Montenegro national football team facts for kids
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| Nickname(s) | Hrabri sokoli / Храбри соколи (The Brave Falcons) |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Football Association of Montenegro (FSCG) | ||
| Confederation | UEFA (Europe) | ||
| Head coach | Robert Prosinečki | ||
| Captain | Stevan Jovetić | ||
| Most caps | Fatos Bećiraj (86) | ||
| Top scorer | Stevan Jovetić (36) | ||
| Home stadium | Podgorica City Stadium | ||
| FIFA code | MNE | ||
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| FIFA ranking | |||
| Current | 46  2 (7 February 2019) |
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| Highest | 16 (June 2011) | ||
| Lowest | 199 (June 2007) | ||
| Elo ranking | |||
| Current | 61 5 (3 March 2019) |
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| Highest | 37 (29 March 2011) | ||
| Lowest | 78 (October 2019) | ||
| First international | |||
 Montenegro 2–1 Hungary  (Podgorica, Montenegro; 24 March 2007) |
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| Biggest win | |||
 San Marino 0–6 Montenegro (Serravalle, San Marino; 11 September 2012) |
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| Biggest defeat | |||
 England 7–0 Montenegro (London, England; 14 November 2019) |
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The Montenegro national football team (Montenegrin: Fudbalska reprezentacija Crne Gore) has represented Montenegro in men's international football since 2007. It is controlled by the Football Association of Montenegro, the governing body for football in Montenegro. Montenegro's home ground is Podgorica City Stadium in Podgorica.
Montenegro is one of the world's youngest international teams, having joined FIFA and UEFA in 2007, following the restoration of Montenegrin independence in 2006. Montenegro played its first official international match against Hungary in March 2007, and competed in their first FIFA World Cup qualifiers in 2010.
Contents
History
Formation
Following the independence of Montenegro from Serbia and Montenegro, Serbia was set to represent both Serbia and Montenegro in the Euro 2008 qualifying stage. UEFA, however, would be willing to include Montenegro as a late entry if FIFA ratified a separate Montenegrin Football Association before September 2006. However, this did not occur before the competition began.
In October 2006, Montenegro was granted provisional membership of UEFA, with a debate regarding full membership scheduled at a full UEFA Congress in January 2007. Montenegro's first FIFA World Ranking was joint 199th place, the last place on the list by default.
First matches
On 26 January 2007, the Montenegro FA was granted full membership of UEFA. The team played its first FIFA-recognized friendly match against Hungary on 24 March 2007 at Stadion Pod Goricom in Podgorica. Montenegro won 2–1 in front of 12,000 spectators. Striker Mirko Vučinić scored the country's first goal in the 62nd minute. On 31 May 2007, Montenegro was admitted as FIFA's 208th member. Montenegro's first coach was Zoran Filipović. In 23 matches, Filipović recorded eight victories, eight draws and seven defeats. He left in January 2010 when his contract expired. During his tenure, Montenegro rose to 73rd position in the FIFA rankings. Montenegro played at the 2007 Kirin Cup, but finished in last place behind Japan and Colombia. On 26 March 2008, Montenegro recorded one of its best results with a 3–1 win over Norway.
First competitive matches
On 6 September 2008, Montenegro played their first World Cup qualifier against Bulgaria at the Podgorica City Stadium. Bulgaria took the lead in the 11th minute with a goal from Stiliyan Petrov. Mirko Vučinić scored in the 61st minute to tie the game, before Igor Burzanović put Montenegro ahead 82nd minute from a penalty. However, a last-minute equalizer from Blagoy Georgiev denied Montenegro their first competitive win. In their next match on 10 September, they achieved another notable result when they held the Republic of Ireland to a 0–0 draw. Another near-upset came in a narrow 2–1 loss against Italy. After Alberto Aquilani's early strike, Vučinić quickly equalized, but Aquilani scored the winning goal ten minutes later. Their second match against Italy ended 2–0 in favour of the world champions. Another disappointment came when the team could only draw 0–0 against Georgia, followed by a 2–2 draw against Cyprus after being two goals down. On 5 September 2009, Montenegro took an early lead against Bulgaria in Sofia with Stevan Jovetić putting them 1–0 up, only for Bulgaria to recover and win 4–1. After drawing 1–1 with Cyprus, Montenegro finally registered their first competitive win, beating Georgia 2–1. They then drew 0–0 with the Republic of Ireland at Croke Park. They finished fifth in the group with nine points, below Cyprus on goal difference.
Golden era
During the UEFA Euro 2012 qualification campaign, the team recorded further success. They opened their campaign with a 1–0 victory over Wales; Mirko Vučinić scored the only goal. A few days later, the team defeated Bulgaria 1–0 in Sofia. The next month, they beat Switzerland 1–0 and then recorded a 0–0 draw in London against England. On 4 June 2011, Montenegro drew 1–1 against Bulgaria, with Radomir Đalović scoring for Montenegro early in the second half, but Ivelin Popov scoring minutes later, to keep Montenegro second in the group, behind England on goal difference. Montenegro were beaten 2–1 by Wales in Cardiff. They were still second in Group G, but Switzerland closed the gap between them to only three points. In the June 2011 FIFA rankings, Montenegro recorded their highest ranking of 16th. On 7 October, Montenegro came back from 2–0 down to draw 2–2 against England in Podgorica, after Wayne Rooney was sent off. Wales beat Switzerland 2–0 to ensure Montenegro won a play-off place, putting the team two matches away from qualifying for Euro 2012. In their last match in the qualifiers, Montenegro lost 2–0 to Switzerland in Basel. On 13 October, the draw for the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying play-offs was held in Kraków, Poland. Montenegro were paired with the Czech Republic, but they lost 3–0 on aggregate and failed to qualify. Montenegro were drawn in Group H in the qualifiers, along with England, Poland, Ukraine, Moldova and San Marino. In their first match, Montenegro tied against Poland in a 2–2 draw. On 11 September, Montenegro played against San Marino in Seravalle. In a one-sided match, Montenegro won 6–0, the biggest win in the team's history. Montenegro then beat Ukraine 1–0 in Kyiv, with the only goal scored by Dejan Damjanović. In their last match in 2012, Montenegro faced San Marino in Podgorica on 14 November, and won 3–0. Montenegro played their fifth qualifier match against Moldova in Chișinău on 22 March 2013, winning 1–0 through Mirko Vučinić's goal. Montenegro then returned to Podgorica to play the second-placed England. The outcome was a 1–1 draw. Leading their World Cup qualifying group, Montenegro hosted Ukraine on 7 June 2013. They suffered their first defeat in the group, losing 4–0. The match also saw Montenegro finish the match with nine men after Vladimir Volkov and Savo Pavićević were sent off. Their last four matches yielded just a single point; a 1–1 draw in Poland. Their 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign finished with a 5–2 home defeat to Moldova, and they finished third behind England and Ukraine.
Ups and downs
On 23 February 2014 in Nice, Montenegro were drawn for qualification in UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying Group G alongside Russia, Sweden, Austria, Moldova and Liechtenstein. Though they opened their campaign with a 2–0 win over Moldova, they failed to qualify with a 0–0 tie against Liechtenstein, a 1–0 loss to Austria and a 1–1 tie at home to Sweden. On 27 March 2015, Montenegro's home match against Russia was abandoned after 67 minutes due to crowd violence, after the Russian left-back Dmitri Kombarov was hit by a projectile. The score was 0–0 and Russia had missed a penalty moments before the match was abandoned. The Russian goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev was hit by a flare, causing a second 33-minute delay. The abandoned match was ruled a 3–0 win in Russia's favour. Montenegro finished fourth at the end of the campaign and placed 95th on the FIFA ranking list. Montenegro participated in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification and were placed with Poland, Denmark, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Romania. Poland and Romania had been participants in the UEFA Euro 2016, but Montenegro began by drawing 1–1 away to Romania, beating Kazakhstan 5–0 at home and defeating Denmark 1–0. However, they then lost 3–2 away to Armenia despite leading 2–0, and were defeated 2–1 at home by Poland. Montenegro then rebounded, beating Armenia 4–1 and Kazakhstan 3–0. They later eliminated Romania with a 1–0 victory, but losses to the Danes and Poles ended Montenegro's chance of qualifying.
Having failed to reach the World Cup, Montenegro had a dismal performance in the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League C. The team was grouped with Serbia, Romania and Lithuania. Montenegro only managed two victories, all against Lithuania, and suffered two losses to Serbia, one defeat to Romania at home and an away draw to the Romanian side as well. This effectively denied Montenegro a chance to qualify to the UEFA Euro 2020 playoff.
Worst campaign
The Euro 2020 qualifiers for Montenegro have been the worst in the team's short history. After an unsuccessful Nations League campaign, the team started off with a 1–1 away draw to Bulgaria, following a controversial penalty for the hosts. It was followed with a 1–5 loss at home to England despite having taken an early lead. On the day of the match with Kosovo, Serbian coach Ljubiša Tumbaković and two players originated from Serbia, due to political reasons, abandoned the national team, betraying the squad in unprecedented condition before the two crucial matches for qualifiers. Montenegro managed to avoid defeat against Kosovo (1–1), however they lost to Czech Republic 0–3. The same result occurred in the rematch, one month later. With no chances to qualify directly, Montenegro failed to win the match against last placed Bulgaria (0–0), and lost to Kosovo (0–2). At the end of their worst campaign, Montenegro suffered their biggest defeat in history. On 14 November 2019, they were defeated against England in London 7–0. Not only did they finish the qualifying campaign without a single victory, Montenegro managed to score only three goals in eight matches, but conceded 22. Also, throughout the entire qualifying campaign the team had troubles with injuries to key players, most notably Stevan Jovetić and Stefan Savić.
Comeback
The team topped the group in 2020–21 UEFA Nations League above Luxembourg, Azerbaijan and Cyprus and were promoted into League B. They were also an important team in fight to qualify for 2022 FIFA World Cup. They were 4th of 6 teams in group with Netherlands, Turkey, Norway, Latvia and Gibraltar.
Stadium and facilities
Montenegro play home matches at the Podgorica City Stadium (Montenegrin: Stadion pod Goricom). The stadium's capacity is 15,230, but international matches reduce this to between 10,700 and 13,000.
Camp FSCG
The Football Association of Montenegro owns Camp FSCG, a Montenegrin training ground. Built in 2007, the centre has a total area of 54,000 square metres. It is located on Ćemovsko polje, a plain located in the outskirts of Podgorica outskirts between the settlements of Stari Aerodrom and Konik. It consists of six pitches with stands and floodlights, and House of Football – the seat of the Football Association of Montenegro.
The camp currently represents an important asset for the whole Montenegrin football system. The grounds are home to all Montenegrin national teams (men and women) and numerous local teams from Podgorica. CAMP FSCG meets the criteria for Montenegrin First League games and UEFA competitions for young players.
Team image
Nickname
Under the official FIFA Trigramme, the team's name is abbreviated as MNE, which is also the country's ISO 3166-1 code. The team's nickname is "The Brave Falcons" (Montenegrin: Hrabri Sokoli).
Kits and colours
Montenegro's traditional home colours are red, with a gold trim. This reflects the country's flag. The team's away kits have usually been white, with a red trim.
The current kit is produced by the Italian company Legea.
| Manufacturer | Period |
|---|---|
 daCapo |
2007–2008 |
 Legea |
2008–present |
Supporters
At competitive matches, the Montenegrin home ground Podgorica City Stadium is often filled to capacity. The stadium is regarded as too small to meet the needs of the national team. Demand for the World Cup qualifier against Italy in 2009 was 30,000 tickets; 40,000 for the Euro 2012 qualifying match against England in 2011.
Montenegro's loudest and most loyal supporters are named Ultra Crna Gora (Ултра Црна Гора; Ultra Montenegro). As an ultras group, their support consists of standing up and singing for 90 minutes both home and away. They occupy the north and south stands of Podgorica City Stadium. Choreography is usually performed at the beginning of games. Ultra Crna Gora consists of many subgroups, mostly named after Podgorica's neighborhoods and Montenegrin towns in other parts of the country.
Results and fixtures
The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
Win Draw Loss Fixture
2024
| Friendly 21 March | Montenegro |
2–0 |  Belarus |
Antalya, Turkey | ||
| 18:00 |
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https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/friendlies/match/2040340--belarus-vs-montenegro/ | Stadium: Mardan Sports Complex Referee: Kadir Sağlam (Turkey) |
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| Friendly 25 March | Montenegro |
1–0 |  Macedonia |
Antalya, Turkey | ||
| 18:00 |
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https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/friendlies/match/2040201--montenegro-vs-north-macedonia | Stadium: Mardan Sports Complex Referee: Zorbay Küçük (Turkey) |
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| Friendly 5 June | Belgium  |
2–0 | Montenegro |
Brussels, Belgium | ||
| 20:30 | https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2024/06/05/world/friendlies/belgium/montenegro/4314709/ | Stadium: King Baudouin Stadium Referee: Kristoffer Karlsson (Sweden) |
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| Friendly 9 June | Montenegro |
1–3 |  Georgia |
Podgorica, Montenegro | ||
| 20:45 |
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https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/friendlies/match/2040595--montenegro-vs-georgia/ |
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Stadium: Podgorica City Stadium Referee: Aleksandar Stavrev (North Macedonia) |
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| 2024–25 UEFA Nations League B 6 September | Iceland  |
2–0 | Montenegro |
Reykjavík, Iceland | ||
| 18:45 UTC±0 |
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https://www.uefa.com/uefanationsleague/match/2040056/ | Stadium: Laugardalsvöllur Attendance: 4,683 Referee: Willy Delajod (France) |
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| 2024–25 UEFA Nations League B 9 September | Montenegro |
1–2 |  Wales |
Nikšić, Montenegro | ||
| 19:45 UTC±0 |
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https://www.uefa.com/uefanationsleague/match/2040080/ |
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Stadium: Gradski stadion (Nikšić) Attendance: 3,569 Referee: Georgi Kabakov (Bulgaria) |
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| 2024–25 UEFA Nations League B 11 October | Turkey  |
1–0 | Montenegro |
Samsun, Turkey | ||
| 21:45 UTC+3 |
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https://www.uefa.com/uefanationsleague/match/2040108/ | Stadium: Samsun 19 Mayıs Stadium Attendance: 28,829 Referee: Daniele Chiffi (Italy) |
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| 2024–25 UEFA Nations League B 14 October | Wales |
1–0 | Montenegro |
Cardiff, Wales | ||
| 19:45 UTC±0 |
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https://www.uefa.com/uefanationsleague/match/2040136/ | Stadium: Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 27,326 Referee: Filip Glova (Slovakia) |
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| 2024–25 UEFA Nations League B 16 November | Montenegro |
0–2 | Iceland |
Nikšić, Montenegro | ||
| 18:00 UTC+1 | https://www.uefa.com/uefanationsleague/match/2040165/ |
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Stadium: Gradski stadion (Nikšić) Attendance: 2,354 Referee: Sven Jablonski (Germany) |
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| 2024–25 UEFA Nations League B 19 November | Montenegro |
3–1 | Turkey |
Nikšić, Montenegro | ||
| 20:45 UTC+1 |
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https://www.uefa.com/uefanationsleague/match/2040193/ |
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Stadium: Gradski stadion (Nikšić) Attendance: 2,579 Referee: Urs Schnyder (Switzerland) |
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Coaching history
| Manager | Career | Played | Won | Draw | Lost | GF | GA | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zoran Filipović |
2006–2009 | 23 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 28 | 31 | 34.78% |
 Zlatko Kranjčar |
2010–2011 | 13 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 14 | 11 | 46.15% |
| Branko Brnović |
2011–2015 | 34 | 11 | 9 | 14 | 44 | 50 | 32.35% |
 Ljubiša Tumbaković |
2016–2019 | 26 | 7 | 7 | 12 | 33 | 33 | 26.92% |
| Miodrag Džudović |
2019 (caretaker) | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 00.00% |
 Faruk Hadžibegić |
2019–2020 | 13 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 13 | 16 | 38.46% |
| Miodrag Radulović |
2020–2023 | 23 | 6 | 4 | 13 | 22 | 35 | 26.08% |
| Robert Prosinečki |
2024–present | 10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 8 | 14 | 30.00% |
Players
In international football, players can normally only play for one national team once they play in all or part of any match recognised as a full international by FIFA. However, an exception is made in cases where one or more newly independent states are created out of a former state. Based on current FIFA rules, a player will be eligible to play for Montenegro, even if he had previously represented Serbia and Montenegro or any other country, if at least one of the following statements applies:
- The player was born in Montenegro;
- At least one of their parents and/or at least one of their grandparents was born in Montenegro;
- The player has lived in Montenegro continuously for any five-year period.
Due to mixed ancestries, it is likely that a high percentage of the players eligible to play for Montenegro will also remain eligible to play for Serbia, and vice versa. However, once they have played for either Serbia or Montenegro in any competitive fixture, they are no longer eligible to play for any other nation.
Current squad
The following players were called up for games against Iceland on 16 October and against Turkey on 19 November 2024.
Caps and goals as of 19 November 2024, after the match against Turkey.
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Milan Mijatović | 26 July 1987 | 40 | 0 | Budućnost Podgorica |
| GK | Danijel Petković | 25 May 1993 | 25 | 0 |  Liepāja |
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| 13 | GK | Igor Nikić | 25 August 2000 | 4 | 0 | Dečić |
| 12 | GK | Balša Popović | 10 June 2000 | 0 | 0 | OFK Beograd |
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| 23 | DF | Adam Marušić | 17 October 1992 | 64 | 4 | Lazio |
| DF | Risto Radunović | 4 May 1992 | 39 | 1 |  FCSB |
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| 5 | DF | Igor Vujačić | 8 August 1994 | 38 | 0 |  Rubin Kazan |
| 4 | DF | Marko Vukčević | 7 June 1993 | 27 | 1 | Borac Banja Luka |
| DF | Andrija Vukčević | 11 October 1996 | 13 | 0 |  Cartagena |
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| 15 | DF | Nikola Šipčić | 17 May 1995 | 12 | 0 | Cartagena |
| 6 | DF | Marko Tući | 4 December 1998 | 6 | 0 |  Gangwon |
| 20 | DF | Ognjen Gašević | 2 April 2002 | 1 | 0 | Budućnost Podgorica |
| 3 | DF | Robert Gjelaj | 23 September 2002 | 0 | 0 | Dečić |
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| 16 | MF | Vladimir Jovović | 26 October 1994 | 63 | 0 |  Sogdiana Jizzakh |
| 8 | MF | Marko Janković | 9 July 1995 | 51 | 1 |  Qarabağ |
| 19 | MF | Marko Bakić | 1 November 1993 | 32 | 0 |  OFI |
| 7 | MF | Driton Camaj | 7 March 1997 | 21 | 2 | Kisvárda |
| 21 | MF | Stefan Lončar | 19 February 1996 | 16 | 0 | Akron Tolyatti |
| 14 | MF | Edvin Kuč | 27 October 1993 | 11 | 3 | Neftçi |
| 18 | MF | Miloš Brnović | 26 April 2000 | 6 | 0 | Budućnost Podgorica |
| 22 | MF | Andrija Radulović | 3 July 2002 | 5 | 0 | Vojvodina |
| 17 | MF | Milan Vukotić | 5 October 2002 | 2 | 0 | Budućnost Podgorica |
| 2 | MF | Milan Vušurović | 18 April 1995 | 0 | 0 | Mornar Bar |
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| 10 | FW | Stevan Jovetić (captain) | 2 November 1989 | 83 | 36 |  Omonia Nicosia |
| 9 | FW | Stefan Mugoša | 23 February 1992 | 61 | 15 | Incheon United |
| 11 | FW | Nikola Krstović | 5 April 2000 | 25 | 6 | Lecce |
Recent call-ups
The following players have also been called up in the last twelve months.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DF | Slobodan Rubežić | 21 March 2000 | 7 | 1 |  Aberdeen |
v. Wales, 14 October 2024 |
| DF | Stefan Savić (vice-captain) | 8 January 1991 | 73 | 9 | Trabzonspor |
v. Wales, 9 September 2024 |
| DF | Marko Vešović | 28 August 1991 | 54 | 2 | Qarabağ |
v. Wales, 9 September 2024 |
| DF | Meldin Drešković | 26 March 1998 | 3 | 0 | Debreceni VSC |
v. Georgia, 9 June 2024 |
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| MF | Ilija Vukotić | 7 January 1999 | 3 | 1 |  Boavista |
v. Wales, 14 October 2024 |
| MF | Novica Eraković | 12 November 1999 | 4 | 0 | Omonia Nicosia |
v. Wales, 9 September 2024 |
| MF | Vasilije Adžić | 12 May 2006 | 0 | 0 | Juventus |
v. Iceland, 6 September 2024INJ |
| MF | Nebojša Kosović | 24 February 1995 | 34 | 1 |  Meizhou Hakka |
v. Georgia, 9 June 2024 |
| MF | Vukan Savićević | 29 January 1994 | 20 | 0 | Vojvodina |
v. Georgia, 9 June 2024 |
| MF | Demir Škrijelj | 10 July 1997 | 1 | 0 |  Vorskla Poltava |
v. Georgia, 9 June 2024 |
| MF | Vladan Bubanja | 21 February 1999 | 1 | 0 | Sarajevo |
v. Georgia, 9 June 2024 |
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| FW | Milutin Osmajić | 25 July 1999 | 27 | 2 | Preston North End |
v. Wales, 14 October 2024 |
| FW | Viktor Đukanović | 29 January 2004 | 4 | 0 | Standard Liège |
v. Wales, 9 September 2024 |
| FW | Vladimir Perišić | 26 August 2004 | 0 | 0 |  Slavia Prague B |
v. Wales, 9 September 2024 |
| FW | Dušan Bakić | 23 February 1999 | 9 | 0 | Omonia Nicosia |
v. Georgia, 9 June 2024 |
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Player records
- Players in bold are still active with Montenegro.
Most appearances
| Rank | Player | Caps | Goals | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fatos Bećiraj | 86 | 15 | 2009–2022 |
| 2 | Stevan Jovetić | 83 | 36 | 2007–present |
| 3 | Stefan Savić | 73 | 9 | 2010–present |
| 4 | Žarko Tomašević | 65 | 5 | 2010–present |
| 5 | Adam Marušić | 64 | 4 | 2015–present |
| 6 | Vladimir Jovović | 63 | 0 | 2013–present |
| 7 | Elsad Zverotić | 61 | 5 | 2008–2017 |
| Stefan Mugoša | 61 | 15 | 2015–present | |
| 9 | Marko Vešović | 54 | 2 | 2013–present |
| 10 | Nikola Vukčević | 51 | 1 | 2014–present |
Top goalscorers
| Rank | Player | Goals | Caps | Average | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stevan Jovetić | 36 | 83 | 0.43 | 2007–present |
| 2 | Mirko Vučinić | 17 | 46 | 0.37 | 2007–2017 |
| 3 | Stefan Mugoša | 15 | 61 | 0.25 | 2015–present |
| Fatos Bećiraj | 15 | 86 | 0.17 | 2009–2022 | |
| 5 | Stefan Savić | 9 | 73 | 0.12 | 2010–present |
| 6 | Dejan Damjanović | 8 | 30 | 0.27 | 2008–2015 |
| 7 | Radomir Đalović | 7 | 26 | 0.27 | 2007–2012 |
| 8 | Andrija Delibašić | 6 | 21 | 0.29 | 2009–2013 |
| Nikola Krstović | 6 | 25 | 0.24 | 2022–present | |
| 10 | Elsad Zverotić | 5 | 61 | 0.08 | 2008–2017 |
| Žarko Tomašević | 5 | 65 | 0.08 | 2014–present |
Competitive record
Montenegro have participated in seven qualification rounds for World Cup or European Championship tournaments. Montenegro have never qualified, and their biggest success was reaching the play-offs for Euro 2012.
Montenegro first tried to qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, but they finished fifth in their group. They had more success in the Euro 2012 qualifiers, when they finished second in their group to reach the play-offs, but lost to the Czech Republic.
In the qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup, Montenegro finished third, and two years later, in the qualifiers for Euro 2016, they finished fourth in their group. They again finished third in their 2018 World Cup qualifying group. Worst performance came in the qualifiers for Euro 2020, as Montenegro finished last-placed in the group without single victory.
| Competition | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIFA World Cup qualifiers | 40 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 61 | 58 | +3 |
| UEFA European Championship qualifiers | 36 | 9 | 10 | 17 | 29 | 56 | −27 |
| UEFA Nations League | 24 | 9 | 3 | 15 | 25 | 28 | -3 |
| Friendly games | 53 | 20 | 13 | 19 | 62 | 64 | -2 |
| Overall | 153 | 51 | 39 | 65 | 177 | 206 | −29 |
Updated: 19 November 2024
FIFA World Cup
| FIFA World Cup record | Qualification record | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
 1930 to  1938 |
Part of  Yugoslavia |
Part of Yugoslavia |
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 1950 to 1990 |
Part of  Yugoslavia |
Part of Yugoslavia |
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 1994 to  2002 |
Part of  Yugoslavia |
Part of Yugoslavia |
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 2006 |
Part of  Serbia and Montenegro |
Part of Serbia and Montenegro |
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 2010 |
Did not qualify | 5th | 10 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 14 | ||||||||
 2014 |
3rd | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 18 | 17 | |||||||||
| 2018 |
3rd | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20 | 12 | |||||||||
 2022 |
4th | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 14 | 15 | |||||||||
  2026 |
To be determined | To be determined | ||||||||||||||
 2030 |
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 2034 |
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| Total | 0/4 | — | 40 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 61 | 58 | ||||||||
UEFA European Championship
| UEFA European Championship record | Qualification record | Qualification play-offs record | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pos. | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | ||||||||||||||||
 1960 |
Part of Yugoslavia |
Part of Yugoslavia |
Part of Yugoslavia |
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 1964 |
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| 1968 |
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| 1972 |
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| 1976 |
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| 1980 |
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 1984 |
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| 1988 |
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 1992 |
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| 1996 |
Part of Yugoslavia |
Part of Yugoslavia |
Part of Yugoslavia |
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 2000 |
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| 2004 |
Part of Serbia and Montenegro |
Part of Serbia and Montenegro |
Part of Serbia and Montenegro |
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  2008 |
Did not enter | Did not enter | N/A | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 2012 |
Did not qualify | PO | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 |
4th | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 13 | N/A | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 2020 |
5th | 8 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 22 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024 |
3rd | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
  2028 |
To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2032 |
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| Total | 0/4 | — | 34 | 9 | 10 | 15 | 29 | 53 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
UEFA Nations League
| UEFA Nations League record | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Division | Group | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | P/R | RK |
| 2018–19 | C | 4 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 6 |  |
35th |
| 2020–21 | C | 1 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 2 |  |
34th |
| 2022–23 | B | 3 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 6 | |
28th |
| 2024–25 | B | 4 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 9 |  |
TBD |
| 2026–27 | C | # | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
TBD |
| Total | 24 | 9 | 3 | 12 | 26 | 23 | 28th | |||
Head-to-head record
Below is a summary of Montenegrin national team results against every opponent country.
| Opponent | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Albania |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 0.00 |
 Armenia |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 5 | +1 | 33.33 |
| Austria |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 0.00 |
| Azerbaijan |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 66.67 |
| Belarus |
5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 | +5 | 60.00 |
| Belgium |
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 0.00 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina |
4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 0.00 |
 Bulgaria |
8 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 9 | +0 | 37.50 |
 Colombia |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | 0.00 |
| Cyprus |
5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 3 | +6 | 40.00 |
| Czech Republic |
5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 13 | −12 | 0.00 |
 Denmark |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 33.33 |
| England |
6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 19 | −14 | 0.00 |
 Estonia |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 100.00 |
 Finland |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | −4 | 0.00 |
| Georgia |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | −1 | 33.33 |
 Ghana |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 100.00 |
 Gibraltar |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | +6 | 100.00 |
| Greece |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | +0 | 50.00 |
| Hungary |
5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 8 | +0 | 40.00 |
| Iceland |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | −3 | 33.33 |
 Israel |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 0.00 |
 Iran |
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 0.00 |
| Italy |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 0.00 |
| Japan |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | −2 | 0.00 |
 Kazakhstan |
4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 | +11 | 75.00 |
 Kosovo |
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 0.00 |
| Latvia |
4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 50.00 |
 Lebanon |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 100.00 |
 Liechtenstein |
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 50.00 |
 Lithuania |
4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 3 | +7 | 75.00 |
 Luxembourg |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 66.67 |
 Moldova |
4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 75.00 |
| Macedonia |
4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 7 | −2 | 50.00 |
| Netherlands |
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | −4 | 0.00 |
 Northern Ireland |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 100.00 |
 Norway |
4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 6 | −2 | 25.00 |
| Poland |
4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 9 | −3 | 0.00 |
| Republic of Ireland |
2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +0 | 0.00 |
| Romania |
7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 6 | +1 | 42.86 |
| Russia |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | −5 | 0.00 |
| San Marino |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | +9 | 100.00 |
| Serbia |
4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 9 | −7 | 0.00 |
 Slovakia |
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 0.00 |
 Slovenia |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 0.00 |
| Sweden |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | −3 | 0.00 |
 Switzerland |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 50.00 |
| Turkey |
6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 9 | −1 | 16.67 |
| Ukraine |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 50.00 |
| Uzbekistan |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 100.00 |
| Wales |
5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 6 | −1 | 40.00 |
| 51 Teams | 154 | 51 | 39 | 64 | 180 | 204 | −24 | 33.12 |
FIFA rankings
See also
In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Montenegro para niños
- Montenegro men's national football team results
- Montenegro men's national football team records and statistics
- List of Montenegro international footballers
- Montenegro women's national football team
- Montenegro women's national under-17 football team
- Football in Montenegro
- Sport in Montenegro
