Serbia national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Serbia

Nickname(s)	Орлови / Eagles
Association	Fudbalski savez Srbije (FSS)
Confederation	UEFA (Europe)
Head coach	Dragan Stojković
Captain	Aleksandar Mitrović
Most caps	Dušan Tadić (111)
Top scorer	Aleksandar Mitrović (59)
Home stadium	Various
FIFA code	SRB
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	31 2 (7 February 2019)
Highest	6 (December 1998)
Lowest	101 (December 1994)
Elo ranking
Current	19 4 (3 March 2019)
Highest	4 (June 1998)
Lowest	47 (October 2012)
First international
as Yugoslavia  Czechoslovakia 7–0 Kingdom of SCS  (Antwerp, Belgium; 28 August 1920) as FR Yugoslavia/Serbia and Montenegro  Brazil 2–0 Yugoslavia  (Porto Alegre, Brazil; 23 December 1994)  Serbia and Montenegro 2–2 Azerbaijan  (Podgorica, Serbia and Montenegro; 12 February 2003) as Serbia Unofficial FS Serbia 2–1 FS Montenegro (Belgrade, Yugoslavia; 3 September 1945) Official  Czech Republic 1–3 Serbia  (Uherské Hradiště, Czech Republic; 16 August 2006)
Biggest win
as Yugoslavia  Yugoslavia 10–0 Venezuela  (Curitiba, Brazil; 14 June 1972) as FR Yugoslavia/Serbia and Montenegro  Faroe Islands 1–8 Yugoslavia  (Toftir, Faroe Islands; 6 October 1996)  Serbia and Montenegro 5–0 San Marino  (Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro; 13 October 2004) as Serbia  Azerbaijan 1–6 Serbia  (Baku, Azerbaijan; 17 October 2007)  Serbia 6–1 Bulgaria  (Belgrade, Serbia; 19 November 2008)  Serbia 5–0 Romania  (Belgrade, Serbia; 10 October 2009)  Serbia 6–1 Wales  (Novi Sad, Serbia; 11 September 2012)  Serbia 5–0 Russia  (Belgrade, Serbia; 18 November 2020)
Biggest defeat
as Yugoslavia  Czechoslovakia 7–0 Kingdom of SCS  (Antwerp, Belgium; 28 August 1920)  Uruguay 7–0 Kingdom of SCS  (Paris, France; 26 May 1924)  Czechoslovakia 7–0 Kingdom of SCS  (Prague, Czechoslovakia; 28 October 1925) as FR Yugoslavia/Serbia and Montenegro  Netherlands 6–1 Yugoslavia  (Rotterdam, Netherlands; 25 June 2000)  Czech Republic 5–0 Yugoslavia  (Prague, Czech Republic; 6 September 2002)  Argentina 6–0 Serbia and Montenegro  (Gelsenkirchen, Germany; 16 June 2006) as Serbia  Ukraine 5–0 Serbia  (Lviv, Ukraine; 7 June 2019)
World Cup
Appearances	13 (first in 1930)
Best result	As Yugoslavia: Fourth place (1930, 1962) As FR Yugoslavia/Serbia and Montenegro: Round of 16 (1998) As Serbia: Group stage (2010, 2018, 2022)
European Championship
Appearances	6 (first in 1960)
Best result	As Yugoslavia: Runners-up (1960, 1968) as FR Yugoslavia/Serbia and Montenegro: Quarter-finals (2000) As Serbia: Group stage (2024)
Medal record UEFA European Championship Silver 1960 France Team Silver 1968 Italy Team Olympic Games Gold 1960 Rome Team Silver 1948 London Team Silver 1952 Helsinki Team Silver 1956 Melbourne Team Bronze 1984 Los Angeles Team Balkan Cup Gold 1934–35 Greece Team Gold 1935 Bulgaria Team Mediterranean Games Gold 1971 Izmir Team Gold 1979 Split Team

The Serbia men's national football team (Serbian Cyrillic: Фудбалска репрезентација Србије, romanized: Fudbalska reprezentacija Srbije) is a football team that represents Serbia in international matches. It is controlled by the Football Association of Serbia, which is the main organization for football in Serbia. The team is also known as "the Eagles" because of the Serbian eagle, a national symbol.

After the country of Yugoslavia broke up in 1992, Serbia (along with Montenegro) was part of a new team called FR Yugoslavia national football team. Even though they qualified for UEFA Euro 1992, the team was not allowed to play due to international rules. They also missed the 1994 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 1996.

The team played its first friendly match in December 1994. Later, they played in the 1998 FIFA World Cup, reaching the Round of 16. They also made it to the quarter-finals at UEFA Euro 2000. The team has played in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, 2010 FIFA World Cup, 2018 FIFA World Cup, and 2022 FIFA World Cup. However, they have not yet made it past the group stage in these tournaments.

From 2003 to 2006, the team was known as Serbia and Montenegro. After Montenegro became an independent country in 2006, the team was officially renamed the Serbia national football team. FIFA and UEFA see Serbia as the official successor to the previous Yugoslavia and Serbia and Montenegro teams.

History of Serbian Football

Early Years: Serbia in Yugoslavia (1920–1992)

The Football Federation of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia was started in 1919. The first Serbian player to play for the national team was Jovan Ružić. This was in their first international match in 1920, where they lost 7–0 to Czechoslovakia at the 1920 Summer Olympics.

In 1921, a friendly match was played in Belgrade between a local team called "Serbian representatives" and the France national football team. This game showed the early strength of Serbian football clubs.

Before the 1930 FIFA World Cup, there was a disagreement about where the football headquarters should be. This led to some players from Zagreb not joining the team. So, the team that went to the World Cup was mostly Serbian players. They reached the semi-finals but lost to Uruguay 6–1. Famous players from this time included Blagoje Marjanović and Aleksandar Tirnanić.

During World War II, football activities stopped. But after the war, the team reformed. In 1945, a Serbian team won a tournament held to celebrate the end of the war. They beat Montenegro, Croatia, and the Yugoslav People's Army team.

The reunited Yugoslavia reached the finals of the UEFA European Championship in 1960 and 1968. They also finished fourth at the 1962 FIFA World Cup. Serbian players like Dragan Džajić and Vladimir Petrović were important parts of the team. The team played its last game as SFR Yugoslavia in 1992, losing to the Netherlands.

FR Yugoslavia and Serbia & Montenegro (1992–2006)

After the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was formed in 1992, its teams were not allowed to play in international sports events. This was due to international rules. So, the national football team could not play until December 1994. Their first game was a friendly match against Brazil, which they lost 2–0. This was the first team made up only of Serbian and Montenegrin players. Slobodan Santrač became their first manager.

Because of the international rules, the team could not play in the qualifiers for the 1994 FIFA World Cup or UEFA Euro 1996.

1998 FIFA World Cup Journey

When FR Yugoslavia joined FIFA and UEFA in 1994, they could play in the 1998 World Cup qualifiers. They finished second in their group, behind Spain. They then played against Hungary in a play-off match. They won by a huge score of 12–1 over two games, which meant they qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

In the World Cup, they were in a group with Germany, the United States, and Iran. They won their first game against Iran 1–0. Their next game against Germany was a 2–2 draw. They then beat the United States 1–0. Yugoslavia finished second in their group.

In the Round of 16, Yugoslavia played against the Netherlands. The Netherlands scored first, but Yugoslavia equalized with a goal from Slobodan Komljenović. Later, Predrag Mijatović missed a penalty kick. In the last seconds of the game, the Netherlands scored again, winning 2–1.

Euro 2000 Performance

For the Euro 2000 qualifiers, Yugoslavia was in a group with Croatia. These were the first matches between the two teams since Yugoslavia broke up. Vujadin Boškov became the new manager.

The team started well, winning against the Republic of Ireland and Malta. A match against Malta had to be played in Greece because of events in Yugoslavia. The first game against Croatia in Belgrade ended in a 0–0 draw. Yugoslavia qualified for Euro 2000 after drawing 2–2 with Croatia in Zagreb.

In the Euro 2000 finals, Yugoslavia was in a group with Spain, Norway, and Slovenia. In their first game against Slovenia, they were losing 3–0 but managed to draw 3–3 by scoring three goals quickly. They then beat Norway 1–0. In their final group game, they lost a thrilling match to Spain 4–3. Even with the loss, Yugoslavia finished second in the group.

In the quarter-finals, Yugoslavia played against the Netherlands. The Netherlands won 6–1. Despite the loss, Savo Milošević was one of the top scorers of the tournament with five goals.

2006 FIFA World Cup Campaign

Ilija Petković became the manager for the 2006 World Cup qualifiers. Serbia and Montenegro had a great qualifying campaign. They won six games and drew four, finishing first in their group without losing any matches. They also had the best defense, letting in only one goal in ten games.

On 3 June 2006, Montenegro became independent from Serbia. Since the World Cup was about to start, the Serbia and Montenegro team played in the tournament as planned. After the tournament, they would split into separate teams for Serbia and Montenegro.

In the group stage, Serbia and Montenegro lost their first game to the Netherlands 1–0. They then suffered a big 6–0 loss to Argentina, which was their worst international result ever. With these losses, they could not move past the group stage. In their last game, they lost 3–2 to Ivory Coast, finishing with no points.

Independent Serbia (2006–Present)

Euro 2008 Qualification Efforts

After Montenegro became independent, Javier Clemente became Serbia's first foreign coach. Serbia won their first game as an independent nation, beating the Czech Republic 3–1. For the Euro 2008 qualifiers, Serbia was in a group with Poland, Portugal, Belgium, Finland, Kazakhstan, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. They started well but then had inconsistent results, dropping points against teams like Finland and Kazakhstan. They finished third in the group and did not qualify for Euro 2008. Clemente was then replaced.

2010 FIFA World Cup Success

Radomir Antić was appointed as coach. Serbia's World Cup qualification began in 2008. They were in a group with France, Romania, Austria, Lithuania, and the Faroe Islands. Serbia played very well and qualified directly for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. They secured their spot with a 5–0 win against Romania at home.

In the 2010 World Cup, captain Dejan Stanković became the only player to play in a World Cup under three different national names (Yugoslavia, Serbia and Montenegro, and Serbia). Serbia was in a group with Ghana, Germany, and Australia.

They lost their first game to Ghana 1–0 after a late penalty. In their second match, Serbia famously defeated Germany 1–0 with a goal from Milan Jovanović. This win was called "the most famous day in Serbia's footballing history" by FIFA's official YouTube channel.

Serbia needed just one point from their last game against Australia to reach the knockout stages. However, they lost 2–1, finishing last in their group and being eliminated.

Euro 2012 and 2014 World Cup Campaigns

After two games in the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying process, Radomir Antić was replaced by Vladimir Petrović. Serbia was in a group with Italy, Slovenia, Estonia, Northern Ireland, and the Faroe Islands. They had some good results, but also some tough losses, including a match against Italy that was stopped due to crowd trouble. Serbia failed to qualify for Euro 2012, missing out by just one point.

For the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Siniša Mihajlović became the coach. Key players Dejan Stanković and Nemanja Vidić retired from international football. Branislav Ivanović became the new captain. Serbia was in a group with Croatia, Belgium, Scotland, Macedonia, and Wales. They had a big rivalry match against Croatia, losing 2–0 in Zagreb. Serbia finished third in their group and did not qualify for the 2014 World Cup.

Euro 2016 and 2018 World Cup Journeys

Dick Advocaat became coach for the Euro 2016 qualifiers. Serbia was in a group with Portugal, Denmark, Albania, and Armenia. A controversial game against Albania in Belgrade was stopped due to crowd trouble. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) later awarded Albania a 3–0 victory. After a loss to Denmark, Advocaat left, and Radovan Ćurčić took over. Serbia was mathematically eliminated from Euro 2016 qualification.

For the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Slavoljub Muslin was appointed coach. Serbia was in a group with Wales, Austria, Ireland, Georgia, and Moldova. They started strong and won their group, qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. However, Muslin was replaced by Mladen Krstajić before the World Cup due to disagreements over player selection.

In the 2018 World Cup, Serbia won their first game against Costa Rica 1–0. But they lost their next two matches, 2–1 to Switzerland and 2–0 to Brazil, which meant they were eliminated in the group stage.

Recent Campaigns: Nations League and Euros

Serbia played in the first Nations League in 2018–19. They won their group, which included Montenegro, Lithuania, and Romania. This earned them a spot in the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying play-offs and promotion to League B for the next season. Aleksandar Mitrović was the top scorer with six goals.

For the Euro 2020 qualifiers, Serbia was in a group with Portugal, Ukraine, Lithuania, and Luxembourg. After a big 5–0 loss to Ukraine, coach Mladen Krstajić was replaced by Ljubiša Tumbaković. Serbia did not finish in the top two of their group, so they went to the play-offs. They beat Norway 2–1 in the semi-final but lost to Scotland in a penalty shootout in the final. This meant Serbia missed out on the Euros again, making it 20 years since they last played in the tournament.

In the 2022–23 Nations League, Serbia was in a group with Norway, Sweden, and Slovenia. They finished first in their group and were promoted to League A.

For the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Dragan Stojković became the new coach. Serbia was in a group with Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Luxembourg, and Azerbaijan. In a crucial final match against Portugal, Serbia won 2–1 with a late goal from Aleksandar Mitrović, which meant they qualified directly for the World Cup in Qatar.

In the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Serbia was in Group G with Brazil, Switzerland, and Cameroon. They lost to Brazil 2–0, drew with Cameroon 3–3, and lost to Switzerland 3–2. They finished with only one point and were eliminated in the group stage.

Euro 2024 Qualification and Tournament

Dragan Stojković continued as coach for the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers. Serbia was in Group G with Hungary, Montenegro, Bulgaria, and Lithuania. They started strong with wins against Lithuania and Montenegro. They qualified for their first European Championship as an independent nation in 24 years by finishing second in their group.

In the Euro 2024 tournament, Serbia was in Group C with England, Slovenia, and Denmark. They lost their first game 1–0 to England. They then drew 1–1 with Slovenia, with Luka Jović scoring a last-minute equalizer. In their final group match, they needed to beat Denmark to advance but drew 0–0, leading to their elimination from the tournament.

Team Rivalries

• Serbia vs. Croatia: This rivalry is very strong due to historical and political reasons. It is considered one of the biggest international football rivalries. The two teams have played four times, with Croatia winning once and the other three games being draws.
• Serbia vs. Albania: This rivalry also comes from historical tensions.
• Serbia vs. Switzerland: This rivalry is linked to players of Albanian background who play for the Swiss team. The teams have played four times, with Switzerland winning twice and Serbia winning once.

Team Image and Kits

The badge of the Football Association of Serbia looks like the Serbian cross found on the Serbian coat of arms. It has a cross with four firesteels and a football. The team is called "the Eagles" because of the Serbian eagle, which is a national symbol. In 2022, the Football Association of Serbia created a new logo for the national team.

For many years after Yugoslavia broke up, the national team had an identity crisis. Even though it was called FR Yugoslavia, it was mostly seen as representing Serbia. The old national anthem was often booed by fans. The team also used the old nickname "Plavi" (the Blues) and the old badge and kit colors from Yugoslavia.

After Montenegro became independent in 2006, the national team started wearing red shirts, blue shorts, and white socks. These colors represent the Serbian flag. Between 2010 and 2016, a cross design inspired by the country's coat of arms was added to the jersey. Serbia sometimes uses all-red uniforms if there is a color clash with the other team. Their away kits are usually white with blue or white shorts.

Serbia does not have one official national stadium. The team plays at different stadiums across the country. The Rajko Mitić Stadium and Partizan Stadium, both in Belgrade, are the most common venues for their games.

Kit Sponsorship

In July 2014, Umbro became Serbia's official kit supplier. Later, Puma took over, and their kits were first worn on 7 September 2014 in a friendly match against France.

Kit Supplier	Period
Adidas	1974–2002
Lotto	2002–2006
Nike	2006–2014
Umbro	2014–2018
Puma	2018–present

Results and Upcoming Matches

This section shows the team's recent match results and future games.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2024 Matches

International friendly 21 March 2024	Russia	4–0	Serbia	Moscow, Russia
20:00 UTC+3	An. Miranchuk  21' (pen.) Osipenko  32' Al. Miranchuk  55' Sergeev  90+1'	https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2024/03/21/world/friendlies/russia/serbia/4287445/		Stadium: VTB Arena Attendance: 23,679 Referee: Arda Kardeşler (Turkey)

International friendly 25 March 2024	Cyprus	0–1	Serbia	Larnaca, Cyprus
18:00		https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/friendlies/match/2039982--cyprus-vs-serbia/	Milinković-Savić  7'	Stadium: AEK Arena Referee: Marco Di Bello (Italy)

International friendly 4 June 2024	Austria	2–1	Serbia	Vienna, Austria
20:45	Wimmer  10' Baumgartner  13'	https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/friendlies/match/2040260--austria-vs-serbia/matchinfo/	Pavlović  35'	Stadium: Ernst Happel Stadion Referee: António Nobre (Portugal)

International friendly 8 June 2024	Sweden	0–3	Serbia	Solna, Sweden
18:00		https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/friendlies/match/2040262--sweden-vs-serbia/	S. Milinković-Savić  18' Mitrović  60' Tadić  70'	Stadium: Friends Arena Referee: Jasper Vergoote (Belgium)

UEFA Euro 2024 Group C 16 June 2024 (2024-06-16)	Serbia	0–1	England	Gelsenkirchen, Germany
21:00		https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/match/2036166/	Bellingham  13'	Stadium: Arena AufSchalke Attendance: 48,953 Referee: Daniele Orsato (Italy)

UEFA Euro 2024 Group C 20 June 2024 (2024-06-20)	Slovenia	1–1	Serbia	Munich, Germany
15:00	Karničnik  69'	https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/match/2036177/	Jović  90+5'	Stadium: Allianz Arena Attendance: 63,028 Referee: István Kovács (Romania)

UEFA Euro 2024 Group C 25 June 2024 (2024-06-25)	Denmark	0–0	Serbia	Munich, Germany
21:00		https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/match/2036190/		Stadium: Allianz Arena Attendance: 64,288 Referee: François Letexier (France)

2024–25 UEFA Nations League A 5 September 2024	Serbia	0–0	Spain	Belgrade, Serbia
20:45		https://www.uefa.com/uefanationsleague/match/2040049--serbia-vs-spain/		Stadium: Red Star Stadium Attendance: 29,981 Referee: Serdar Gözübüyük (Netherlands)

2024–25 UEFA Nations League A 8 September 2024	Denmark	2–0	Serbia	Copenhagen, Denmark
18:00	Grønbæk  36' Yurary  61'	https://www.uefa.com/uefanationsleague/match/2040069--denmark-vs-serbia/		Stadium: Parken Stadium Attendance: 34,902 Referee: Chris Kavanagh (England)

2024–25 UEFA Nations League A 12 October 2024	Serbia	2–0	Switzerland	Leskovac, Serbia
20:45	Elvedi  45+1' (o.g.) Mitrović  61'	https://www.uefa.com/uefanationsleague/match/2040119--serbia-vs-switzerland/		Stadium: Dubočica Stadium Attendance: 6,383 Referee: Simone Sozza (Italy)

2024–25 UEFA Nations League A 15 October 2024	Spain	3–0	Serbia	Córdoba, Spain
20:45	Laporte  5' Morata  65' Baena  77'	https://www.uefa.com/uefanationsleague/match/2040140--spain-vs-serbia/		Stadium: Estadio Nuevo Arcángel Attendance: 20,345 Referee: Daniel Stefanski (Poland)

2024–25 UEFA Nations League A 15 November 2024	Switzerland	1–1	Serbia	Zurich, Switzerland
20:45	Amdouni  78'	https://www.uefa.com/uefanationsleague/match/2040162--switzerland-vs-serbia/	Terzić  88'	Stadium: Letzigrund Attendance: 21,115 Referee: Clément Turpin (France)

2024–25 UEFA Nations League A 18 November 2024	Serbia	0–0	Denmark	Leskovac, Serbia
20:45		https://www.uefa.com/uefanationsleague/match/2040186--serbia-vs-denmark/		Stadium: Dubočica Stadium Attendance: 7,295 Referee: Felix Zwayer (Germany)

2025 Matches

2024–25 UEFA Nations League promotion/relegation play-offs 20 March 2025	Austria	v	Serbia	Vienna, Austria
20:45		https://www.uefa.com/uefanationsleague/match/2043038/		Stadium: Ernst-Happel-Stadion

2024–25 UEFA Nations League promotion/relegation play-offs 23 March 2025	Serbia	v	Austria	Belgrade, Serbia
18:00		https://www.uefa.com/uefanationsleague/match/2043046/		Stadium: Red Star Stadium

Team Management

This section lists the current coaching staff and the history of managers for the Serbian national football team.

Coaching staff

Position	Name
Head coach	Dragan Stojković
Assistant coach	Goran Đorović
Coach	Bratislav Živković
Goalkeeping coach	Goran Čumić
Fitness coach	Katsuhito Kinoshi
Analyst	Nebojša Stamenković
Team manager	Nemanja Filipović
Athletic director	Stevan Stojanović

Manager History

Manager	Period	Record							Major competitions
		Matches	Won	Drawn	Lost	Win %	Draw %	Loss %
Dragan Stojković	2021–	48	23	12	13	47.90	25.00	27.10	Euro 2024 – Group stage 2022 World Cup – Group stage
Ljubiša Tumbaković	2019–2020	14	6	5	3	42.86	35.71	21.43	Euro 2020 – Failed to qualify
Mladen Krstajić	2017–2019	19	9	5	5	47.36	26.32	26.32	2018 World Cup – Group stage
Slavoljub Muslin	2016–2017	15	8	5	2	53.33	33.33	13.33
Radovan Ćurčić	2014–2016	11	5	0	6	45.45	0.00	55.55	Euro 2016 – Failed to qualify
Dick Advocaat	2014	4	0	2	2	0.00	50.00	50.00
Siniša Mihajlović	2012–2013	19	7	4	8	36.84	21.05	42.10	2014 World Cup – Failed to qualify
Vladimir Petrović	2010–2011	13	5	3	5	38.46	23.08	38.46	Euro 2012 – Failed to qualify
Radomir Antić	2008–2010	28	17	3	8	60.71	10.71	28.57	2010 World Cup – Group stage
Javier Clemente	2006–2007	16	7	7	2	43.75	43.75	12.50	Euro 2008 – Failed to qualify
Ilija Petković	2003–2006	30	11	10	9	36.66	33.33	30.00	2006 World Cup – Group stage
Dejan Savićević	2001–2003	17	4	3	10	23.53	17.65	58.82	Euro 2004 – Failed to qualify
Vujadin Boškov	1999–2000	15	6	5	4	40.00	33.33	26.67	Euro 2000 – Quarter final
Slobodan Santrač	1994–1998	43	26	10	7	60.46	23.25	16.28	1998 World Cup – Round of 16
	TOTAL	328	147	87	94	44.82	26.52	28.66	7 out of 14

For the period before 1992 see: Yugoslavia national football team#Head coaches

Current Players

This section lists the players currently called up for the national team.

• The following 26 players were called up for the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League A matches against Switzerland and Denmark on 15 and 18 November 2024.

Caps and goals are updated as of 18 November 2024, after the match against Denmark.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Đorđe Petrović	(1999-10-08) 8 October 1999 (age 25)	5	0	Strasbourg
12	1GK	Aleksandar Jovanović	(1992-12-06) 6 December 1992 (age 32)	1	0	Partizan
21	1GK	Veljko Ilić	(2003-07-21) 21 July 2003 (age 21)	0	0	TSC Bačka Topola
2	2DF	Kosta Nedeljković	(2005-12-16) 16 December 2005 (age 19)	6	0	Aston Villa
3	2DF	Strahinja Pavlović	(2001-05-24) 24 May 2001 (age 24)	43	4	Milan
4	2DF	Nikola Milenković	(1997-10-12) 12 October 1997 (age 27)	62	3	Nottingham Forest
7	2DF	Aleksa Terzić	(1999-08-17) 17 August 1999 (age 25)	8	1	Red Bull Salzburg
13	2DF	Miloš Veljković	(1995-09-26) 26 September 1995 (age 29)	35	1	Werder Bremen
16	2DF	Strahinja Eraković	(2001-01-22) 22 January 2001 (age 24)	12	1	Zenit Saint Petersburg
19	2DF	Jan-Carlo Simić	(2005-05-02) 2 May 2005 (age 20)	3	0	Anderlecht
22	2DF	Nemanja Stojić	(1998-01-15) 15 January 1998 (age 27)	3	0	Maccabi Tel Aviv
5	3MF	Saša Zdjelar	(1995-03-20) 20 March 1995 (age 30)	9	0	CSKA Moscow
6	3MF	Nemanja Maksimović	(1995-01-26) 26 January 1995 (age 30)	53	0	Panathinaikos
8	3MF	Andrija Maksimović	(2007-06-05) 5 June 2007 (age 18)	4	0	Red Star Belgrade
10	3MF	Nemanja Gudelj	(1991-11-16) 16 November 1991 (age 33)	66	1	Sevilla
11	3MF	Lazar Samardžić	(2002-02-24) 24 February 2002 (age 23)	17	0	Atalanta
14	3MF	Andrija Živković	(1996-07-11) 11 July 1996 (age 28)	53	1	PAOK
17	3MF	Mirko Topić	(2001-02-05) 5 February 2001 (age 24)	2	0	Famalicão
9	4FW	Aleksandar Mitrović (captain)	(1994-09-16) 16 September 1994 (age 30)	98	59	Al Hilal
18	4FW	Mihailo Ivanović	(2004-11-29) 29 November 2004 (age 20)	1	0	Millwall
23	4FW	Dušan Vlahović	(2000-01-28) 28 January 2000 (age 25)	32	13	Juventus

Recent Call-ups

These players have also been called up for the team in the last twelve months.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Predrag Rajković	(1995-10-31) 31 October 1995 (age 29)	39	0	Al-Ittihad	v.  Switzerland, 15 November 2024PRE
GK	Vanja Milinković-Savić	(1997-02-20) 20 February 1997 (age 28)	19	0	Torino	v.  Switzerland, 12 October 2024INJ
GK	Marko Ilić	(1998-02-03) 3 February 1998 (age 27)	1	0	Red Star Belgrade	v.  Switzerland, 12 October 2024PRE
GK	Mile Svilar	(1999-08-27) 27 August 1999 (age 25)	1	0	Roma	v.  Russia, 21 March 2024PRE / SUS
DF	Srđan Babić	(1996-04-22) 22 April 1996 (age 29)	9	1	Spartak Moscow	v.  Denmark, 18 November 2024INJ
DF	Filip Mladenović	(1991-08-15) 15 August 1991 (age 33)	34	1	Panathinaikos	v.  Switzerland, 15 November 2024INJ
DF	Uroš Spajić	(1993-02-13) 13 February 1993 (age 32)	21	0	Red Star Belgrade	v.  Denmark, 25 June 2024
DF	Erhan Mašović	(1998-11-22) 22 November 1998 (age 26)	5	0	VfL Bochum	v.  Cyprus, 25 March 2024
DF	Milan Gajić	(1996-01-28) 28 January 1996 (age 29)	2	0	CSKA Moscow	v.  Cyprus, 25 March 2024
DF	Matija Nastasić	(1993-03-28) 28 March 1993 (age 32)	34	0	Leganés	v.  Russia, 21 March 2024PRE
MF	Marko Grujić	(1996-04-13) 13 April 1996 (age 29)	28	0	Porto	v.  Switzerland, 15 November 2024INJ
MF	Ivan Ilić	(2001-03-17) 17 March 2001 (age 24)	21	0	Torino	v.  Switzerland, 15 November 2024INJ
MF	Veljko Birmančević	(1998-03-05) 5 March 1998 (age 27)	11	0	Sparta Prague	v.  Switzerland, 15 November 2024PRE
MF	Nikola Čumić	(1998-11-20) 20 November 1998 (age 26)	2	0	Rubin Kazan	v.  Spain, 15 October 2024
MF	Aleksandar Ćirković	(2001-09-21) 21 September 2001 (age 23)	0	0	TSC	v.  Spain, 15 October 2024
MF	Dejan Zukić	(2001-05-07) 7 May 2001 (age 24)	0	0	Wolfsberger AC	v.  Spain, 15 October 2024
MF	Saša Lukić	(1996-08-13) 13 August 1996 (age 28)	52	2	Fulham	v.  Spain, 15 October 2024INJ
MF	Stefan Mitrović	(2002-08-15) 15 August 2002 (age 22)	4	0	OH Leuven	v.  Switzerland, 12 October 2024PRE
MF	Kristijan Belić	(2001-03-25) 25 March 2001 (age 24)	2	0	AZ	v.  Denmark, 8 September 2024
MF	Milan Aleksić	(2005-08-30) 30 August 2005 (age 19)	0	0	Sunderland	v.  Denmark, 8 September 2024
MF	Sergej Milinković-Savić	(1995-02-27) 27 February 1995 (age 30)	54	9	Al Hilal	v.  Spain, 5 September 2024INJ
MF	Dušan Tadić RET	(1988-11-20) 20 November 1988 (age 36)	111	23	Fenerbahçe	v.  Denmark, 25 June 2024
MF	Filip Kostić	(1992-11-01) 1 November 1992 (age 32)	64	3	Fenerbahçe	v.  Denmark, 25 June 2024
MF	Mijat Gaćinović	(1995-02-08) 8 February 1995 (age 30)	28	2	AEK Athens	v.  Denmark, 25 June 2024
MF	Srđan Mijailović	(1993-11-10) 10 November 1993 (age 31)	8	0	Al-Wasl	v.  Denmark, 25 June 2024
MF	Nemanja Radonjić	(1996-02-15) 15 February 1996 (age 29)	44	5	Red Star Belgrade	UEFA Euro 2024PRE
MF	Matija Gluščević	(2004-06-13) 13 June 2004 (age 21)	0	0	Radnički 1923	UEFA Euro 2024PRE
FW	Luka Jović	(1997-12-23) 23 December 1997 (age 27)	42	11	Milan	v.  Switzerland, 15 November 2024INJ
FW	Mihajlo Cvetković	(2007-01-10) 10 January 2007 (age 18)	0	0	Čukarički	v.  Switzerland, 15 November 2024INJ
FW	Dejan Joveljić	(1999-08-07) 7 August 1999 (age 25)	7	2	LA Galaxy	v.  Spain, 15 October 2024
FW	Petar Ratkov	(2003-08-18) 18 August 2003 (age 21)	3	0	Red Bull Salzburg	v.  Switzerland, 12 October 2024PRE
FW	Đorđe Jovanović	(1999-02-15) 15 February 1999 (age 26)	4	0	Partizan	v.  Denmark, 8 September 2024
FW	Samed BaždarBIH	(2004-01-31) 31 January 2004 (age 21)	1	0	Real Zaragoza	UEFA Euro 2024PRE
Notes PRE Preliminary squad SUS Suspended INJ Withdrew from the roster due to an injury RET Retired from the national team WD Withdrew from the roster for non-injury related reasons BIH Switched to Bosnia and Herzegovina

Player Records

This section highlights players with the most appearances and goals for the Serbian national team.

Players in bold are still active with Serbia.

Most Games Played

Rank	Player	Caps	Goals	Pos.	Career
1	Dušan Tadić	111	23	MF	2008–2024
2	Branislav Ivanović	105	13	DF	2005–2018
3	Dejan Stanković	103	15	MF	1998–2013
4	Savo Milošević	102	37	FW	1994–2008
5	Aleksandar Mitrović	98	59	FW	2013–present
6	Aleksandar Kolarov	94	11	DF	2008–2020
7	Dragan Džajić	85	23	MF	1964–1979
8	Dragan Stojković	84	15	MF	1983–2001
	Vladimir Stojković	84	0	GK	2006–2018
10	Zoran Tošić	76	11	MF	2007–2016

Top Goalscorers

Rank	Player	Goals	Caps	Ratio	Career
1	Aleksandar Mitrović	59	98	0.60	2013–present
2	Stjepan Bobek	38	63	0.60	1946–1956
3	Milan Galić	37	51	0.73	1959–1965
	Blagoje Marjanović	37	58	0.64	1926–1938
	Savo Milošević	37	102	0.36	1994–2008
6	Rajko Mitić	32	59	0.54	1946–1957
7	Dušan Bajević	29	37	0.78	1970–1977
8	Todor Veselinović	28	37	0.76	1953–1961
9	Predrag Mijatović	27	73	0.37	1989–2003
10	Borivoje Kostić	26	33	0.79	1956–1964

Team Captains (Since 1994)

Player	Period	Tournaments as the captain
Dragan Stojković	1994–2001	1998 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2000
Predrag Mijatović	2001–2003	—
Savo Milošević	2003–2006	2006 FIFA World Cup
Dejan Stanković	2006–2011	2010 FIFA World Cup
Nikola Žigić	2011	—
Branislav Ivanović	2012–2017	—
Aleksandar Kolarov	2018–2020	2018 FIFA World Cup
Dušan Tadić	2021–2024	2022 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2024
Aleksandar Mitrović	2024–	—

Notable Players

This section lists some of the famous players who have played for the Serbian national football team.

Goalkeepers

• 

  Ivica Kralj played for the team from 1996 to 2001.

• 

  Vladimir Stojković is the goalkeeper with the most games played for Serbia (84 caps).

Defenders

• 

  Miroslav Đukić played for the team from 1991 to 2001.

• 

  Siniša Mihajlović played 63 matches for the team and later managed it.

• 

  Zoran Mirković played for the team from 1995 to 2003.

• 

  Mladen Krstajić played 59 matches and managed the team at the 2018 World Cup.

• 

  Nemanja Vidić played 56 matches and was part of two World Cups.

• 

  Neven Subotić played 36 matches and was part of the 2010 World Cup team.

• 

  Branislav Ivanović played 105 matches for the team from 2005 to 2018.

• 

  Aleksandar Kolarov played 94 matches and was captain at the 2018 World Cup.

Midfielders

• 

  Dragan Stojković played for the team from 1983 to 2001 and is now the head coach.

• 

  Dejan Savićević played for the team from 1986 to 1999 and managed it from 2001 to 2003.

• 

  Vladimir Jugović played for the team from 1991 to 2002.

• 

  Slaviša Jokanović played for the team from 1991 to 2002.

• 

  Dejan Stanković played in three World Cups and one European Championship.

• 

  Miloš Krasić played for the team from 2006 to 2011.

• 

  Milan Jovanović played for the team from 2007 to 2012.

• 

  Nemanja Matić played for the team from 2008 to 2019.

• 

  Dušan Tadić has played the most games for Serbia with 111 caps.

• 

  Filip Kostić has been playing for the team since 2015.

Forwards

• 

  Predrag Mijatović was a top scorer in the 1998 World Cup qualifiers.

• 

  Savo Milošević played 102 matches, scored 37 goals, and was a top scorer at Euro 2000.

• 

  Darko Kovačević played 59 matches and scored 10 goals.

• 

  Mateja Kežman was the top goal scorer for the team in the 2006 World Cup qualifiers.

• 

  Nikola Žigić played 57 matches and scored 20 goals.

• 

  Aleksandar Mitrović is the top goal scorer in the history of the national team.

• 

  Dušan Vlahović has been playing for the team since 2020.

Competition Records

Serbia was part of Yugoslavia and its national football team from 1920 to 1992. After Yugoslavia broke up, Serbia and Montenegro formed the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1992. The country's name changed in 2003, and Montenegro became independent in 2006. FIFA and UEFA consider the Football Association of Serbia to be the direct successor to the previous football associations. This means all past records are now attributed to Serbia.

FIFA World Cup History

Serbia at the FIFA World Cup

UEFA European Championship History

Serbia at the UEFA European Championship

UEFA Nations League History

UEFA Nations League record
Season	Division	Group	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	P/R	RK
2018–19	C	4	6	4	2	0	11	4		27th
2020–21	B	3	6	1	3	2	9	7		27th
2022–23	B	4	6	4	1	1	13	5		19th
2024–25	A	4	To be determined							1st–16th
Total			18	9	6	3	33	16	1st–16th

Honours and Achievements

Major Competitions

• UEFA European Championship
  • Runners-up (2): 1960, 1968

• Olympic Games
  • Gold Medal (1): 1960
  • Silver Medal (3): 1948, 1952, 1956
  • Bronze Medal (1): 1984

Regional Competitions

• Balkan Cup
  • Winners (2): 1934–35, 1935
  • Runners-up (6): 1929–31, 1932, 1933, 1946, 1947, 1977–80
  • Third place (1): 1931
• Mediterranean Games
  • Gold medal (2): 1971, 1979

Friendly Tournaments

• 1945 Yugoslav Football Tournament
  • Champions (1): 1945
• Lunar New Year Cup
  • Champions (1): 1995
• Millennium Super Cup
  • Champions (1): 2001
• Korea Cup
  • Runners-up (1): 1997
• Kirin Cup
  • Runners-up (1): 2004

Summary of Medals

Competition				Total
FIFA World Cup	0	0	0	0
Olympic Games	1	3	1	5
UEFA European Championship	0	2	0	2
Total	1	5	1	7

Images for kids

• 

  Serbia's starting lineup under coach Radomir Antić in their 1–0 win over Germany at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.