei Cleșcenco scored his 11th and final goal for Moldova. He was the team's top goalscorer until 2023. In the Euro 2008 qualifiers, Moldova finished fifth in their group. They earned 12 points, including wins against Bosnia and Herzegovina (1–0) and Hungary (3–0). After these qualifiers, Moldova reached their highest ever FIFA Ranking of 37th in April 2008. In the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, they finished last, but drew with Greece and Luxembourg twice. They also beat Armenia 4–1 in a friendly match.

Ups and Downs: The 2010s

Moldova beat Finland 2–0 in the Euro 2012 qualifiers, finishing just above San Marino. They also finished above San Marino in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers. In these qualifiers, they had a great 5–2 win against Montenegro and draws with Ukraine and Poland.

During the Euro 2016 qualifiers, Moldova got a 1–1 draw against Russia in Moscow. In this game, Alexandru Epureanu scored his last international goal. He later became the first Moldovan player to play 100 games for the national team. However, Moldova also had a tough 0–1 loss at home to Liechtenstein in the same competition, finishing last in their group. In the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, they again finished last, with two draws against Georgia.

In the first UEFA Nations League season (2018–19), Moldova played in League D, the lowest division. They finished third in their group, above San Marino. Their win over San Marino was their first competitive victory since 2014. In the Euro 2020 qualifiers, Moldova suffered another disappointing 0–1 loss to Andorra, finishing last in their group.

Recent Years: The 2020s

Moldova was promoted to 2020–21 UEFA Nations League C due to a change in the competition's rules. However, they only earned one point, a draw with Kosovo, and finished last in their group. This meant they had to play relegation play-outs. In a friendly match during this period, Moldova lost 6–0 to Italy, which matched their worst defeat at the time.

In the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, Moldova only got one point, a draw with the Faroe Islands. They also suffered their worst defeat ever, an 8–0 loss against Denmark. During these qualifiers, Moldova reached their lowest ever FIFA Ranking of 181st in October 2021. After losing to Kazakhstan on penalties in the Nations League play-outs, Moldova was moved back down to 2022–23 UEFA Nations League D. They finished second in their group, tied on points with Latvia, but missed out on promotion due to a lower goal difference.

The Euro 2024 qualifiers were a very exciting time for Moldova. They came very close to qualifying for the Euros for the first time, earning ten points in their group. They were undefeated at home, including a historic 3–2 comeback win against Poland. They needed just one more win to qualify. However, an away loss to the Czech Republic in their final match ended their hopes. They finished fourth in the group. Ion Nicolaescu scored his 11th and 12th international goals in the win against Poland, becoming Moldova's all-time top goalscorer. With 4 goals in the competition, he was the top goalscorer of a qualifying group for the first time for Moldova.

Home Stadium

Zimbru Stadium 2023
Zimbru Stadium

The Moldova national football team plays its official home games at Zimbru Stadium in Chișinău. This stadium is privately owned but is managed by the Moldovan Football Federation until 2026. The senior team and youth teams also train at Stadionul CPSM in Vadul lui Vodă, which is about 25 kilometers from Chișinău.

From 1991 to 2006, Moldova played its matches at the Republican Stadium in Chișinău. They also played some home matches at Sheriff Arena in Tiraspol for the Euro 2004 qualifiers and some friendly games until 2013.

Current Team and Matches

Recent Matches (2024)

Here are the results of Moldova's matches in the last 12 months, and any future games that are planned.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2024–25 UEFA Nations League Group D2

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers

Current Coaching Staff

Position Staff
Head coach Moldova Serghei Cleșcenco
Assistant coaches Moldova Vitalie Culibaba
Moldova Sergiu Secu
Goalkeeping coach Moldova Denis Romanenco
Fitness coach Moldova Alexei Scorpan

Last updated: 10 October 2024
Source: FMF

Meet the Players: Current Squad

The players listed below were chosen for the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League match against Andorra and the friendly game against Gibraltar in November 2024.

Caps (games played) and goals are correct as of November 19, 2024, after the match against Gibraltar.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Dumitru Celeadnic (1992-04-23) 23 April 1992 (age 33) 10 0 Moldova Sheriff Tiraspol
12 1GK Cristian Avram (1994-07-27) 27 July 1994 (age 30) 11 0 Azerbaijan Araz-Naxçıvan
23 1GK Andrei Cojuhar (1999-07-20) 20 July 1999 (age 25) 2 0 Ukraine Veres Rivne
26 1GK Nicolai Cebotari (1997-05-24) 24 May 1997 (age 28) 1 0 Moldova Zimbru Chișinău
5 2DF Andrei Motoc (2002-12-13) 13 December 2002 (age 22) 1 0 Greece Athens Kallithea
15 2DF Victor Mudrac (1994-03-03) 3 March 1994 (age 31) 20 1 Moldova Petrocub Hîncești
18 2DF Iurie Iovu (2002-07-06) 6 July 2002 (age 22) 4 0 Croatia Istra 1961
20 2DF Sergiu Plătică (1991-06-09) 9 June 1991 (age 34) 49 0 Moldova Petrocub Hîncești
3 3MF Dan Pușcaș (2001-06-01) 1 June 2001 (age 24) 2 0 Moldova Petrocub Hîncești
7 3MF Daniel Danu (2002-08-26) 26 August 2002 (age 22) 1 0 Romania Chindia Târgoviște
8 3MF Nichita Moțpan (2001-07-17) 17 July 2001 (age 23) 24 3 Russia Fakel Voronezh
10 3MF Corneliu Cotogoi (2001-06-23) 23 June 2001 (age 24) 6 0 Romania 1599 Șelimbăr
16 3MF Victor Stînă (1998-03-20) 20 March 1998 (age 27) 21 3 Greece AEL
19 3MF Dmitri Mandrîcenco (1997-05-13) 13 May 1997 (age 28) 8 1 Lithuania Dainava
21 3MF Teodor Lungu (1995-06-12) 12 June 1995 (age 30) 1 0 Moldova Petrocub Hîncești
22 3MF Vadim Rață (captain) (1993-05-05) 5 May 1993 (age 32) 53 3 Romania Universitatea Cluj
9 4FW Ion Nicolaescu (1998-09-07) 7 September 1998 (age 26) 49 16 Netherlands Heerenveen
13 4FW Maxim Cojocaru (1998-01-13) 13 January 1998 (age 27) 27 1 Romania Oțelul Galați
17 4FW Virgiliu Postolachi (2000-03-17) 17 March 2000 (age 25) 25 1 Romania CFR Cluj

Players Called Up Recently

These players have also been called to the Moldova squad in the last 12 months.


Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Dorian Railean (1993-10-13) 13 October 1993 (age 31) 18 0 Romania Gloria Buzău v.  Malta, 7 September 2024 PRE
GK Alexei Koșelev (1993-11-19) 19 November 1993 (age 31) 26 0 Greece Atromitos v.  Cyprus, 8 June 2024
DF Vladislav Baboglo (1998-11-14) 14 November 1998 (age 26) 15 2 Ukraine Karpaty Lviv v.  Gibraltar, 19 November 2024 WD
DF Denis Marandici (1996-09-18) 18 September 1996 (age 28) 14 0 Azerbaijan Turan Tovuz v.  Gibraltar, 19 November 2024 WD
DF Oleg Reabciuk (1998-01-16) 16 January 1998 (age 27) 53 0 Russia Spartak Moscow v.  Gibraltar, 19 November 2024 INJ
DF Artur Crăciun (1998-06-29) 29 June 1998 (age 26) 31 0 Poland Puszcza Niepołomice v.  Gibraltar, 19 November 2024 INJ
DF Ioan-Călin Revenco (2000-06-26) 26 June 2000 (age 24) 24 1 Poland Puszcza Niepołomice v.  Andorra, 10 October 2024 INJ
DF Veaceslav Posmac (1990-11-07) 7 November 1990 (age 34) 72 2 Turkey Boluspor v.  Malta, 7 September 2024 INJ
DF Vadim Dijinari (1999-04-01) 1 April 1999 (age 26) 0 0 Romania 1599 Șelimbăr v.  Cayman Islands, 26 March 2024
MF Mihail Caimacov (1998-07-22) 22 July 1998 (age 26) 31 2 Croatia Slaven Belupo v.  Gibraltar, 19 November 2024 WD
MF Artur Ioniță (1990-08-17) 17 August 1990 (age 34) 75 5 Italy Lecco v.  Andorra, 16 November 2024 INJ
MF Cristian Dros (1998-04-15) 15 April 1998 (age 27) 15 0 Albania Elbasani v.  Malta, 13 October 2024
MF Serafim Cojocari (2001-01-07) 7 January 2001 (age 24) 11 0 Moldova Zimbru Chișinău v.  Andorra, 10 October 2024 INJ
MF Mihail Plătică (1990-03-15) 15 March 1990 (age 35) 17 1 Moldova Petrocub Hîncești v.  San Marino, 10 September 2024
MF Victor Bogaciuc (1999-10-17) 17 October 1999 (age 25) 12 2 Romania Oțelul Galați v.  San Marino, 10 September 2024
FW Vitalie Damașcan (1999-01-24) 24 January 1999 (age 26) 42 5 Israel Maccabi Petah Tikva v.  Andorra, 16 November 2024 INJ
FW Nicky Cleșcenco (2001-07-23) 23 July 2001 (age 23) 7 0 Moldova Petrocub Hîncești v.  Ukraine, 11 June 2024

INJ Withdrew due to injury
PRE Preliminary squad / standby
RET Retired from the national team
SUS Serving suspension
WD Player withdrew from the squad due to non-injury issue.

Player Records

Most Games Played

Alexandru Epureanu 2013
Alexandru Epureanu is Moldova's most capped player with 100 appearances.

These players have played the most games for the Moldova national team. Players in bold are still playing for Moldova.

Rank Player Caps Goals Position Career
1 Alexandru Epureanu 100 7 DF 2006–2021
2 Igor Armaș 83 6 DF 2008–2023
3 Victor Golovatenco 79 3 DF 2004–2017
4 Artur Ioniță 75 5 MF 2009–present
5 Radu Rebeja 74 2 MF 1991–2008
6 Veaceslav Posmac 72 2 DF 2013–present
7 Serghei Cleșcenco 69 11 FW 1991–2006
8 Eugeniu Cebotaru 68 1 MF 2007–2020
9 Alexandru Gațcan 63 5 MF 2005–2018
10 Alexandru Suvorov 59 5 MF 2006–2020

Top Goalscorers

GAE - SC Heerenveen - Ion Nicolaescu
Ion Nicolaescu is Moldova's all-time top scorer with 16 goals.

These players have scored the most goals for the Moldova national team. Players in bold are still playing for Moldova.

Rank Player Goals Caps Average Career
1 Ion Nicolaescu 16 49 0.33 2018–present
2 Serghei Cleșcenco 11 69 0.16 1991–2006
3 Serghei Rogaciov 9 52 0.17 1996–2007
4 Sergiu Dadu 8 30 0.27 2002–2013
Iurie Miterev 8 36 0.22 1992–2006
Igor Bugaiov 8 54 0.15 2007–2017
7 Eugen Sidorenco 7 35 0.2 2010–2019
Viorel Frunză 7 37 0.19 2002–2015
Radu Gînsari 7 47 0.15 2012–present
Alexandru Epureanu 7 100 0.07 2006–2021

Moldova's Performance in Major Tournaments

FIFA World Cup Record

Moldova has tried to qualify for the FIFA World Cup several times but has not yet reached the final tournament.

FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Result Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA Pos
1930 to 1938 Part of  Romania Part of  Romania
1950 to 1990 Part of  Soviet Union Part of  Soviet Union
1994 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member
France 1998 Did not qualify 8 0 0 8 2 21 5th
South Korea Japan 2002 10 1 3 6 6 20 5th
Germany 2006 10 1 2 7 5 16 6th
South Africa 2010 10 0 3 7 6 18 6th
Brazil 2014 10 3 2 5 12 17 5th
Russia 2018 10 0 2 8 4 23 6th
Qatar 2022 10 0 1 9 5 30 6th
Canada Mexico United States 2026 In progress 0 0 0 0 0 0 /
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030 To be determined To be determined
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total 68 5 13 50 40 145 0/7

UEFA European Championship Record

Moldova has also tried to qualify for the UEFA European Championship many times but has not yet reached the final tournament.

UEFA European Championship record Qualifying record
Year Result Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA Pos
1960 to 1988 Part of  Soviet Union Part of  Soviet Union
1992 Part of  CIS
England 1996 Did not qualify 10 3 0 7 11 27 4th
Belgium Netherlands 2000 8 0 4 4 7 17 5th
Portugal 2004 8 2 0 6 5 19 4th
Austria Switzerland 2008 12 3 3 6 12 19 5th
Poland Ukraine 2012 10 3 0 7 12 16 5th
France 2016 10 0 2 8 4 16 6th
Europe 2020 10 1 0 9 4 26 6th
Germany 2024 8 2 4 2 7 10 4th
United Kingdom Republic of Ireland 2028 To be determined To be determined
Italy Turkey 2032
Total 76 14 13 49 62 150 0/8

UEFA Nations League Record

Moldova also competes in the UEFA Nations League.

UEFA Nations League record Promotion/relegation play-offs
Season Division Position Pld W D L GF GA RK Pld W D L GF GA P/R
2018–19 D 3rd 6 2 3 1 4 5 48th N/A Rise
2020–21 C 4th 6 0 1 5 1 11 48th 2 1 0 1 2 2 Fall
2022–23 D 2nd 6 4 1 1 10 6 51st N/A Same position
2024–25 D 1st 4 3 0 1 5 1 49th N/A Rise
2026–27 C To be determined N/A
Total 22 9 5 8 20 23 2 1 0 1 2 2

Images for kids

  • AUT vs. MDA 2015-09-05 (004)

    The Moldova line-up before the Euro 2016 qualifying match against Austria, September 2015

See also

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

  • Football in Moldova
  • Moldova national under-21 football team
  • Moldova national under-19 football team
  • Moldova national under-17 football team
  • Moldova national futsal team
  • Moldova national beach soccer team
kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Moldova national football team Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.