Mongolia national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Mongolia

Nickname(s)	Blue Wolves Genghis Khan
Association	Mongolian Football Federation (MFF) (Монголын Хөлбөмбөгийн Холбоо)
Confederation	AFC (Asia)
Sub-confederation	EAFF (East Asia)
Head coach	Bayasgalangiin Garidmagnai
Captain	Tsend-Ayuush Khürelbaatar
Most caps	Tsend-Ayuush Khürelbaatar (47)
Top scorer	Nyam-Osor Naranbold (9)
Home stadium	MFF Football Centre
FIFA code	MNG
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	188 (7 February 2019)
Highest	160 (August 2011)
Lowest	205 (July 2015)
Elo ranking
Current	216 8 (3 March 2019)
Highest	205 (22 November 2011, 2 March 2013)
Lowest	225 (17 March 2015)
First international
North Vietnam 3–1 Mongolia  (Hanoi, North Vietnam; 3 October 1960)
Biggest win
Mongolia 9–0 Northern Mariana Islands  (Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia; 4 September 2018)
Biggest defeat
Uzbekistan 15–0 Mongolia  (Chiang Mai, Thailand; 5 December 1998)
AFC Solidarity Cup
Appearances	1 (first in 2016)
Best result	Group stage (2016)
EAFF E-1 Football Championship
Appearances	7 (first in 2003)
Best result	7th (2019)
Asian Games
Appearances	1 (first in 1998)
Best result	Group stage (1998)

The Mongolia national football team represents Mongolia in international football games. The team is managed by the Mongolian Football Federation.

The team was started in 1959. However, they did not play any international matches between 1960 and 1998. The Mongolian Football Federation is part of the Asian Football Confederation and the East Asian Football Federation. Mongolia has never played in the FIFA World Cup. They have only played in a few major tournaments, like the 1998 Asian Games and the 2016 AFC Solidarity Cup. In both tournaments, they did not get past the first round.

Team History and Key Matches

Early Days of Mongolian Football

Mongolia's first international game was a big 12–0 loss to Japan in 1942. After a long break, Mongolia became a member of FIFA in 1998. Their first official games were in the qualifiers for the 1998 Asian Games. They lost heavily to Kuwait (11–0) and Uzbekistan (15–0).

World Cup Qualifiers and Challenges

Mongolia tried to qualify for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. They lost their first five matches but then drew 2–2 with Bangladesh, earning their first point. For the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, they played against the Maldives. They lost the first game 1–0 at home. However, they were defeated 12–0 in the second game and were out of the competition.

In the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, North Korea beat Mongolia 9–2 over two games. Four years later, in the 2014 qualifiers, Mongolia lost 2–1 to Myanmar. In the 2018 qualifiers, Mongolia lost to Timor-Leste. Later, Mongolia was given two 3–0 wins because Timor-Leste used players who were not allowed to play. However, this happened after the next round had already been played, so Mongolia could not move forward.

Return to International Play

The Mongolian Football Federation was suspended from the EAFF for a few years. They were welcomed back in March 2014.

Mongolia then played in the 2016 AFC Solidarity Cup in November 2016. This tournament was for lower-ranked teams to get more chances to play. Mongolia was in Group B with Sri Lanka, Macau, and Laos. They finished third in their group after losing to Laos, which meant they did not reach the semi-finals.

Recent Successes and Records

Mongolia hosted the first round of qualifiers for the 2019 EAFF E-1 Football Championship. They won their first two matches easily. They needed just one point against Guam to reach the second round for the first time. Guam scored late in the game, but Norjmoo Tsedenbal scored in extra time to get a draw for Mongolia. This draw was enough for them to win their group and move on. Mongolia's 9–0 win over the Northern Mariana Islands set a new record for their biggest victory.

In the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Mongolia made it past the first round for the first time. They beat Brunei 3–2 over two games. In the second round, they lost 14–0 to Japan in March 2021. After this, Shuichi Mase became their new coach. In June 2021, Mongolia surprised Kyrgyzstan with a 1–0 win. This was their first win against a Central Asian team and a top-100 ranked opponent in a FIFA qualifier. This win also allowed them to play in the third round of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, where they won one game against Yemen. In March 2023, Mongolia reached its highest-ever FIFA ranking of 183rd.

Team Identity

The National Sports Stadium was Mongolia's home stadium before the MFF Football Centre was built.

Team Nicknames

The Mongolian national team is often called the "Blue Wolves." The blue wolf is an important symbol for Turkic and Mongolian people, coming from an old Mongolian legend. The team is also sometimes called "Shegshee," which means "national team" in Mongolian.

Team Kits and Crest

The Mongolian national football team usually wears an all-white uniform for their home games. Their away uniform is blue. In August 2021, a Mongolian sportswear company called TG Sport signed a two-year deal to make kits for all Mongolian national teams.

Since 2023, Kelme has been the official sponsor for the team's jerseys.

Home Stadium

Mongolia plays its home matches at the MFF Football Centre. This stadium is in Ulaanbaatar and can hold 5,000 fans. It has an artificial playing surface.

Recent Matches and Schedule

Here are the results of matches played in the last year, and any upcoming games.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2024 Matches

Azerbaijan  v  Mongolia

22 March 2024 FIFA World Series	Azerbaijan	1–0	Mongolia	Baku, Azerbaijan
20:00 UTC+4	Mustafazadə  90+1'			Stadium: Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium Referee: Zorbay Küçük (Turkey)

Tanzania  v  Mongolia

25 March 2024 FIFA World Series	Tanzania	3–0	Mongolia	Baku, Azerbaijan
17:00 UTC+4	John  49' Sopu  62' Miroshi  76'			Stadium: Dalga Arena Attendance: 146 Referee: Elçin Məsiyev (Azerbaijan)

Cambodia  v  Mongolia

7 June Friendly	Cambodia	2–0	Mongolia	Phnom Penh, Cambodia
18:30 UTC+7	Yudai  22' Ty  30'			Stadium: Phnom Penh Olympic Stadium Attendance: 15,266 Referee: Warinthon Sassadee (Thailand)

Mongolia  v  Cambodia

11 June Friendly	Mongolia	2–1	Cambodia	Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
17:00 UTC+8	Naranbold  53' Gantogokh  61'		Ty  17'	Stadium: MFF Football Centre Referee: Tam Ping Wun (Hong Kong)

East Timor  v  Mongolia

5 September 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification – play-off round	East Timor	4–1	Mongolia	Gianyar, Indonesia
10:30	João Pedro  3', 27', 52' Zenivio  58'		Oyunbaataryn  34'	Stadium: Kapten I Wayan Dipta Stadium Attendance: 108 Referee: Daniel Elder (Australia)

Mongolia  v  East Timor

10 September 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification – play-off round	Mongolia	2–0 (3-4 agg.)	East Timor	Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
16:00	Dölgöön  8' Törbat  54'			Stadium: MFF Football Centre

Mongolia  v  Hong Kong

8 December 2025 EAFF E-1 Preliminary	Mongolia	0–3	Hong Kong	Mong Kok, Hong Kong
18:00 UTC+8			Everton  24' Wong Wai  35' Benavides  60'	Stadium: Mong Kok Stadium Attendance: 3,329 Referee: Wiwat Jumpaoon (Thailand)

Chinese Taipei  v  Mongolia

11 December 2025 EAFF E-1 Preliminary	Chinese Taipei	4–0	Mongolia	Mong Kok, Hong Kong
20:00 UTC+8	Kouamé  42', 83' Estama  59' Yu Yao-hsing  76'			Stadium: Mong Kok Stadium Attendance: 892 Referee: Du Jianxin (China)

Coaching Staff

Bayasgalangiin Garidmagnai played for the national football team of Mongolia before he became the manager of the team in 2024

The people who help manage and train the Mongolian national football team are listed below.

Position	Name
Team Manager	Pürevdorjyn Erdenebat
Head Coach	Bayasgalangiin Garidmagnai
Assistant coach	Sükhnaagiin Otgonbayar Zorigtyn Battulga Tserenjavyn Enkhjargal
Goalkeeper coach	Dorjmoogiin Ganbold
Team Doctor	Samatyn Bakhtiyar
Physiotherapist	Khürelbaataryn Tsakhia
Media Officer	Mönkh-Erdeniin Khaltmaa

Team Players

Current Squad Members

The players listed here were chosen for the 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship preliminary matches in December 2024.

The number of games played (caps) and goals scored are correct as of December 11, 2024, after the match against Chinese Taipei.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
22	1GK	Gan-Erdene Enkh-Erdene	(2003-08-12) 12 August 2003 (age 22)	0	0	Khoromkhon
1	1GK	Tsenguun Khandaa	(2002-11-25) 25 November 2002 (age 22)	2	0	SP Falcons
21	1GK	Ariunbold Batsaikhan	(1990-04-03) 3 April 1990 (age 35)	21	0	Khangarid
12	2DF	Mönkh-Orgil Orkhon	(1999-01-30) 30 January 1999 (age 26)	28	1	Ulaanbaatar
2	2DF	Uuganbat Bat-Erdene	(1997-02-09) 9 February 1997 (age 28)	12	0	Deren
30	2DF	Filip Chinzorig	(2003-02-13) 13 February 2003 (age 22)	9	0	Loyola
11	2DF	Tuguldur Batsukh	(2004-01-17) 17 January 2004 (age 21)	0	0	Khoromkhon
3	2DF	Taivankhuu Khürelbaatar	(1997-02-16) 16 February 1997 (age 28)	0	0	Hunters
5	2DF	Munkhkhuslen Munkhsaikhan	(2002-01-11) 11 January 2002 (age 23)	1	0	Deren
23	2DF	Enkh-Orgil Otgonbaatar	(1998-04-26) 26 April 1998 (age 27)	2	0	SP Falcons
4	2DF	Otgontsagaan Saikhanbayar	(2001-03-06) 6 March 2001 (age 24)	0	0	SP Falcons
10	3MF	Tsend-Ayuush Khürelbaatar	(1990-02-22) 22 February 1990 (age 35)	47	1	Tuv Azarganuud
9	3MF	Tögöldör Mönkh-Erdengiin	(1991-02-23) 23 February 1991 (age 34)	25	7	SP Falcons
7	3MF	Dölgöön Amaraa	(2001-02-20) 20 February 2001 (age 24)	22	2	Deren
6	3MF	Amgalanbat Batbaatar	(2001-01-21) 21 January 2001 (age 24)	10	0	Ulaanbaatar
24	3MF	Togoo Mönkhbaatar	(1999-11-20) 20 November 1999 (age 25)	6	0	Khoromkhon
14	3MF	Tsogtbayar Batbayar	(2001-07-08) 8 July 2001 (age 24)	5	0	ASK Köflach
15	3MF	Gan-Erdene Erdenebat	(2005-08-24) 24 August 2005 (age 20)	3	0	Deren
26	4FW	Temüülen Zayaat	(2003-12-10) 10 December 2003 (age 21)	2	0	Khangarid
25	4FW	Usukh-Ireedui Baatar	(2002-07-15) 15 July 2002 (age 23)	2	0	Deren
28	4FW	Sainbuyan Nergui	(2002-09-19) 19 September 2002 (age 22)	2	0	Ulaanbaatar

Players Recently Called Up

These players have been called up for the team in the last 12 months and could still be chosen.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Mönkh-Erdene Enkhtaivan	(1995-10-17) 17 October 1995 (age 29)	23	0	Ulaanbaatar	v.  East Timor; 10 September 2024
GK	Arvinbat Mendbayar	(2001-01-02) 2 January 2001 (age 24)	0	0	Deren	v.  Cambodia; 11 June 2024
DF	Törböt Daginaa	(1992-07-31) 31 July 1992 (age 33)	28	2	Khoromkhon	v.  East Timor; 10 September 2024
DF	Bat-Orgil Gerelt-Od	(2002-01-23) 23 January 2002 (age 23)	15	0	Ulaanbaatar	v.  East Timor; 10 September 2024
DF	Bayartsengel Purevdorj	(1997-01-26) 26 January 1997 (age 28)	14	0	Khovd	v.  East Timor; 10 September 2024
DF	Dölgöön Tuvshinjargal	(2003-01-17) 17 January 2003 (age 22)	5	0	Deren	v.  East Timor; 10 September 2024
DF	Khashchuluun Naranbaatar	(2004-08-05) 5 August 2004 (age 21)	4	0	Deren	v.  Cambodia; 11 June 2024
DF	Bilgüün Ganbold	(1991-04-12) 12 April 1991 (age 34)	26	0	Khaan Khuns-Erchim	v.  Tanzania, 25 March 2024
MF	Baljinnyam Batmönkh	(1999-12-10) 10 December 1999 (age 25)	11	0	Deren	v.  East Timor; 10 September 2024
MF	Gantogtokh Gantuya	(1995-11-30) 30 November 1995 (age 29)	10	1	Ulaanbaatar	v.  East Timor; 10 September 2024
MF	Tumen-Ulzii Sodbilguun	(2005-07-19) 19 July 2005 (age 20)	2	0	BCH Lions	v.  East Timor; 10 September 2024
MF	Bilgüün Tsetsegmaa	(1995-02-25) 25 February 1995 (age 30)	1	0	Khangarid	v.  Cambodia; 11 June 2024
MF	Uuganbayar Pürevsüren	(2001-10-08) 8 October 2001 (age 23)	7	0	Ulaanbaatar	v.  Tanzania, 25 March 2024
FW	Naranbold Nyam-Osor	(1992-02-22) 22 February 1992 (age 33)	33	9	Deren	v.  East Timor; 10 September 2024
FW	Mijiddorj Oyunbaataryn	(1996-08-22) 22 August 1996 (age 29)	18	2	Ulaanbaatar	v.  East Timor; 10 September 2024
FW	Ganbayar Ganbold	(2000-09-03) 3 September 2000 (age 24)	16	2	KFC Komárno	v.  East Timor; 10 September 2024
FW	Munkh-Erdene Batkhyag	(1991-02-09) 9 February 1991 (age 34)	8	0	Khovd	v.  East Timor; 10 September 2024
FW	Sodmönkh Ankhbayar	(2004-10-07) 7 October 2004 (age 20)	4	0	Brera Ilch	v.  East Timor; 10 September 2024
FW	Temülen Uuganbat	(2005-05-07) 7 May 2005 (age 20)	6	0	Deren	v.  Cambodia; 11 June 2024
FW	Namsrai Baatartsogt	(1998-11-21) 21 November 1998 (age 26)	8	0	SP Falcons	v.  Tanzania, 25 March 2024
Notes INJ = Player was injured. PRE = Player was in the preliminary squad or on standby. RET = Player retired from the national team. SUS = Player was suspended. WD = Player left the squad for reasons other than injury.

Player Records and Achievements

These tables show the players who have played the most games and scored the most goals for Mongolia. Players whose names are in bold are still playing for the Mongolian national team.

Most Games Played (Caps)

Top Goal Scorers

Tournament Records

This section shows how the Mongolian national football team has performed in major international tournaments.

FIFA World Cup Record

FIFA World Cup										Qualification
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	F	A		Pld	W	D	L	F	A
1930	Team did not exist									Team did not exist
1934
1938
1950
1954
1958
1962	Not a member of FIFA									Not a member of FIFA
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002	Did not qualify									6	0	1	5	2	22
2006										2	0	0	2	0	13
2010										2	0	0	2	2	9
2014										2	1	0	1	1	2
2018										2	0	0	2	1	5
2022										10	3	0	7	6	29
2026										2	0	0	2	0	2
2030	To be determined									To be determined
2034
Total		0/7	0	0	0	0	0	0	26	4	1	21	12	82

AFC Asian Cup Record

AFC Asian Cup record										Qualification record
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA		Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA
1956 to 1996	Not an AFC member									Not an AFC member
2000	Did not qualify									3	0	0	3	1	10
2004										2	1	1	0	5	0
2007	Did not enter									Did not enter
2011	Did not qualify									AFC Challenge Cup
2015
2019										2	0	0	2	1	5
2023										13	4	0	9	8	31
2027										4	1	0	3	3	6
Total	0 Titles	0/17	0	0	0	0	0	0		24	6	1	17	18	52

AFC Solidarity Cup Record

AFC Solidarity Cup record
Year	Round	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA
2016	Group stage	3	1	0	2	3	5
2020	Cancelled
Total	Best: Group stage	3	1	0	2	3	5

AFC Challenge Cup Record

AFC Challenge Cup record										Qualification record
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA		Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA
2006	Did not participate									Did not participate
2008
2010	Did not qualify									2	1	0	1	3	3
2012										2	1	0	1	2	3
2014										3	0	1	2	1	5
Total	0 Titles	0/5	0	0	0	0	0	0		7	2	1	4	6	11

Asian Games Record

Asian Games record
Year	Result	M	W	D	L	GF	GA
1951-1994	Did not participate
1998	Group stage	2	0	0	2	0	26
2002–present	See Mongolia national under-23 football team
Total	1/13	2	0	0	2	0	26

EAFF E-1 Football Championship Record

EAFF E-1 Football Championship record										Qualification record
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA		Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA
2003	Did not qualify									4	1	0	3	2	16
2005										4	1	1	2	4	13
2008										3	1	1	1	5	9
2010										3	2	0	1	6	3
2013	Suspended by EAFF									Suspended by EAFF
2015	Did not qualify									3	1	0	2	6	5
2017										3	1	1	1	10	4
2019										6	2	1	3	17	13
2022	Did not participate									Not held
2025	Did not qualify									2	0	0	2	0	7
2028	To be determined
2030	To be determined
Total	0 Titles	0/8	0	0	0	0	0	0		28	9	4	15	50	70

See also

In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Mongolia para niños