The Russia national football team (russian: Сборная России по футболу, Sbornaya Rossii po futbolu) represents the
Russian Federation
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
in men's international
association football
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
. It is controlled by the
Russian Football Union (russian: Российский Футбольный Союз, ), the governing body for
football in Russia
Association football is the most popular sport in Russia, since beating ice hockey by a huge margin. Men's football is overseen by the Russian Football Union, having the Russian Premier League as the first tier of the Russian football league ...
. Russia's home ground is the
Luzhniki Stadium
Luzhniki Stadium ( rus, стадион «Лужники», p=stədʲɪˈon lʊʐnʲɪˈkʲi, ''Stadion Luzhniki'') is the national stadium of Russia, located in its capital city, Moscow. The full name of the stadium is Grand Sports Arena of the ...
in Moscow and their head coach is
Valery Karpin
Valery Georgiyevich Karpin (russian: Валерий Георгиевич Карпин; born 2 February 1969) is a football manager and former player who manages FC Rostov and the Russian national team. He is a former midfielder, primarily a r ...
.
Although a member of
FIFA
FIFA (; stands for ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' ( French), meaning International Association Football Federation ) is the international governing body of association football, beach football and futsal. It was found ...
since 1912 (as the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
before 1917 and as the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
in 1924–1991), Russia first entered the
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the ' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament ha ...
in
1958. They have qualified for the tournament 11 times, with their best result being their fourth-place finish in
1966. Russia has been a member of
UEFA
Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; french: Union des associations européennes de football; german: Union der europäischen Fußballverbände) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs f ...
since 1954. They won the first edition of the
European Championship in
1960 and were runners-up in
1964,
1972
Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, me ...
and
1988
File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Australian ...
. Since the
dissolution of the Soviet Union
The dissolution of the Soviet Union, also negatively connoted as rus, Разва́л Сове́тского Сою́за, r=Razvál Sovétskogo Soyúza, ''Ruining of the Soviet Union''. was the process of internal disintegration within the Sov ...
, Russia's best result was in
2008, when the team finished third.
On 28 February 2022, in accordance with a "recommendation" by the
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swiss ...
(IOC), FIFA and UEFA suspended the participation of Russia in their competitions. The
Russian Football Union unsuccessfully appealed the FIFA and UEFA bans to the
Court of Arbitration for Sport
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS; french: Tribunal arbitral du sport, ''TAS'') is an international body established in 1984 to settle disputes related to sport through arbitration. Its headquarters are in Lausanne, Switzerland and its co ...
, which upheld the bans.
History
After the
breakup of the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
(which led to the break-up of the
Soviet Union national football team
The Soviet Union national football team ( rus, сбо́рная СССР по футбо́лу, r=sbórnaya SSSR po futbólu) was the national Association football, football team of the former Soviet Union.
After the Dissolution of the Soviet U ...
), Russia played its first international match against
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
on 16 August 1992, winning 2–0 with a team of former Soviet Union players, including some born in other
former Soviet republics
The post-Soviet states, also known as the former Soviet Union (FSU), the former Soviet Republics and in Russia as the near abroad (russian: links=no, ближнее зарубежье, blizhneye zarubezhye), are the 15 sovereign states that wer ...
.
Beginning
Led by manager
Pavel Sadyrin
Pavel Fyodorovich Sadyrin (russian: Павел Фёдорович Садырин; 18 September 1942 – 1 December 2001) was a Soviet and Russian footballer and manager.
Career
Sadyrin played as a midfielder for Zvezda Perm and Zenit Leningra ...
, Russia were in
Group 5 Group 5 may refer to:
*Group 5 element, chemical element classification
*Group 5 (racing)
Group 5 was an FIA motor racing classification which was applied to four distinct categories during the years 1966 to 1982. Initially Group 5 regulations def ...
for the
qualification campaign for the
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup was the 15th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national soccer teams. It was hosted by the United States and took place from June 17 to July 17, 1994, at nine venues across the country. The United States ...
held in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
which consisted of
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
,
Iceland
Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...
,
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...
and
Luxembourg
Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...
. The
suspension
Suspension or suspended may refer to:
Science and engineering
* Suspension (topology), in mathematics
* Suspension (dynamical systems), in mathematics
* Suspension of a ring, in mathematics
* Suspension (chemistry), small solid particles suspende ...
of
FR Yugoslavia
Serbia and Montenegro ( sr, Cрбија и Црна Гора, translit=Srbija i Crna Gora) was a country in Southeast Europe located in the Balkans that existed from 1992 to 2006, following the breakup of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yug ...
reduced the group to five teams. Russia qualified alongside Greece with six wins and two draws. Russia went to the US as an independent country. The Russian squad consisted of veterans like goalkeeper
Stanislav Cherchesov
Stanislav Salamovich Cherchesov (russian: Станислав Саламович Черчесов, ; os, Черчесты Саламы фырт Станислав, Ĉerĉesty Salamy fyrt Stanislav; born 2 September 1963) is a Russian football ma ...
,
Aleksandr Borodyuk
Aleksandr Genrikhovich Borodyuk (russian: Александр Генрихович Бородюк; born 30 November 1962) is a Russian football manager and former international player for USSR (playing one match in 1990 FIFA World Cup) and Russia ...
and players like
Viktor Onopko
Viktor Savelyevich Onopko (russian: link=no, Виктор Савельевич Онопко; born 14 October 1969) is a Russian football coach and a former defender of Ukrainian origin. He is an assistant coach with FC Rostov and the Russia na ...
,
Oleg Salenko
Oleg Anatolyevich Salenko (russian: Олег Анатольевич Саленко, uk, Олег Анатолійович Саленко; born 25 October 1969) is a Russian-Ukrainian former footballer who played as a forward. He scored a recor ...
,
Dmitri Cheryshev
Dmitri Nikolayevich Cheryshev (russian: Дмитрий Николаевич Черышев; born 11 May 1969) is a Russian former professional footballer who played as a forward, and a manager. He is the manager of Andorran club Santa Coloma.
...
,
Aleksandr Mostovoi
Aleksandr Vladimirovich Mostovoi (russian: link=no, Алекса́ндр Влади́мирович Мостово́й ; born 22 August 1968) is a Russian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder.
Known as ''O Zar de ...
,
Vladimir Beschastnykh
Vladimir Yevgenyevich Beschastnykh ( rus, Влади́мир Евге́ньевич Бесча́стных, p=vlɐˈdʲimʲɪr jɪvˈɡʲenʲɪvʲɪdʑ bʲɪˈɕːasnɨx; born 1 April 1974) is a Russian football manager and a former player who ...
, and
Valeri Karpin
Valery Georgiyevich Karpin (russian: Валерий Георгиевич Карпин; born 2 February 1969) is a football manager and former player who manages FC Rostov and the Russian national team. He is a former midfielder, primarily a r ...
(some of these Russian players could have chosen to play for the
Ukraine national football team
The Ukraine national football team ( uk, Збірна України з футболу) represents Ukraine in men's international football and is governed by the Ukrainian Association of Football, the governing body for football in Ukraine. Uk ...
but the
Ukrainian Association of Football
The Ukrainian Association of Football (UAF) ( uk, Українська асоціяція футболу, Ukrayins'ka Asotsiyatsiya Futbolu) is the governing body of football in Ukraine. Before 2019 it was known as the Football Federation of Ukr ...
had not secured recognition in time to compete in the 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification
[Ukraine's forgotten World Cup pedigree]
, Business Ukraine (4 August 2010)).
In the final tournament, Russia was drawn into
Group B
Group B was a set of regulations for grand touring (GT) vehicles used in sports car racing and rallying introduced in 1982 by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). Although permitted to enter a GT class of the World Sportscar ...
with
Cameroon
Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...
,
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
, and
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
. Russia was eliminated from the tournament with three points. Sadyrin was sacked following what was a poor performance.
Euro 1996
![Stamp of Azerbaijan 426](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Stamps_of_Azerbaijan%2C_1996-426.jpg)
After Sadyrin was sacked,
Oleg Romantsev
Oleg Ivanovich Romantsev (russian: Олег Иванович Романцев; born 4 January 1954) is a Soviet/Russian former international footballer and coach. Romantsev was acclaimed for his success with Spartak Moscow, whom he led to a reco ...
was appointed coach to lead Russia to
UEFA Euro 1996
The 1996 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as Euro 96, was the 10th UEFA European Championship, a quadrennial football tournament contested by European nations and organised by UEFA. It took place in England from 8 to 30 ...
. During
qualifying, Russia overcame
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
, Greece,
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
,
San Marino
San Marino (, ), officially the Republic of San Marino ( it, Repubblica di San Marino; ), also known as the Most Serene Republic of San Marino ( it, Serenissima Repubblica di San Marino, links=no), is the fifth-smallest country in the world an ...
, and the
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands ( ), or simply the Faroes ( fo, Føroyar ; da, Færøerne ), are a North Atlantic island group and an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.
They are located north-northwest of Scotland, and about halfway bet ...
to finish in first place with eight wins and two draws.
In the final tournament, Russia was in
Group C
Group C was a category of sports car racing introduced by the FIA in 1982 and continuing until 1993, with ''Group A'' for touring cars and ''Group B'' for GTs.
It was designed to replace both Group 5 special production cars (closed top touri ...
with
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, the
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
and
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
. They were eliminated after losing 2–1 to Italy and 3–0 to Germany. Russia's last game against the Czech Republic ended 3–3. Germany and Czech Republic went on to meet in the
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
.
1997–99
![Boris Ignatiev](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Boris_Ignatiev.jpg)
After Euro 96,
Boris Ignatyev
Boris Petrovich Ignatyev (russian: Борис Петрович Игнатьев, born 5 December 1940) is a Russian football manager and former player. In 1996–1998 he coached the Russia national team.
As a footballer, Ignatyev spent only o ...
was appointed manager for the campaign to
qualify for the
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup was the 16th FIFA World Cup, the football world championship for men's national teams. The finals tournament was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. The country was chosen as the host nation by FIFA for the ...
in France. In the qualifying stage, Russia was in
Group 5 Group 5 may refer to:
*Group 5 element, chemical element classification
*Group 5 (racing)
Group 5 was an FIA motor racing classification which was applied to four distinct categories during the years 1966 to 1982. Initially Group 5 regulations def ...
with
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
,
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
,
Cyprus
Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...
, and Luxembourg. Russia and Bulgaria were considered the two main contenders to qualify from the group with Israel considered a minor threat. Russia began the campaign with two victories against Cyprus and Luxembourg and two draws against Israel and Cyprus. They continued with victories against Luxembourg and Israel. Russia suffered their only defeat of the campaign with a 1–0 loss to Bulgaria. They ended the campaign with a 4–2 victory in the return game over Bulgaria and qualify for the
play-off
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
spot. In the play-offs, Russia was drawn with Italy. In the first leg Russia drew 1–1. In the away leg, Russia were defeated 1–0 and failed to qualify for the World Cup.
After failing to qualify for the World Cup in France, Russia played to qualify for the
UEFA Euro 2000
The 2000 UEFA European Football Championship, also known as Euro 2000, was the 11th UEFA European Championship, a football tournament held every four years and organised by UEFA, the sport's governing body in Europe.
The finals tournament was ...
co-hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands.
Anatoliy Byshovets
Anatoliy Fyodorovich Byshovets (russian: Анатолий Фёдорович Бышовец, uk, Анато́лій Фе́дорович Бишове́ць; born 23 April 1946) is a Soviet and Russian football manager of Ukrainian origin and for ...
was appointed as Russia manager. Russia were drawn in
Group 4 Group 4 may refer to:
*Group 4 element, chemical element classification
*Group 4 (racing), classification for cars in auto racing and rallying
* G4S, formerly Group 4 Securicor, a prominent British security company
*IB Group 4 subjects
The Group 4 ...
for the qualifying round with
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
,
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
, Iceland,
Armenia
Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''Ox ...
, and
Andorra
, image_flag = Flag of Andorra.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Andorra.svg
, symbol_type = Coat of arms
, national_motto = la, Virtus Unita Fortior, label=none (Latin)"United virtue is stro ...
. Russia and France were considered as favorites for the top two spots with Ukraine being an outside contender. Russia began their campaign with three straight defeats to Ukraine, France, and Iceland. Outraged by this result, the
Russian Football Union immediately sacked Byshovets and reappointed Oleg Romantsev as manager. Russia went on to win their next six games including a 3–2 victory over
eventual champions France at the
Stade de France
The Stade de France (, ) is the national stadium of France, located just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. Its seating capacity of 80,698 makes it the sixth-largest stadium in Europe. The stadium is used by the France national foot ...
. In their
last game against Ukraine, a win for Russia would have resulted in outright qualification as the winners of the group, having an identical head-to-head record with France (a 3–2 win and a 3–2 loss), while possessing a superior goal difference. The game finished 1–1 after a mistake by the goalkeeper
Aleksandr Filimonov
Aleksandr Vladimirovich Filimonov (russian: Александр Владимирович Филимонов; born 15 October 1973) is a former association football goalkeeper from Russia. He won the 2011 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup with the Rus ...
late in the game. Russia finished third in the group, failing to qualify for their second major tournament in succession.
Revival
Oleg Romantsev remained as manager of the national team to supervise their
qualification campaign to the
2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea and Japan. In the preliminary stage, Russia was in
Group 1 Group 1 may refer to:
* Alkali metal, a chemical element classification for Alkali metal
* Group 1 (racing), a historic (until 1981) classification for Touring car racing, applied to standard touring cars. Comparable to modern FIA Group N
* Group On ...
with
Slovenia
Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...
, FR Yugoslavia, and
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
, Faroe Islands, and Luxembourg. Russia finished in first place to qualify directly managing seven wins, two draws, and a loss.
Russia was drawn into
Group H with
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
,
Tunisia
)
, image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa
, image_map2 =
, capital = Tunis
, largest_city = capital
, ...
, and
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
. In their first game, Russia achieved a 2–0 victory over Tunisia, but lost their next match to Japan 1–0, causing riots to erupt in Moscow. For their last game against Belgium, Russia needed a draw to take them to the second round, but lost 3–2 and was eliminated.
![Georgi Yartsev 2011](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Georgi_Yartsev_2011.jpg)
Romantsev was sacked immediately following the tournament and replaced with
CSKA's
Valery Gazzaev
Valery Georgiyevich Gazzaev (russian: Вале́рий Гео́ргиевич Газза́ев; os, Гæззаты Георгийы фырт Валери, translit=Gæzzaty Georgijy fyrt Valeri; born 7 August 1954) is a Russian politician, foot ...
. His task looked difficult as
Russia's group consisted of Switzerland,
Republic of Ireland
Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern side of the island. A ...
,
Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
, and
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
with the Irish considered favourites and an improving Swiss side as an increasing threat. Russia began their campaign with home victories against Ireland and Albania, but lost their next two games away to Albania and Georgia. Gazzaev was sacked after a disappointing draw with Switzerland in
Basel
, french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese
, neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (BS ...
, and Georgi Yartsev was then appointed manager. He managed to qualify Russia for a
play-off
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
against
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
after home victories to Switzerland and Georgia. In the first play-off leg, Russia drew 0–0 with Wales in Moscow, but a
Vadim Evseev
Vadim Valentinovich Evseev ( rus, Вади́м Валенти́нович Евсе́ев, p=vɐˈdʲim vəlʲɪnʲˈtʲinəvʲɪtɕ jɪfˈsʲeɪf; born 8 January 1976) is a Russian football coach and a former player who is a former Russian inte ...
header gave Russia a 1–0 victory in the away leg in
Cardiff
Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
to qualify for
Euro 2004
The 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as Euro 2004, was the 12th edition of the UEFA European Championship, a quadrennial football competition contested by the men's national teams of UEFA member associations. The ...
. The victory was overshadowed when Russian midfielder
Yegor Titov
Yegor Ilyich Titov (; born 29 May 1976) is a Russian football coach and a former player who played as a midfielder. He was a goal scoring midfielder who usually played in "the hole" between the midfield and attack, as an attacking midfielder. ...
tested
positive for drugs; amidst calls for Russia to be disqualified, Titov was given a one-year ban on 15 February 2004.
Russia were drawn in
Group A
Group A is a set of motorsport regulations administered by the FIA covering production derived vehicles intended for competition, usually in touring car racing and rallying. In contrast to the short-lived Group B and Group C, Group A vehicles w ...
with hosts
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
, and Greece. They were not among the favourites to progress and tournament preparations were hampered by injuries to defenders
Sergei Ignashevich
Sergei Nikolayevich Ignashevich ( rus, link=no, Сергей Николаевич Игнашевич, p=sʲɪrˈɡʲej nʲɪkɐˈla(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ ɪɡnɐˈʂɛvʲɪtɕ; born 14 July 1979) is a Russian professional football coach and a former play ...
and Viktor Onopko. Russia started their tournament against Spain but a late goal from
Juan Carlos Valerón
Juan Carlos Valerón Santana (born 17 June 1975) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as an attacking midfielder, currently a manager.
Over 15 seasons, he amassed La Liga totals of 390 matches and 29 goals in representation of Mallorc ...
put Russia on the brink of another group stage elimination. Four days later, Russia became the first team eliminated after a 0–2 defeat to Portugal. The final game of the group resulted in a surprising 2–1 victory over
eventual champions Greece with
Dmitri Kirichenko
Dmitri Sergeyevich Kirichenko (russian: Дмитрий Сергеевич Кириченко; born 17 January 1977) is an association football coach and a former player – a striker, he is a former Russian international. He is an assistant co ...
scoring one of the fastest goals of the tournament.
In the
2006 World Cup qualifying tournament, Russia was drawn into
Group 3 Group 3 may refer to:
*Group 3 element, chemical element classification
*Group 3 (racing), FIA classification for auto racing
* Group 3, the third tier of races in worldwide Thoroughbred horse racing
* Group 3 image format, Group 3 & Group 4 are ...
with Portugal,
Slovakia
Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...
,
Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...
,
Latvia
Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...
, Luxembourg, and
Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein (), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein (german: link=no, Fürstentum Liechtenstein), is a German-speaking microstate located in the Alps between Austria and Switzerland. Liechtenstein is a semi-constitutional monarchy ...
. Russia began qualification with a 1–1 draw against Slovakia on 4 September 2004 in Moscow and then beat Luxembourg 4–0, but suffered a 7–1 defeat against Portugal in
Lisbon
Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...
, which remains Russia's worst defeat. Victories against Estonia and Liechtenstein seemed to put them back on track, but a 1–1 draw with Estonia on 30 March 2005 in
Tallinn
Tallinn () is the most populous and capital city of Estonia. Situated on a bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, Tallinn has a population of 437,811 (as of 2022) and administratively lies in the Harju ' ...
was a major disappointment which saw the end of Georgi Yartsev's reign. Under new manager
Yury Syomin, Russia were able to rekindle their hopes with a 2–0 win against Latvia before a 1–1 draw in
Riga
Riga (; lv, Rīga , liv, Rīgõ) is the capital and largest city of Latvia and is home to 605,802 inhabitants which is a third of Latvia's population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the Ba ...
on 17 August 2005. Russia then had victories against Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and a 0–0 draw against Portugal. In their final game, Russia needed to win against Slovakia in
Bratislava
Bratislava (, also ; ; german: Preßburg/Pressburg ; hu, Pozsony) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Slovakia. Officially, the population of the city is about 475,000; however, it is estimated to be more than 660,000 — approxim ...
. After a 0–0 draw, Slovakia advanced to the
play-offs
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
above Russia on goal difference.
Euro 2008
![Dmitry Medvedev 2 July 2008-1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2a/Dmitry_Medvedev_2_July_2008-1.jpg)
Having failed to qualify Russia for the 2006 World Cup, Yury Syomin stepped down several weeks later and Russia began looking for a new manager. It was clear that a foreign manager would be needed as most of the high-profile Russian coaches were not successful with the national team. On 10 April 2006, it was announced that then-
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
manager
Guus Hiddink would lead Russia in the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying, Euro 2008 qualification campaign.
For the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign, Russia were drawn into UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying Group E, Group E with England national football team, England, Croatia national football team, Croatia, Israel, North Macedonia national football team, Macedonia, Estonia, and Andorra. For much of the campaign, it was between Russia and England to obtain the final qualifying place behind Croatia. Russia lost 3–0 away to England, and in the return game in Moscow, fell to an early goal from Wayne Rooney. During the second half Russia came from behind to win 2–1 with Roman Pavlyuchenko scoring both goals. On 17 November 2007, Russia suffered a 2–1 defeat to Israel to put qualification hopes in jeopardy, but Russia still managed to qualify one point ahead of England by beating Andorra 1–0 while England lost 3–2 to Croatia.
In the UEFA Euro 2008, Euro 2008 tournament, Russia were drawn into UEFA Euro 2008 Group D, Group D with Sweden and Euro 2004 group rivals Spain and Greece. In a preparation friendly against Serbia national football team, Serbia, leading striker Pavel Pogrebnyak was injured and would miss the tournament. Russia lost their opening match 4–1 to Spain in Innsbruck but then beat Greece 1–0 with a goal by Konstantin Zyryanov. The third game saw Russia defeat Sweden 2–0 through goals by Roman Pavlyuchenko and Andrey Arshavin, resulting in Russia advancing to the UEFA Euro 2008 knockout phase#Netherlands vs Russia, quarter-finals in second place behind Spain. This was the first time ever since the fall of USSR, that saw Russia qualified from the group stage of a major tournament.
In the quarter-final against the Netherlands national football team, Netherlands, Roman Pavlyuchenko scored a volley ten minutes after half-time. With four minutes left in the match, Ruud van Nistelrooy scored, to make it 1–1 and put the game into extra time. But Russia regained the lead when Andrey Arshavin raced down the left flank and sent a cross towards substitute Dmitri Torbinski, who tapped the ball into the net. Arshavin then beat Edwin van der Sar, ending the match 3–1, and sent Russia through to their first major semi-final since the breakup of the USSR. In the UEFA Euro 2008 knockout phase#Russia vs Spain, semi-finals, Russia was once again matched up against Spain, and lost 3–0.
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
![Heiko Westermann](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cd/Heiko_Westermann.jpg)
Russia was drawn to 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group 4, Group 4 in 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA), qualification for 2010 FIFA World Cup, competing with
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, Finland, Wales, Azerbaijan national football team, Azerbaijan and Liechtenstein. The team started the campaign with a 2–1 victory over Wales but on 11 October lost 2–1 to Germany. Russia's form then improved, and by winning 3–1 away to Wales on the same day as Finland drew 1–1 to Liechtenstein, guaranteed them at least a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Second Round, play-off spot. The match at the
Luzhniki Stadium
Luzhniki Stadium ( rus, стадион «Лужники», p=stədʲɪˈon lʊʐnʲɪˈkʲi, ''Stadion Luzhniki'') is the national stadium of Russia, located in its capital city, Moscow. The full name of the stadium is Grand Sports Arena of the ...
against Germany to top the group was watched by 84,500 fans. Miroslav Klose scored the only goal of the game in the 35th minute, sending the Germans to the finals in South Africa and Russia to a play-off.
On 14 November, Russia faced Slovenia in the first-leg of their two-legged play-off, where they won 2–1 with two goals from Diniyar Bilyaletdinov. In the return match, Russia lost 1–0 in Maribor, and Slovenia qualified for the finals on the away goals rule. On 13 February 2010, it was confirmed that Hiddink would leave his position as manager, with the expiration of his contract on 30 June.
Euro 2012
![Reprezentacja Rosji2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/Reprezentacja_Rosji2.jpg)
Russia directly qualified for UEFA Euro 2012, Euro 2012 by winning UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying Group B, qualifying Group B, defeating Slovakia, the Republic of Ireland, Macedonia, Armenia and Andorra. Russia were drawn into UEFA Euro 2012 Group A, Group A with Poland national football team, Poland, the Czech Republic and Greece. Led by Dick Advocaat, Russia had been unbeaten for nearly 15 games and managed to record a 3–0 win against
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
one week before the Euro 2012's opening game kick-off. The ''Sbornaya'' started off the tournament with a 4–1 win over the Czech Republic and temporarily went top of the group with three points. Alan Dzagoev netted twice and Roman Shirokov and Roman Pavlyuchenko scored. In the second game against co-host Poland, Advocaat's side saw Dzagoev continue his fine form. He netted the opener, but Poland managed to equalise in the second half. Despite having drawn, the result wasn't seen as a bad one. A game against Greece finished with a 1–0 loss which eliminated the Russians from the tournament.
The group stage exit resulted in a hostile reaction from fans and media. Advocaat and most of the team, such as Andrey Arshavin, were heavily criticized for their perceived overconfidence.
2014 FIFA World Cup
In July 2012, the Italian Fabio Capello was named as the new Russian manager, after being sacked by England in February.
Russia competed in 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group F, Group F of 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA), World Cup qualification and qualified in first place after a 1–1 draw with Azerbaijan in their last game. In January 2014, Capello was rewarded with a new four-year contract to last up to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Russia played in Group H against Republic of Korea national football team, South Korea, Belgium and Algeria national football team, Algeria. In their first group match, against South Korea, goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev fumbled a long-range shot from Lee Keun-ho, dropping it over the line to give the Koreans the lead. Russia then went on to equalise through substitute Aleksandr Kerzhakov, who drew equal to Vladimir Beschastnykh's record 26 goals for Russia, and the match finished 1–1. In the second match, Russia held Belgium at 0–0 at the Maracanã Stadium, Maracanã until substitute Divock Origi scored the only goal in the 88th minute. The final 2014 FIFA World Cup Group H#Algeria vs Russia, group stage match between Algeria and Russia on 26 June ended 1–1, advancing Algeria and eliminating Russia. A win for Russia would have seen them qualify, and they led the game 1–0 after six minutes through Aleksandr Kokorin. In the 60th minute of the game, a laser was shone in Akinfeev's face while he was defending from an Algerian free kick, from which Islam Slimani scored to equalise. Both Akinfeev and Russian coach Fabio Capello blamed the laser for the decisive conceded goal.
Euro 2016
Russia were placed in UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying Group G, Group G of UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying alongside Sweden, Austria national football team, Austria, Montenegro national football team, Montenegro, Moldova national football team, Moldova and Liechtenstein. Russia began with a 4–0 win against Liechtenstein. This was followed by a string of shaky performances by Russia, two 1–1 draws against Sweden and Moldova and two 1–0 losses against Austria. Russia were awarded a 3–0 victory against Montenegro due to crowd violence. At this stage, Russia looked to be finishing third in their group before they bounced back by winning their remaining matches against Sweden, Liechtenstein, Moldova and Montenegro to finish second in their qualifying group above Sweden and qualify for UEFA Euro 2016.
During the UEFA Euro 2016 Group B, group stages of the tournament,
UEFA
Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; french: Union des associations européennes de football; german: Union der europäischen Fußballverbände) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs f ...
imposed a suspended disqualification on Russia for UEFA Euro 2016 riots, crowd riots during a group match against England. Russia were knocked out of the competition in their final group match which was against Wales (a 3–0 defeat); prior to this they had only collected a single point from a 1–1 draw against England which was followed by a 2–1 loss to Slovakia.
2017 FIFA Confederations Cup
Russia qualified for the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, 2017 Confederations Cup as hosts, yet once again produced a dismal performance. After defeating New Zealand national football team, New Zealand 2–0, Russia disappointed its fans by losing 0–1 to Portugal and 1–2 to Mexico, thus once again crashed out from the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup Group A, group stage of a major
FIFA
FIFA (; stands for ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' ( French), meaning International Association Football Federation ) is the international governing body of association football, beach football and futsal. It was found ...
tournament. Despite this dismal performance, Stanislav Cherchesov, appointed as coach of Russia after Euro 2016, was allowed to keep the job.
2018 FIFA World Cup
![ESP-RUS (22)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/ESP-RUS_%2822%29.jpg)
On 2 December 2010, Russia were Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup bid, selected to host the 2018 World Cup and automatically 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA), qualified for the tournament. During the friendly matches prior to the tournament, Russia did not have good results. The team lost more games than it won and this made their FIFA World Rankings, FIFA ranking fall to 70th, the lowest among all World Cup participants. Russia were drawn to play Saudi Arabia national football team, Saudi Arabia, Egypt national football team, Egypt and Uruguay national football team, Uruguay in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Group A, group stage.
Despite a series of poor results in warm-up games, however, Russia began their World Cup campaign with a 5–0 demolition of Saudi Arabia, who were three places above them in the rankings, on 14 June in the opening match of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. On 19 June, Russia won their second game of the group stage, beating Egypt by a scoreline of 3–1, taking their goal difference to +7 with only two matches played. The win over Egypt all but secured Russia's advancement into the 2018 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, knockout stage for the first time since 1986 FIFA World Cup, 1986, when they played as the Soviet Union; and also for the first time in their history as an independent state. They officially qualified for the knockout stage the next day, following Uruguay's 1–0 win over Saudi Arabia. Russia's final group game was against two-time world champions (1930 FIFA World Cup Final, 1930 and 1950 FIFA World Cup Final, 1950) Uruguay, losing 3–0, and finished second in the group.
Advancing from their group in second place, Russia faced Spain at the 2018 FIFA World Cup knockout stage#Spain vs Russia, Round of 16 in Moscow. Spain were considered one of the tournament favorites with many accomplished players at club and international level, having won the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final, 2010 edition. Russia managed to surprise Spain in one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history; beating them in a Penalty shoot-out (association football), penalty shootout after the match ended 1–1 in regular time. BBC Sport and ''The Guardian'' described this as one of the biggest tournament surprises, considering how Russia were the lowest-ranked team prior to the competition, and according to some, had one of the worst teams of the competition. Against the Spaniards who were known for their tiki-taka, coach Stanislav Cherchesov used a defensive 5–3–1–1 formation to sit deep and defend with ten men, and conceded no goals from open play as Spain's only goal was from a Free kick (association football), free kick set piece while Russia tied the game thanks for a Penalty kick (association football), penalty awarded for a handball.
Igor Akinfeev, who saved two penalties including a foot-save to deny Spain's Iago Aspas, was voted as Budweiser Player of the match, Man of the Match. The win against Spain sent supporters and residents of Russia into wild celebrations, as they reached the 2018 FIFA World Cup knockout stage#Russia vs Croatia, quarter-finals for the first time since the breakup of the Soviet Union. Match TV commentator Denis Kazansky said: "From the first day we had not been expecting much from our team. Then thoughts turned to winning the thing. What we have seen is a significant change in people's attitudes, and in the history of Football in Russia, Russian football."
![Russian fans FIFA 2018](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/Russian_fans_FIFA_2018.jpg)
Russia then played Croatia in the quarter-finals held at Sochi, on 7 July. Coach Stanislav Cherchesov reverted to a four-man defense which successfully exploited Croatia offensive set-up which proved vulnerable to Russia's counter-attacking.
[ Russia scored first (a long-range strike by Denis Cheryshev which was his fourth goal of the tournament and was later nominated for the FIFA Puskás Award, Puskás Award) and last (a header from Mário Fernandes at the 115th minute) as the match finished 2–2 after extra time, and then were eliminated 3–4 in the penalty shootout. Nonetheless, this stands as Russia's best FIFA World Cup, World Cup performance ever since the dissolution of the USSR. The team visited the FIFA Fan Fest in Moscow on Sunday, 8 July 2018, to thank their supporters and say goodbye.][ Following the World Cup run, Russia's position in the FIFA ranking rose from 70 to 40.
]
2018–19 UEFA Nations League
Russia participated in the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League B, UEFA Nations League for the first time, where they were drawn with Turkey national football team, Turkey and Sweden. Russia had a promising start, with two wins over Turkey and a home draw to Sweden. However, Russia wasted its opportunity to promote to 2020–21 UEFA Nations League A, League A after getting a 0–2 away defeat to Sweden, thus losing their first place to the Swedes instead and was forced to stay in 2020–21 UEFA Nations League B, League B.
Euro 2020
In UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying, qualification, the Russian side was drawn in UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying Group I, Group I with Belgium, Kazakhstan national football team, Kazakhstan, San Marino, Cyprus and Scotland. With the exception of its 1–3 loss to the Belgians away, Russia defeated other group opponents. The Russian team defeated San Marino 9–0 after the two 7–0 wins in 1995 and in 2015. Russia also defeated Scotland, Cyprus and Kazakhstan twice and qualified for the UEFA Euro 2020. Russia consolidated its second place in the group despite being thrashed by number-one ranked Belgium 1–4 at home.
Russia lost their first match against Belgium in a 3–0 defeat, but won their second match against Finland 1–0. However, Russia were knocked out of the competition in their final UEFA Euro 2020 Group B, group match against Denmark national football team, Denmark where they lost 4–1.
Following Russia's exit from the competition, Stanislav Cherchesov was sacked as coach.
2020–21 UEFA Nations League
Russia competed in the League B for the season, thereby matching up with Turkey national football team, Turkey, Serbia and Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...
. Russia began comfortably, beating Serbia and Hungary to take the first place. In their last two games, they suffered two losses in Turkey and 0–5 in Serbia and finished the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League B#Group 3, group in second place, remaining in 2022–23 UEFA Nations League B, League B.
2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
Russia was drawn to 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group H, Group H for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, competing with Croatia, Slovakia
Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...
, Slovenia
Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...
, Cyprus, and Malta national football team, Malta. After finishing second behind Croatia, Russia advanced to the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Second Round, play-offs.
2022: suspensions
In the wake of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russian invasion of Ukraine, several nations, including Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
, England national football team, England, Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
, Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
, and Russia's 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Second Round, 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying play-off opponents Poland national football team, Poland, Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
and the Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
, said they would refuse to play Russia. On 27 February, FIFA initially announced a ban on any international competition being played in Russia, with any "home" matches having to be played on neutral territory Behind closed doors (sport), behind closed doors, and ordered that Russia compete under the name of the Russian Football Union (RFU) and without being allowed to display the Russian flag or play the Russian national anthem. This followed a decision taken by UEFA two days prior that stripped Saint Petersburg of hosting the 2022 UEFA Champions League Final, which had been due to be held at Krestovsky Stadium, in addition to banning any UEFA-sanctioned matches from occurring in Russia.
The decision was harshly criticized by many as inadequate, and the next day FIFA and UEFA relented and issued blanket bans on Russian participation in international football, effectively barring them from participating in the 2022 World Cup. This was in accordance with a recommendation by the International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swiss ...
(IOC). The Russian Football Union unsuccessfully appealed the FIFA and UEFA bans to the Court of Arbitration for Sport
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS; french: Tribunal arbitral du sport, ''TAS'') is an international body established in 1984 to settle disputes related to sport through arbitration. Its headquarters are in Lausanne, Switzerland and its co ...
, which upheld the bans. On 20 September 2022, UEFA decided to ban Russia from participating in UEFA Euro 2024. Whether or not they will be able to participate in the qualification for the 2026 World Cup remains to be seen.
Team image
Kits and crests
Following the Dissolution of the Soviet Union, break up of the Soviet Union, the Russian Football Union replaced the red and white Adidas kits with strips supplied by Reebok in red, blue and white reflecting the readopted national flag of Russia. In 1997, Nike, Inc., Nike decided on a simpler design used at the 2002 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2004, consisting of mainly a white base with blue trim and the opposite combination for the away kit. After failing to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Nike reintroduced red, this time as the home kit, while white being reversed as the away colour. This trend was continued by Adidas, who took over as suppliers in 2008. The 2009–10 season marked yet another change with the introduction of the maroon and gold as the primary home colours. A return to red and white was made in 2011. The edition of the kit used at Euro 2012 featured a red base with gold trim and a Russian flag positioned diagonally while the away kit was a minimalistic white with red trim. The 2014 FIFA World Cup kit made a return to the maroon and gold colour scheme, with Russian flag-coloured stripes built horizontally into the sleeves, the front includes the pattern in different shades of maroon depicting the Monument to the Conquerors of Space. The away 2014 kit was mostly white with blue trim, the top of the front below the trim shows the view of Earth from space. The sides and back of the collar were made in the colours of the Russian flag. The 2018 FIFA World Cup kit did not have much decorations in it, except for the Coat of arms of Russia, coat of arms. Home red shirt had a very similar design to the uniform of Soviet Union Olympic football team it used at the Football at the 1988 Summer Olympics, 1988 Summer Olympics, the last major tournament as of 2018 that Russia or USSR won. The back side of the inside of the shirt had "Together to Victory" (russian: Вместе к победе, Vmeste k pobede) slogan printed below the collar.
The Russian national team's official shirt supplier in 2008–22 was Adidas. The contract was unilaterally terminated by the German giant after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Kit suppliers
Kit deals
Results and fixtures
2022
2023
Coaching staff
Manager history
Players
Current squad
*The following players were called up for the Exhibition game#Association football, friendly matches against Tajikistan national football team, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan national football team, Uzbekistan, on 17 and 20 November 2022.
*''Caps and goals are correct as of 20 November 2022 after the match against Uzbekistan national football team, Uzbekistan.''
Recent call-ups
The following players have been called up for the team within the last 12 months and are still available for selection.
;Notes
*INJ = Not part of the #Current squad, current squad due to injury.
*PRE = Preliminary squad/standby.
Individual records
Player records
:''Players in bold are still active with Russia.''
:''This list does not include players who represented the Russian Empire national football team#Records, Russian Empire (1910−1914), the Soviet Union national football team#Player records, Soviet Union (1924−1991) and the CIS national football team, CIS (1992).''
Most capped players
Notes
Top goalscorers
Notes
Manager records
; Most manager appearances
: Oleg Romantsev
Oleg Ivanovich Romantsev (russian: Олег Иванович Романцев; born 4 January 1954) is a Soviet/Russian former international footballer and coach. Romantsev was acclaimed for his success with Spartak Moscow, whom he led to a reco ...
: 60
Competitive record
FIFA World Cup
Champions Runners-up Third place Fourth place
UEFA European Championship
Champions Runners-up Third place Fourth place
UEFA Nations League
FIFA Confederations Cup
Head-to-head record
''Include the records of , and before 1992''
As of 20 November 2022 after the match against .
Home venues record
See also
* Russian Empire national football team
* Soviet Union national football team
The Soviet Union national football team ( rus, сбо́рная СССР по футбо́лу, r=sbórnaya SSSR po futbólu) was the national Association football, football team of the former Soviet Union.
After the Dissolution of the Soviet U ...
* CIS national football team
* Russia national football B team
* Russia national under-21 football team
* Russia national under-20 football team
* Russia national under-19 football team
* Russia national under-17 football team
* Russia women's national football team
Notes
References
Further reading
* Marc Bennetts (2008). ''Football Dynamo – Modern Russia and the People's Game''. London: Virgin Books.
External links
Official website (in English)
FIFA profile
Russia National Team
Russia National Team
Russia National football teams 1912–
Russian National Football Team
*[http://www.planetworldcup.com/NATIONS/rus.html Planet World Cup archive of results in the World Cup]
Planet World Cup archive of squads in the World Cup
{{DEFAULTSORT:Russia national football team
Russia national football team,
European national association football teams
Football teams in Russia, National
National sports teams of Russia, Football
1992 establishments in Russia
National sports teams established in 1992