Luxembourg national football team

The Luxembourg national football team (nicknamed the ''Red Lions''; lb, Lëtzebuergesch Foussballnationalequipe, french: Équipe du Luxembourg de football, german: Luxemburgische Fußballnationalmannschaft) is the national football team of Luxembourg, and is controlled by the Luxembourg Football Federation. The team plays most of its home matches at the Stade de Luxembourg in Luxembourg City.

Luxembourg has participated in every FIFA World Cup qualifiers since those for the 1934 World Cup and in UEFA European Championship qualifiers since those for Euro 1964. As of 2020, they have never qualified for any of these major tournaments. Luxembourg is the nation with the most qualifying campaigns in both of these competitions without ever making it to the finals. However, they did compete in six Olympic football events between 1920 and 1952.

History

Luxembourg played their first ever international match on 29 October 1911, in a friendly match against France; it resulted in a 1–4 defeat. Their first victory came on 8 February 1914, also in a match against France, which they won 5–4.

The national side of Luxembourg competed in six Olympic football events between 1920 and 1952, and survived the preliminary round twice (in 1948 and 1952). In between, Luxembourg started participating at qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup, but as of 2018 they still never qualified.

Starting in 1921, the Luxembourg national A-selection would play 239 unofficial international matches until 1981, mostly against other countries' B-teams like those of Belgium, France, Switzerland and West Germany, as well as a team representing South-Netherlands.

After their last Olympic tournament in 1952, the national team also started playing in qualifying groups for UEFA European Championships, but could not reach the major European tournament end stages. The only time that the team was close to qualify was for a European or World Championship was for the Euro 1964. In the first qualification round they defeated the Netherlands with a score of 3–2 on aggregate after two matches. A Dutch newspaper commented this stunt after the second match with "David Luxembourg won with 2–1 gainst_gainst_Goliath_Netherlands">Goliath.html"_;"title="gainst_Goliath">gainst_Goliath_Netherlands._In_the_round_of_eight,_Luxembourg_and_gainst_Goliath_Netherlands">Goliath.html"_;"title="gainst_Goliath">gainst_Goliath_Netherlands._In_the_round_of_eight,_Luxembourg_and_Denmark_national_football_team">Denmark_

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When the national team does win a competitive match, they are often celebrated by national media and fans, as was the case after a 2–1 win against Switzerland national football team">Switzerland