Slovakia national football team facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

This page is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Slovakia women's national football team.

Quick facts for kids
Slovakia

Nickname(s)

Sokoli (The Falcons)
Repre (The Representatives)

Association

Slovenský futbalový zväz (SFZ)

Confederation

UEFA (Europe)

Head coach

Francesco Calzona

Captain

Milan Škriniar

Most caps

Marek Hamšík (138)

Top scorer

Marek Hamšík (26)

Home stadium

Tehelné pole
Štadión Antona Malatinského
Košická futbalová aréna

FIFA code

SVK

First colours

Second colours

FIFA ranking

Current

2 (7 February 2019)

Highest

14 (August 2015)

Lowest

150 (December 1993)

Elo ranking

Current

8 (3 March 2019)

Highest

14 (August 1939)

Lowest

67 (October 2011)

First international

(1939–1945):

Slovakia 2–0 Germany

(Bratislava, Slovakia; 27 August 1939)
(1993–present):
Unofficial:

Lithuania 0–1 Slovakia

(Vilnius, Lithuania; 14 October 1992)
Official:

United Arab Emirates 0–1 Slovakia

(Dubai, United Arab Emirates; 2 February 1994)

Biggest win

Slovakia 7–0 Liechtenstein

(Bratislava, Slovakia; 8 September 2004)

Slovakia 7–0 San Marino

(Dubnica nad Váhom, Slovakia; 13 October 2007)

Slovakia 7–0 San Marino

(Bratislava, Slovakia; 6 June 2009)

Biggest defeat

Argentina 6–0 Slovakia

(Mendoza, Argentina; 22 June 1995)

Sweden 6–0 Slovakia

(Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; 12 January 2017)

World Cup

Appearances

9 (first in 1934 as Czechoslovakia
2010 as Slovakia)

Best result

As Czechoslovakia: Runners-up (1934, 1962)
As Slovakia: Round of 16 (2010)

European Championship

Appearances

6 (first in 1960 as Czechoslovakia
2016 as Slovakia)

Best result

As Czechoslovakia: Champions (1976)
As Slovakia: Round of 16 (2016, 2024)

Medal record

FIFA World Cup

Silver	1934 Italy	Team
Silver	1962 Chile	Team
UEFA European Championship
Gold	1976 Yugoslavia	Team
Silver	1996 England	Team
Bronze	1960 France	Team
Bronze	1980 Italy	Team
Olympic Games
Gold	1980 Moscow	Team
Silver	1964 Tokyo	Team

The Slovakia national football team is the official men's football team that represents Slovakia in international matches. It is managed by the Slovak Football Association (SFZ). Their main home stadium since 2019 is Tehelné pole in Bratislava. Before 1993, when Czechoslovakia split, Slovak players were part of the Czechoslovakia national football team. They also played as Slovakia during World War II.

Since Slovakia became an independent country in 1993, the team has played in four big international tournaments. These include the 2010 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2016, UEFA Euro 2020, and UEFA Euro 2024. In the 2010 World Cup, Slovakia surprised everyone by winning their qualifying group. They even made it past the group stage by beating Italy 3–2. This was a huge moment for the team, as it was their first time playing in a major football competition as an independent nation.

History of Slovak Football

Early Years and Czechoslovakia

The Slovakia national team in 1940

The first official game for the original Slovak Republic was on August 27, 1939. They played against Germany in Bratislava and won 2–0. During World War II, the Slovak team played friendly matches against countries that were allies with Germany.

After World War II, Slovakia's national team joined the Czechoslovakia team. For over 50 years, Slovakia did not play as its own country. However, many Slovak players were very important to the Czechoslovak team. For example, most of the players who won the UEFA Euro 1976 were Slovak.

Slovakia's Independence and Modern Era

Slovakia's first official international match after becoming independent again was on February 2, 1994. They won 1–0 against the United Arab Emirates in Dubai. Their first home game was a 4–1 win against Croatia in Bratislava on April 20, 1994.

Slovakia's biggest loss since independence was 6–0 against Argentina in 1995. But they have also had big wins, beating Liechtenstein 7–0 in 2004, and San Marino 7–0 twice, in 2007 and 2009.

Slovakia first tried to qualify for a major championship in Euro 1996. They finished third in their group. In the 1998 World Cup qualifiers, they finished fourth. They even beat their neighbors, the Czech Republic, which helped them reach their highest FIFA World Ranking at the time, 17th.

2010 FIFA World Cup Journey

The Slovakia national team before their match against Italy at the 2010 FIFA World Cup

Slovakia played in the FIFA World Cup for the first time as an independent country in 2010. They won their qualifying group, beating teams like Slovenia and the Czech Republic. On October 14, 2009, they secured their spot in the World Cup by winning 1–0 against Poland.

At the World Cup, Slovakia finished second in their group. They famously beat the defending champions, Italy, 3–2. This exciting game had three goals scored in the last 10 minutes! This win sent Slovakia to the knockout stage and knocked Italy out of the tournament. It was the first time in World Cup history that both finalists from the previous tournament (Italy and France) were eliminated early.

In the Round of 16, Slovakia played against the Netherlands. They lost 2–1, with Róbert Vittek scoring a late goal from a penalty. Even though they were out, Vittek's goal put him at the top of the goalscoring list for a short time.

UEFA Euro 2012 and Beyond

In the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying, Slovakia had a tough time. They started with two wins but then lost to Armenia and drew with the Republic of Ireland. They finished fourth in their group and didn't qualify. After this, their coach, Vladimír Weiss, left.

Later, Ján Kozák became the head coach. He helped the team improve.

UEFA Euro 2016 Success

Slovak players celebrating after their match against Russia at UEFA Euro 2016

For UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying, Slovakia was in a group with strong teams like Spain and Ukraine. They started strong with a 1–0 win against Ukraine. On October 9, 2014, they had a big surprise win, beating Spain 2–1, and took first place in the group for a while. They finished second in their group, which meant they qualified for their first European Championship as an independent nation!

At Euro 2016, Slovakia was in Group B. They lost their first game to Wales 2–1, but Ondrej Duda scored Slovakia's first ever goal in the European Championship. Then, they beat Russia 2–1 and drew 0–0 with England. This allowed them to move to the Round of 16. They were then knocked out by Germany after a 3–0 loss.

Recent Tournaments: Euro 2020 and Euro 2024

Slovakia had a hard time qualifying for Euro 2020, only making it after a tough win against Northern Ireland. In the tournament, they beat Poland 2–1 but then lost to Sweden and Spain. They finished last in their group and were eliminated.

For the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, Slovakia finished third in their group and did not qualify.

After some difficult results, Francesco Calzona, a coach from Napoli, became the new manager. Slovakia was in a tough group for Euro 2024 qualifying. Despite a slow start, they won seven matches and only lost twice to Portugal. This strong performance meant Slovakia automatically qualified for Euro 2024 by finishing second in their group!

At Euro 2024, Slovakia was in Group E. They caused a big upset by beating Belgium 1–0 on June 17. Slovakia made it to the knockout stage of the tournament. In the Round of 16, they played against England and lost 2-1 in extra time. Slovakia's Ivan Schranz became one of the top goalscorers of Euro 2024.

Home Stadiums

The Slovakia national football team plays its home matches at the Tehelné pole in Bratislava and the Štadión Antona Malatinského in Trnava. The Štadión pod Dubňom in Žilina was used from 2003 to 2015, but it now has artificial grass, so it cannot be used for international games. In the past, games were sometimes played at other stadiums like Všešportový areál in Košice.

Here are some of the stadiums that have hosted Slovakia's international football matches:

Slovakia national football team home stadiums
Nr. of matches	Stadium	Capacity	Location	First match	Last match
62	Tehelné pole	22,500	Bratislava	v. Germany (2–0) 27 August 1939	v. Sweden (2–2) 11 October 2024
38	Štadión Antona Malatinského	19,200	Trnava	v. Bulgaria (0–0) 24 April 1996	v. Estonia (1–0) 19 November 2024
21	Štadión pod Dubňom	11,258	Žilina	v. Greece (2–2) 30 April 2003	v. Iceland (3–1) 17 November 2015
9	Pasienky	11,591	Bratislava	v. Israel (1–0) 18 August 1999	v. Greece (0–1) 16 October 2012
4	Všešportový areál	30,312	Košice	v. Russia (2–1) 8 March 1995	v. Romania (0–2) 15 November 1995
2	Štadión pod Zoborom	7,480	Nitra	v. Belarus (4–0) 27 March 1996	v. Saudi Arabia (1–1) 24 May 2000
	Štadión Lokomotívy	9,000	Košice	v. Finland (0–0) 19 August 1998	v. Azerbaijan (3–0) 5 September 1998
	Mestský štadión	5,450	Dubnica nad Váhom	v. Liechtenstein (2–0) 8 September 1999	v. San Marino (7–0) 13 October 2007
1	MOL Aréna	12,700	Dunajská Streda	v. Lithuania (2–2) 30 March 1993
	Futbalový štadión Prievidza	9,000	Prievidza	v. Slovenia (2–0) 16 November 1993
	Štadión na Sihoti	6,366	Trenčín	v. Moldova (4–2) 5 September 2001
	Štadión Tatranu	5,410	Prešov	v. Uzbekistan (4–1) 14 May 2002
	ViOn Aréna	4,008	Zlaté Moravce	v. Iceland (1–2) 26 March 2008
	NTC Senec	3,264	Senec	v. Montenegro (2–0) 23 May 2014
	Košická futbalová aréna	12,555	Košice	v. Azerbaijan (2–0) 8 Sep 2024

Team Look and Feel

Team Nicknames

In Slovakia, the team is often called Repre. This is short for Reprezentácia, which means 'national team'.

In 2016, before Slovakia's first appearance at the European Championship, the SFZ gave the team a new nickname: Slovenskí sokoli (Slovak Falcons). The younger teams (U15 to U21) were called Slovenskí sokolíci (Slovak Little Falcons). Even though fans didn't use it much at first, it became popular during the tournament and is now often used, especially in the news, along with Repre.

Team Kits

Slovakia kits from 1939 to 1945

Since 1993, Slovakia's home kit has mostly been blue. For 25 years, they actually wore white as their home kit, but in 2020, they switched back to blue. The team usually wears all white or all blue jerseys, shorts, and socks. Sometimes, they wear a blue jersey with white shorts.

The official company that makes their shirts used to be Puma. But in 2016, the team changed to Nike, which had also supplied them from 1995 to 2005.

Supplier	Period
Le Coq Sportif	1993–1995
Nike	1995–2005
Adidas	2006–2011
Puma	2012–2016
Nike	2016–2024
Macron	2024–

Recent Matches and Future Games

This section shows Slovakia's recent football match results and any upcoming games.

Win Draw Loss Fixture

2024 Matches

March 23, 2024 (Friendly): Slovakia 0–2 Austria (Loss)
March 26, 2024 (Friendly): Norway 1–1 Slovakia (Draw)
June 5, 2024 (Friendly): Slovakia 4–0 San Marino (Win)
June 9, 2024 (Friendly): Slovakia 4–0 Wales (Win)
June 17, 2024 (UEFA Euro 2024 Group E): Belgium 0–1 Slovakia (Win)
June 21, 2024 (UEFA Euro 2024 Group E): Slovakia 1–2 Ukraine (Loss)
June 26, 2024 (UEFA Euro 2024 Group E): Slovakia 1–1 Romania (Draw)
June 30, 2024 (UEFA Euro 2024 Round of 16): England 2–1 Slovakia (Loss, after extra time)
September 5, 2024 (UEFA Nations League): Estonia 0–1 Slovakia (Win)
September 8, 2024 (UEFA Nations League): Slovakia 2–0 Azerbaijan (Win)
October 11, 2024 (UEFA Nations League): Slovakia 2–2 Sweden (Draw)
October 14, 2024 (UEFA Nations League): Azerbaijan 1–3 Slovakia (Win)
November 16, 2024 (UEFA Nations League): Sweden 2–1 Slovakia (Loss)
November 19, 2024 (UEFA Nations League): Slovakia 1–0 Estonia (Win)

Upcoming 2025 Matches

March 20, 2025 (UEFA Nations League Play-off): Slovakia vs Slovenia
March 23, 2025 (UEFA Nations League Play-off): Slovenia vs Slovakia

Coaching Staff

Here is a list of the current coaching staff for the Slovakia national football team:

Position	Name
Head coach	Francesco Calzona
Assistant coaches	Simone Bonomi Gianluca Segarelli Marek Hamšík
Goalkeeping coach	Ján Novota
Team manager	Marek Hamšík
Technical director	Giovanni Paolo de Matteis
Fitness coaches	Alessandro Bulfoni Dávid Brünn
Translator	Pavol Farkaš
Doctors	Jozef Almási Zsolt Fegyveres
Masseur	Mário Prelovský
Physiotherapists	Marián Drinka Peter Hečko Martin Nozdrovický
Video analyst	Marco Brini
Custodians	Ján Beniak Marek Košáň

Player Records

Players whose names are in bold are still playing for Slovakia.

Most Appearances for Slovakia

Marek Hamšík is Slovakia's top goalscorer and has played the most games.

These players have played the most games for the Slovakia national team:

Rank	Player	Games Played	Goals Scored	Years Active
1	Marek Hamšík	138	26	2007–2023
2	Peter Pekarík	134	2	2006–present
3	Juraj Kucka	112	14	2008–present
4	Miroslav Karhan	107	14	1995–2011
5	Martin Škrtel	104	6	2004–2019
6	Ján Ďurica	91	4	2004–2017
7	Róbert Vittek	82	23	2001–2016
8.	Róbert Mak	81	16	2013–present
8.	Ondrej Duda	81	15	2014–present
10.	Vladimír Weiss Jr.	77	8	2009–2022

Top Goalscorers for Slovakia

These players have scored the most goals for the Slovakia national team:

Rank	Player	Goals Scored	Games Played	Goals per Game	Years Active
1.	Marek Hamšík	26	138	0.19	2007–2023
2.	Róbert Vittek	23	82	0.28	2001–2016
3.	Szilárd Németh	22	59	0.37	1996–2006
4.	Róbert Mak	16	81	0.2	2013–present
5.	Ondrej Duda	15	81	0.19	2014–present
6.	Marek Mintál	14	45	0.31	2002–2009
	Miroslav Karhan	14	107	0.13	1995–2011
	Juraj Kucka	14	112	0.13	2008–present
9.	Adam Nemec	13	43	0.3	2006–2019
9.	Stanislav Šesták	13	66	0.2	2004–2016

Tournament Records

FIFA World Cup Record

Slovakia has a history in the FIFA World Cup, first as part of Czechoslovakia, and then as an independent nation.

FIFA World Cup record										Qualification record
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	—
as Czechoslovakia										as Czechoslovakia
1930	Did not enter									Declined invitation
1934	Runners-up	2nd	4	3	0	1	9	6	Squad	1	1	0	0	2	1	1934
1938	Quarter-finals	5th	3	1	1	1	5	3	Squad	2	1	1	0	7	1	1938
1950	Did not enter									Did not enter
1954	Group stage	14th	2	0	0	2	0	7	Squad	4	3	1	0	5	1	1954
1958	Group stage	9th	4	1	1	2	9	6	Squad	4	3	0	1	9	3	1958
1962	Runners-up	2nd	6	3	1	2	7	7	Squad	5	4	0	1	20	7	1962
1966	Did not qualify									6	3	1	2	12	4	1966
1970	Group stage	15th	3	0	0	3	2	7	Squad	7	5	1	1	16	7	1970
1974	Did not qualify									4	2	1	1	9	3	1974
1978	Did not qualify									4	2	0	2	4	6	1978
1982	Group stage	19th	3	0	2	1	2	4	Squad	8	4	2	2	15	6	1982
1986	Did not qualify									8	3	2	3	11	12	1986
1990	Quarter-finals	6th	5	3	0	2	10	5	Squad	8	5	2	1	13	3	1990
1994	Did not qualify									10	4	5	1	21	9	1994
as Slovakia										as Slovakia
1998	Did not qualify									4th	10	5	1	4	18	14
2002										3rd	10	5	2	3	16	9
2006										2nd	14	6	6	2	26	14
2010	Round of 16	16th	4	1	1	2	5	7	Squad	1st	10	7	1	2	22	10
2014	Did not qualify									3rd	10	3	4	3	11	10
2018										2nd	10	6	0	4	17	7
2022										3rd	10	3	5	2	17	10
2026	To be determined									To be determined
2030
2034
Total	Runner-up	9/22	34	12	6	16	49	52	—	—	145	75	35	35	271	137

UEFA European Championship Record

Slovakia has also participated in the UEFA European Championship, both as Czechoslovakia and as an independent nation.

UEFA European Championship record										Qualifying record
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
as Czechoslovakia										as Czechoslovakia
1960	Third place	3rd	2	1	0	1	2	3	Squad	6	4	1	1	16	5	1960
1964	Did not qualify									2	0	1	1	2	3	1964
1968										6	3	1	2	8	4	1968
1972										6	4	1	1	11	4	1972
1976	Champions	1st	2	1	1	0	5	3	Squad	8	5	2	1	19	7	1976
1980	Third place	3rd	4	1	2	1	5	4	Squad	6	5	0	1	17	4	1980
1984	Did not qualify									8	3	4	1	15	7	1984
1988										6	2	3	1	7	5	1988
1992										8	5	0	3	12	9	1992
as Slovakia										as Slovakia
1996	Did not qualify									3rd	10	4	2	4	14	18
2000										3rd	10	5	2	3	12	9
2004										3rd	8	3	1	4	11	9
2008										4th	12	5	1	6	33	23
2012										4th	10	4	3	3	7	10
2016	Round of 16	14th	4	1	1	2	3	6	Squad	2nd	10	7	1	2	17	8
2020	Group stage	18th	3	1	0	2	2	7	Squad	3rd	10	5	2	3	15	12
2024	Round of 16	12th	4	1	1	2	4	5	Squad	2nd	10	7	1	2	17	8
2028	To be determined									To be determined
2032	To be determined									To be determined
Total	1 Title	6/17	19	6	5	8	21	28	—	—	136	71	26	39	233	145

UEFA Nations League Record

Slovakia also competes in the UEFA Nations League.

UEFA Nations League record
Season	Division	Group	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	P/R	Rank
2018–19	B	1	4	1	0	3	5	5		21st
2020–21	B	2	6	1	1	4	5	10		30th
2022–23	C	3	6	2	1	3	5	6		43rd
2024–25	C	1	6	4	1	1	10	5	To be determined
Total			22	8	3	11	25	26	21st

Team Achievements

Major Competitions

UEFA European Championship
- Champions (1): 1976 (as Czechoslovakia)
- Third place (2): 1960, 1980 (as Czechoslovakia)

Friendly Tournaments

King's Cup
- Champions (2): 2004, 2018
Kirin Cup
- Champions (1): 2000
Shanghai International Football Tournament
- Runners-up (1): 1992

Awards

FIFA Best Mover of the Year
- Runners-up (1): 2014
Slovak Sportsperson of the Year – Team Award
- Winners (4): 2009, 2010, 2014, 2015

Images for kids

Tehelné Pole stadium
Štadión Antona Malatinského stadium
Pod Dubňom stadium