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Slovenia national football team facts for kids

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Slovenia
Shirt badge/Association crest
Association Football Association of Slovenia (NZS)
Confederation UEFA (Europe)
Head coach Matjaž Kek
Captain Jan Oblak
Most caps Boštjan Cesar (101)
Top scorer Zlatko Zahovič (35)
Home stadium Stožice Stadium
FIFA code SVN
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 63 Decrease 1 (7 February 2019)
Highest 15 (October–November 2010)
Lowest 134 (December 1993)
First international
Unofficial
Kingdom of Yugoslavia Slovenia 0–5 France 
(Ljubljana, Kingdom of SCS; 23 June 1921)
Official
 Estonia 1–1 Slovenia 
(Tallinn, Estonia; 3 June 1992)
Biggest win
 Oman 0–7 Slovenia 
(Muscat, Oman; 8 February 1999)
Biggest defeat
 France 5–0 Slovenia 
(Saint-Denis, France; 12 October 2002)
World Cup
Appearances 2 (first in 2002)
Best result Group stage (2002, 2010)
European Championship
Appearances 2 (first in 2000)
Best result Round of 16 (2024)
Website nzs.si

The Slovenia national football team plays for Slovenia in international men's football games. The team is managed by the Football Association of Slovenia. They compete in big tournaments like the FIFA World Cup, UEFA Nations League, and UEFA European Championship. Slovenia played its first official match in 1992, after Slovenia became independent from Yugoslavia. Most of their home games are played at Stožice Stadium in Ljubljana.

Slovenia has played in major tournaments four times. They reached the group stage of the FIFA World Cup twice and the UEFA European Championship twice. At UEFA Euro 2024, they made it past the group stage for the first time. At the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Slovenia won their first major tournament game, beating Algeria 1–0. They also famously beat Italy 1–0 in 2004. This was Italy's only loss during their entire 2006 World Cup journey.

Boštjan Cesar has played the most games for Slovenia, with 101 appearances. Zlatko Zahovič is the top goal scorer, with 35 goals.

History of Slovenian Football

Early Years (1921–1991)

Before Slovenia became an independent country in 1991, its football team was a regional team. It was not officially recognized by FIFA. On 23 June 1921, a team of Slovenian players played against France in Ljubljana. Jules Rimet, who later started the first FIFA World Cup, was there. France won 5–0. Even though it wasn't an official international match, many in Slovenia saw it as the first game for their national team. Slovenia played other friendly games over the years, but they were not officially recognized by FIFA.

Becoming Independent and First Wins (1992–1998)

In 1992, after Slovenia became independent from Yugoslavia, the Football Association of Slovenia joined UEFA and FIFA. On 3 June 1992, Slovenia played its first official FIFA-recognized game. It was a friendly match against Estonia in Tallinn. The game ended in a 1–1 draw, and Igor Benedejčič scored Slovenia's first official goal. The first coach was Bojan Prašnikar. On 7 April 1993, Slovenia got its first international win, beating Estonia 2–0.

In 1994, under coach Zdenko Verdenik, Slovenia played in its first official competition, the UEFA Euro 1996 qualifiers. They finished fifth in their group. In their first qualifying match, Slovenia drew 1–1 at home against 1994 World Cup finalists Italy. For the 1998 World Cup qualifiers, Slovenia finished last in their group.

The Golden Generation (1998–2002)

Qualifying for Euro 2000

In July 1998, Srečko Katanec became the new manager. Under him, Slovenia finished second in their Euro 2000 qualifying group, just behind Norway. Zlatko Zahovič scored eight of Slovenia's twelve goals. In the play-offs, Slovenia played against Ukraine. Slovenia won the first game in Ljubljana 2–1. Zahovič scored, and Milenko Ačimovič scored a fantastic goal from the halfway line. The second game in Kyiv ended 1–1. This meant Slovenia won 3–2 overall and qualified for their first major tournament!

Soccer Field Transparant.svg

Dabanovič
Galič
Milanič
Čeh
Novak
Pavlin
Udovič
Rudonja
Slovenia's lineup for their first ever game at a major tournament, against FR Yugoslavia at UEFA Euro 2000.

At Euro 2000, Slovenia was in Group C with Spain, FR Yugoslavia, and Norway. In their first game against Yugoslavia, Slovenia led 3–0. Zahovič scored twice and Pavlin once. But Yugoslavia came back, scoring three goals in just six minutes for a 3–3 draw. In the second game against Spain, Spain won 2–1. Zahovič scored Slovenia's goal. The last group game against Norway was a 0–0 draw. Slovenia earned two points but was eliminated.

Qualifying for the 2002 FIFA World Cup

For the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Slovenia was in a group with Russia, FR Yugoslavia, and others. Slovenia started slowly, winning only one of their first five games. They even drew 2–2 with the Faroe Islands after leading 2–0. But then, Slovenia won four of their next five games, including a late win against Russia. They finished second in the group without losing a single game.

Slovenia then went to the play-offs, where they played against Romania. Slovenia won the first game 2–1. In the second game in Bucharest, Slovenia drew 1–1. This meant Slovenia won 3–2 on total score and qualified for their first ever World Cup!

At the World Cup, Slovenia was in Group B with Spain, Paraguay, and South Africa. In their first game against Spain, Spain won 3–1. Sebastjan Cimirotič scored Slovenia's first World Cup goal. This match was also known for a disagreement between coach Katanec and star player Zahovič. Slovenia lost their other two games against South Africa (1–0) and Paraguay (3–1). They finished last in their group.

A Period of Change (2003–2007)

After Katanec left, Bojan Prašnikar became coach again. Many older players left the team, and new ones joined.

In the Euro 2004 qualifiers, Slovenia finished second in their group. They played against their rivals, Croatia, in the play-offs. The first game in Zagreb was a 1–1 draw. Ermin Šiljak scored for Slovenia. In the second game, Croatia won 1–0. Croatia qualified for Euro 2004. Šiljak was the top scorer of the whole Euro qualification with nine goals.

In 2004, Branko Oblak took over as coach. Slovenia played in the 2006 World Cup qualifiers. They started well, beating Moldova and Italy, and drawing with Scotland. However, they finished fourth in the group. Slovenia was the only team to beat Italy during their entire 2006 World Cup journey (qualifiers and the main tournament).

Oblak was replaced by Matjaž Kek in 2007. Slovenia finished sixth in the rest of the Euro 2008 qualifiers.

The 2010 World Cup Journey (2008–2011)

Russia vs Slovenia World Cup 2010 Qualification, 2009-11-14 (48)
Slovenian players celebrating Nejc Pečnik's goal against Russia in the 2010 World Cup play-offs.

For the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Slovenia was in a group with the Czech Republic, Poland, and others. They started with a 1–1 draw against Poland. Then they won two home games. Slovenia improved a lot and won their last four games without letting in any goals. They finished second in the group and went to the play-offs.

In the play-offs, Slovenia played against Russia. Russia won the first game in Moscow 2–1. But in the second game in Maribor, Slovenia won 1–0 with a goal from Zlatko Dedić. Slovenia qualified for the World Cup because of the away goals rule. Milivoje Novaković was their top scorer in the qualifiers with five goals.

At the World Cup, Slovenia was in Group C with England, Algeria, and the United States. In their first game against Algeria, Slovenia won 1–0. This was their first ever World Cup win! Robert Koren scored the goal. In their second game against the United States, Slovenia led 2–0 at half-time. But the US came back to draw 2–2. In their last game, Slovenia lost 1–0 to England. Slovenia finished third in the group and was eliminated.

Slovenia - USA at FIFA World Cup 2010, out
Slovenia vs. United States at the 2010 World Cup

After the 2010 World Cup, Slovenia reached their highest ever FIFA World Rankings position, ranking 15th in October 2010. However, they did not qualify for Euro 2012.

New Coaches and Near Misses (2011–2018)

In 2011, Slaviša Stojanović became the new manager. He coached for only nine games. In 2012, Srečko Katanec returned as coach for his second time. Under him, Slovenia won four games in a row in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, finishing third.

For UEFA Euro 2016 qualifiers, Slovenia almost qualified directly. They lost a key game to Switzerland, even after leading 2–0. Slovenia went to the play-offs but lost to Ukraine. The 2018 World Cup qualifiers were similar. Slovenia lost close games to Slovakia and England. After losing to England with a late goal, Katanec resigned. In December 2017, Tomaž Kavčič became the new manager.

In 2018, Slovenia played in the first UEFA Nations League. They were in League C. After poor results, Kavčič was fired. He was the shortest-serving manager in Slovenia's history. Slovenia finished last in their group.

Kek's Return and Euro 2024 Success (2019–Present)

Matjaž Kek became the manager for the second time in November 2018. Slovenia did not qualify for Euro 2020. However, in the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League C, Slovenia did very well. They did not lose any of their six games against Greece, Moldova, and Kosovo. With captain Jan Oblak leading the team, Slovenia finished first in their group. This meant they were promoted to League B for the next Nations League.

In the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, Slovenia started with a 1–0 home win against Croatia. This was their first win against Croatia in many years. But they did not qualify for the World Cup.

In 2022, Slovenia played in League B of the Nations League. They avoided being moved down to a lower league. Benjamin Šeško scored important goals, including one in a 1–1 draw against Sweden that kept them in League B.

In the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers, Slovenia finally qualified for a major tournament again after 24 years! Šeško was a key player, scoring five goals. Slovenia won their final game against Kazakhstan 2–1 in front of a record home crowd of 16,432 fans. They finished second in their group, directly qualifying for the Euros for the first time without needing a play-off.

At the Euro 2024 finals in Germany, Slovenia made history. They advanced from the group stage for the first time ever at a major tournament. They drew all three of their group matches against Denmark, Serbia, and England. They were eliminated in the round of 16 by Portugal after a penalty shootout. Slovenia finished the tournament without losing a game in regular time.

Team Identity

Team Nickname and Mascot

The Slovenia national team does not have an official nickname. At the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2024, they were the only team without one. In 2010, some journalists tried to choose a nickname, but fans didn't support it much. A fan vote chose "Kekci," which refers to a Slovenian children's character Kekec and the coach Matjaž Kek. This nickname is sometimes used by the media.

Some foreign media used "Zmajčeki" (Little Dragons) during the 2010 World Cup. This was an old nickname for a Slovenian club team, Olimpija Ljubljana. Football fans in former Yugoslavia countries still sometimes use this name for the Slovenian team.

In 2002, Slovenia got an official mascot for the World Cup. It was called Trigi. Trigi was a round shape, like the Earth or a football. It had a picture of Triglav, Slovenia's highest mountain, on its head.

Team Kits and Colours

Until 1993, Slovenia played in white, blue, and red. These are the colours of the Slovenian flag. In 1993, the Football Association of Slovenia changed the main colours to green and white. This was inspired by the NK Olimpija club from Ljubljana.

In 2009, the team decided to change the kit colours again. They chose white for home games and blue for away games. These new kits were introduced in 2012. The white home kit had blue and green details. The blue away kit had white and green details. In 2016, an all-green kit returned as an away kit, and a light blue kit became the new home kit. In 2022, fans voted online for the new kits. The home colours became all-white again, and the away colours became all-blue.

For their World Cup appearances in 2002 and 2010, the Slovenian kit featured a picture of Triglav. This mountain image has been on every new kit since 2010.

Slovenia's first kit was white, blue and red, inspired by the Slovenian flag.
 
In the first half of the 1990s, green colour first appeared on the kits.
 
All-white home kit in 2012, with a prominent depiction of Triglav.
 

Kit Suppliers

Nike has been the team's kit supplier since 2007. Before that, companies like Puma, Adidas, Uhlsport, and Kappa made their kits.

Kit provider Period
Puma 1993–1996
Adidas 1997–2001
Uhlsport 2002–2003
Kappa 2003–2006
Nike 2007–present

Home Stadiums

Slovenia has played its home matches at ten different stadiums in eight cities. Since 2010, most games have been at Stožice Stadium in Ljubljana. This stadium can hold 16,038 fans. The team also trains at the National Football Centre Brdo.

Stožice (31523159192)
Stožice Stadium, the main stadium of the Slovenia national team

Slovenia's first main home stadium was the Bežigrad Stadium in Ljubljana. It was used until 2004, when UEFA said it was too old. The Arena Petrol in Celje became the main stadium for the next three years. For the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, Slovenia moved to the Ljudski vrt stadium in Maribor. They did not lose any of their six home games there, which helped them qualify for the World Cup.

Stožice Stadium was built in 2010 and has hosted most of the national team's games since then. It holds the record for the highest attendance for a Slovenia home game. On 20 November 2023, 16,432 fans watched Slovenia beat Kazakhstan 2–1 to qualify for Euro 2024. This record was matched in March 2024 when Slovenia beat Portugal in a friendly match.

Other stadiums where Slovenia has played home games include Bonifika Stadium in Koper, Fazanerija City Stadium in Murska Sobota, and Domžale Sports Park in Domžale.

Rivalries in Football

Slovenia's main football rivals are their neighbours, Croatia. Their matches are called the Neighbourhood derby. As of March 2022, they have played twelve times. A famous match was in 2003, when they played in the Euro 2004 qualifiers. Slovenia lost and did not qualify. In March 2021, Slovenia finally beat Croatia 1–0 in a World Cup qualifier. This was their first win against Croatia in nine matches.

Team Management

Katanec (left) and Kek (right) managed Slovenia at the FIFA World Cup in 2002 and 2010, respectively.

Since 1991, eight different managers have led the Slovenia national team. Bojan Prašnikar, Srečko Katanec, and Matjaž Kek have each had more than one time as coach.

Tomaž Kavčič was the manager for the shortest time, coaching only seven games in 2018. He was replaced by Igor Benedejčič, who was the first temporary manager.

Manager History

This table shows manager statistics up to 17 November 2024.

Manager Time as Coach Games Played Won Drawn Lost Win % Major Tournaments Ref.
Prašnikar, BojanBojan Prašnikar 1991–1993 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&025.&&&&&025.00
Verdenik, ZdenkoZdenko Verdenik 1994–1997 &&&&&&&&&&&&&032.&&&&&032 &&&&&&&&&&&&&010.&&&&&010 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&08.&&&&&08 &&&&&&&&&&&&&014.&&&&&014 &&&&&&&&&&&&&031.25000031.25
Prašnikar, BojanBojan Prašnikar 1998 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03 &&&&&&&&&&&&&020.&&&&&020.00
Katanec, SrečkoSrečko Katanec 1998–2002 &&&&&&&&&&&&&047.&&&&&047 &&&&&&&&&&&&&018.&&&&&018 &&&&&&&&&&&&&016.&&&&&016 &&&&&&&&&&&&&013.&&&&&013 &&&&&&&&&&&&&038.30000038.30 Euro 2000 – Group stage
2002 World Cup – Group stage
Prašnikar, BojanBojan Prašnikar 2002–2004 &&&&&&&&&&&&&016.&&&&&016 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07 &&&&&&&&&&&&&037.50000037.50
Oblak, BrankoBranko Oblak 2004–2006 &&&&&&&&&&&&&023.&&&&&023 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07 &&&&&&&&&&&&&010.&&&&&010 &&&&&&&&&&&&&026.&9000026.09
Kek, MatjažMatjaž Kek 2007–2011 &&&&&&&&&&&&&049.&&&&&049 &&&&&&&&&&&&&020.&&&&&020 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&09.&&&&&09 &&&&&&&&&&&&&020.&&&&&020 &&&&&&&&&&&&&040.82000040.82 2010 World Cup – Group stage
Stojanović, SlavišaSlaviša Stojanović 2011–2012 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&09.&&&&&09 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05 &&&&&&&&&&&&&022.22000022.22
Katanec, SrečkoSrečko Katanec 2013–2017 &&&&&&&&&&&&&042.&&&&&042 &&&&&&&&&&&&&016.&&&&&016 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07 &&&&&&&&&&&&&019.&&&&&019 &&&&&&&&&&&&&038.10000038.10
Kavčič, TomažTomaž Kavčič 2017–2018 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05 &&&&&&&&&&&&&014.29000014.29
Benedejčič, IgorIgor Benedejčič 2018 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &0&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00.00
Kek, MatjažMatjaž Kek 2018– &&&&&&&&&&&&&065.&&&&&065 &&&&&&&&&&&&&029.&&&&&029 &&&&&&&&&&&&&022.&&&&&022 &&&&&&&&&&&&&014.&&&&&014 &&&&&&&&&&&&&044.62000044.62 Euro 2024 – Round of 16

Players

Current Team Squad

The players listed below were chosen for the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League B games in November 2024.

Player information is correct as of 17 November 2024, after the match against Austria.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Jan Oblak (captain) (1993-01-07) 7 January 1993 (age 32) 74 0 Spain Atlético Madrid
12 1GK Matevž Vidovšek (1999-10-30) 30 October 1999 (age 25) 2 0 Slovenia Olimpija Ljubljana
16 1GK Igor Vekić (1998-05-06) 6 May 1998 (age 27) 1 0 Denmark Vejle

2 2DF Žan Karničnik (1994-09-18) 18 September 1994 (age 30) 34 2 Slovenia Celje
3 2DF Jure Balkovec (1994-09-09) 9 September 1994 (age 30) 38 0 Turkey Alanyaspor
5 2DF Kenan Bajrić (1994-12-20) 20 December 1994 (age 30) 5 0 Slovakia Slovan Bratislava
6 2DF Jaka Bijol (1999-02-05) 5 February 1999 (age 26) 59 1 Italy Udinese
13 2DF Erik Janža (1993-06-21) 21 June 1993 (age 32) 19 3 Poland Górnik Zabrze
20 2DF Petar Stojanović (1995-10-07) 7 October 1995 (age 29) 63 2 Italy Salernitana
21 2DF Vanja Drkušić (1999-10-30) 30 October 1999 (age 25) 17 0 Serbia Red Star Belgrade
23 2DF David Brekalo (1998-12-03) 3 December 1998 (age 26) 19 1 United States Orlando City SC
2DF Marcel Ratnik (2003-12-23) 23 December 2003 (age 21) 1 0 Slovenia Olimpija Ljubljana

4 3MF Dejan Petrovič (1998-01-12) 12 January 1998 (age 27) 5 0 Croatia Rijeka
7 3MF Josip Iličić (1988-01-29) 29 January 1988 (age 37) 86 17 Slovenia Maribor
8 3MF Sandi Lovrić (1998-03-28) 28 March 1998 (age 27) 38 4 Italy Udinese
10 3MF Timi Max Elšnik (1998-04-29) 29 April 1998 (age 27) 25 1 Serbia Red Star Belgrade
14 3MF Jasmin Kurtić (1989-01-10) 10 January 1989 (age 36) 96 2 Italy Südtirol
15 3MF Adrian Zeljković (2002-08-19) 19 August 2002 (age 22) 1 0 Slovakia Spartak Trnava
17 3MF Jan Mlakar (1998-10-23) 23 October 1998 (age 26) 26 4 Italy Pisa
22 3MF Adam Gnezda Čerin (1999-07-16) 16 July 1999 (age 25) 41 5 Greece Panathinaikos
3MF Svit Sešlar (2002-01-09) 9 January 2002 (age 23) 1 0 Slovenia Celje

9 4FW Andraž Šporar (1994-02-27) 27 February 1994 (age 31) 61 12 Greece Panathinaikos
11 4FW Benjamin Šeško (2003-05-31) 31 May 2003 (age 22) 39 16 Germany RB Leipzig
18 4FW Žan Vipotnik (2002-03-18) 18 March 2002 (age 23) 15 2 Wales Swansea City
19 4FW Žan Celar (1999-03-14) 14 March 1999 (age 26) 17 0 England Queens Park Rangers

Recent Player Call-ups

These players have also been called to the Slovenia team in the last year.


Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Vid Belec (1990-06-06) 6 June 1990 (age 35) 21 0 Cyprus APOEL UEFA Euro 2024 RET
GK Klemen Mihelak (2001-12-31) 31 December 2001 (age 23) 0 0 Czech Republic Jablonec v.  United States, 20 January 2024
GK Denis Pintol (2000-02-07) 7 February 2000 (age 25) 0 0 Slovenia Olimpija Ljubljana v.  United States, 20 January 2024

DF Sven Šoštarič Karič (1998-03-07) 7 March 1998 (age 27) 1 0 Russia Pari Nizhny Novgorod v.  Kazakhstan, 13 October 2024
DF David Zec (2000-01-05) 5 January 2000 (age 25) 1 0 Slovenia Celje v.  Kazakhstan, 13 October 2024
DF Jon Gorenc Stanković (1996-01-14) 14 January 1996 (age 29) 29 1 Austria Sturm Graz v.  Kazakhstan, 9 September 2024
DF Miha Blažič (1993-05-08) 8 May 1993 (age 32) 32 0 United Arab Emirates Kalba UEFA Euro 2024
DF Žan Zaletel (1999-09-16) 16 September 1999 (age 25) 2 0 Denmark Viborg UEFA Euro 2024 PRE
DF Mitja Ilenič (2004-12-26) 26 December 2004 (age 20) 1 0 United States New York City FC v.  United States, 20 January 2024
DF Srđan Kuzmić (2004-01-16) 16 January 2004 (age 21) 1 0 Denmark Viborg v.  United States, 20 January 2024
DF Matija Kavčič (1997-07-11) 11 July 1997 (age 27) 0 0 Slovenia Celje v.  United States, 20 January 2024

MF Jan Repas (1997-03-19) 19 March 1997 (age 28) 4 0 Slovenia Maribor v.  Kazakhstan, 13 October 2024
MF Sandro Jovanović (2002-04-23) 23 April 2002 (age 23) 0 0 Slovenia Koper v.  Kazakhstan, 13 October 2024
MF Tomi Horvat (1999-03-24) 24 March 1999 (age 26) 7 0 Austria Sturm Graz v.  Norway, 10 October 2024 INJ
MF Benjamin Verbič (1993-11-27) 27 November 1993 (age 31) 61 6 Greece Panathinaikos UEFA Euro 2024
MF Nino Žugelj (2000-05-23) 23 May 2000 (age 25) 1 0 Norway Bodø/Glimt UEFA Euro 2024
MF Miha Zajc (1994-07-01) 1 July 1994 (age 30) 39 8 France Toulouse UEFA Euro 2024 PRE
MF Tamar Svetlin (2001-07-30) 30 July 2001 (age 23) 1 0 Slovenia Celje v.  United States, 20 January 2024
MF Luka Vešner Tičić (2000-10-25) 25 October 2000 (age 24) 1 0 Russia Pari Nizhny Novgorod v.  United States, 20 January 2024
MF Mark Zabukovnik (2000-12-27) 27 December 2000 (age 24) 1 0 Slovenia Celje v.  United States, 20 January 2024

FW Blaž Kramer (1996-06-01) 1 June 1996 (age 29) 6 0 Turkey Konyaspor v.  Kazakhstan, 13 October 2024
FW Luka Zahović (1995-11-15) 15 November 1995 (age 29) 15 0 Poland Górnik Zabrze UEFA Euro 2024 PRE
FW Andrés Vombergar (1994-11-20) 20 November 1994 (age 30) 3 0 Argentina San Lorenzo v.  United States, 20 January 2024
FW Nejc Gradišar (2002-08-06) 6 August 2002 (age 22) 1 1 Hungary Fehérvár v.  United States, 20 January 2024
FW Matej Poplatnik (1992-07-15) 15 July 1992 (age 32) 1 0 Slovenia Bravo v.  United States, 20 January 2024
FW Danijel Šturm (1999-01-04) 4 January 1999 (age 26) 1 0 Slovenia Domžale v.  United States, 20 January 2024

Notes
  • INJ = Player withdrew due to injury
  • PRE = Player was in the preliminary squad
  • RET = Player retired from the national team

Team Records

Player Records

As of 17 November 2024, 238 players have played at least one game for Slovenia. Boštjan Cesar has played the most games (101). He also had the longest career, playing for over 15 years. Goalkeeper Jan Oblak has been captain the most times (50 games). Zlatko Zahovič has scored the most goals (35). Sašo Udovič scored five goals in one game against Iceland in 1996, which is the most goals by one player in a single match.

Players in bold are still playing for Slovenia.
Cesar Slovenia 2009-11
Boštjan Cesar is Slovenia's all-time most capped player.
Most Appearances
Rank Player Games Goals Years Played
1 Boštjan Cesar 101 10 2003–2018
2 Bojan Jokić 100 1 2006–2019
3 Jasmin Kurtić 96 2 2012–present
4 Valter Birsa 90 7 2006–2018
5 Josip Iličić 86 17 2010–present
6 Samir Handanović 81 0 2004–2015
7 Milivoje Novaković 80 32 2006–2017
Zlatko Zahovič 80 35 1992–2004
9 Mišo Brečko 77 0 2004–2015
10 Milenko Ačimovič 74 13 1998–2007
Aleš Čeh 74 1 1992–2002
Jan Oblak 74 0 2012–present
Top Goal Scorers
Rank Player Goals Games Goals per Game Years Played
1 Zlatko Zahovič 35 80 0.44 1992–2004
2 Milivoje Novaković 32 80 0.4 2006–2017
3 Josip Iličić 17 86 0.2 2010–present
4 Benjamin Šeško 16 39 0.41 2021–present
Sašo Udovič 16 42 0.38 1993–2000
6 Ermin Šiljak 14 48 0.29 1994–2005
7 Milenko Ačimovič 13 74 0.18 1998–2007
8 Andraž Šporar 12 61 0.2 2016–present
9 Tim Matavž 11 39 0.28 2010–2020
10 Primož Gliha 10 28 0.36 1992–1998
Boštjan Cesar 10 101 0.1 2003–2018

Team Records

  • Biggest Win: 7–0 against Oman on 8 February 1999.
  • Biggest Loss: 0–5 against France on 12 October 2002.
  • Most Wins in a Row: 4 wins (achieved five times).
  • Longest Undefeated Streak: 12 games without a loss, from 20 November 2023 to 9 September 2024.
  • Most Losses in a Row: 4 losses (achieved five times).
  • Longest Winless Streak: 9 games without a win, from 6 September 2018 to 7 June 2019.
  • Most Games Without Scoring: 4 games (achieved twice).
  • Most Games Without Conceding a Goal: 6 games, from 3 September 2020 to 11 November 2020.
  • Most Games Scoring in a Row: 14 games, from 19 June 2023 to 20 June 2024.

Tournament History

FIFA World Cup Appearances

Slovenia has played in the FIFA World Cup twice.

FIFA World Cup Record Qualification Record
Year Round Pld W D L GF GA Squad Pos. Pld W D L GF GA
1930 to 1990 Part of  Yugoslavia Part of  Yugoslavia
United States 1994 Did not enter Did not enter
France 1998 Did not qualify 5th 8 0 1 7 5 20
South Korea Japan 2002 Group stage 3 0 0 3 2 7 Squad 2nd (PO) 12 6 6 0 20 11
Germany 2006 Did not qualify 4th 10 3 3 4 10 13
South Africa 2010 Group stage 3 1 1 1 3 3 Squad 2nd (PO) 12 7 2 3 20 6
Brazil 2014 Did not qualify 3rd 10 5 0 5 14 11
Russia 2018 4th 10 4 3 3 12 7
Qatar 2022 4th 10 4 2 4 13 12
Canada Mexico United States 2026 To be determined To be determined
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total Group stage 6 1 1 4 5 10 2/7 72 29 17 26 94 80

UEFA European Championship Appearances

Slovenia has played in the UEFA European Championship twice.

UEFA European Championship Record Qualification Record
Year Round Pld W D L GF GA Squad Pos. Pld W D L GF GA
1960 to 1992 Part of  Yugoslavia Part of  Yugoslavia
England 1996 Did not qualify 5th 10 3 2 5 13 13
Belgium Netherlands 2000 Group stage 3 0 2 1 4 5 Squad 2nd (PO) 12 6 3 3 15 16
Portugal 2004 Did not qualify 2nd (PO) 10 4 3 3 16 14
Austria Switzerland 2008 6th 12 3 2 7 9 16
Poland Ukraine 2012 4th 10 4 2 4 11 7
France 2016 3rd (PO) 12 5 2 5 19 14
Europe 2020 4th 10 4 2 4 16 11
Germany 2024 Round of 16 4 0 4 0 2 2 Squad 2nd 10 7 1 2 20 9
United Kingdom Republic of Ireland 2028 To be determined To be determined
Italy Turkey 2032
Total Round of 16 7 0 6 1 6 7 2/8 86 36 17 33 119 100

UEFA Nations League History

UEFA Nations League Record
Season League Group Round Pos Pld W D L GF GA P/R RK
2018–19 C 3 League phase 4th 6 0 3 3 5 8 Same position 38th
2020–21 C 3 League phase 1st 6 4 2 0 8 1 Rise 33rd
2022–23 B 4 League phase 3rd 6 1 3 2 6 10 Same position 25th
2024–25 B 3 League phase 3rd 6 2 2 2 7 9 25th
Promotion/relegation play-offs TBD
Total 24 7 10 7 26 28
Key and notes
  • Rise = Team moved up to a higher division
  • Same position = Team stayed in the same division

Awards and Honours

Friendly Tournaments

  • Rothmans International Tournament
    • Winners: 1994
    • Runners-up: 1996
  • Cyprus International Tournament
    • Runners-up: 1998, 2006
  • Oman International Tournament
    • Runners-up: 1999, 2000
  • Carlsberg Cup
    • Third place: 2002

Special Awards

  • Best Mover of the Year: 1999 (This award is given to the team that has improved its ranking the most in a year.)

Images for kids

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

  • Slovenia national football B team
  • Slovenia national under-21 football team
  • Slovenia national under-19 football team
  • Slovenia national under-17 football team
  • Sport in Slovenia
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Slovenia national football team Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.