The Serbia national football team ( sr, Фудбалска репрезентација Србије, Fudbalska reprezentacija Srbije) represents
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hungar ...
in men's international
football competition. It is controlled by the
Football Association of Serbia, the governing body for
football in Serbia.
After the
breakup of SFR Yugoslavia and its
football team
A football team is a group of players selected to play together in the various team sports known as football. Such teams could be selected to play in a match against an opposing team, to represent a football club, group, state or nation, an all-s ...
in 1992
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hungar ...
was represented (alongside
Montenegro
)
, image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Podgorica
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, official_languages = M ...
) within the new FR Yugoslavia national football team. Despite
qualifying for
Euro 92
The 1992 UEFA European Football Championship was hosted by Sweden between 10 and 26 June 1992. It was the ninth UEFA European Championship, which is held every four years and supported by UEFA.
Denmark national football team, Denmark won the 19 ...
the team was
banned from participating in the tournament due to
international sanctions
International sanctions are political and economic decisions that are part of diplomatic efforts by countries, multilateral or regional organizations against states or organizations either to protect national security interests, or to protect in ...
, with the ruling also enforced for
World Cup 94 and
Euro 96
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 ...
qualifiers. The national team played its first friendly in December 1994, and with the easing of sanctions the generation of the 1990s eventually participated at
World Cup 1998
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 th ...
, reaching the round of 16, and the quarter-finals at
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 ...
. The team played in the
2006,
2010,
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...
and
2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeypo ...
FIFA World Cup tournaments, but failed to progress past the group stage on each occasion.
Between February 2003 and June 2006 Serbia participated as Serbia and Montenegro due to the countries name change. Following a 2006
referendum
A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...
Montenegro declared its independence, leading to separate football federations which resulted in the teams final renaming and establishment as the Serbia national football team. Serbia is considered by
FIFA and
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 ...
to be the official successor of both the Kingdom of Yugoslavia/SFR Yugoslavia, and FR Yugoslavia/Serbia and Montenegro national football teams.
[Serbia](_blank)
at FIFA official website
History
Serbia within Yugoslavia (1920–1992)
![Yugoslavia nationalteam 1930](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/Yugoslavia_nationalteam_1930.jpg)
The Football Federation of what was then the
Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes
Kingdom commonly refers to:
* A monarchy ruled by a king or queen
* Kingdom (biology), a category in biological taxonomy
Kingdom may also refer to:
Arts and media Television
* ''Kingdom'' (British TV series), a 2007 British television drama s ...
(later Yugoslavia) was founded in
Zagreb
Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital and largest city of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb stands near the international border between Croatia and Slov ...
in 1919 under the name ''Jugoslavenski nogometni savez'' (''Yugoslavian Football Association'').
Jovan Ružić was the first
Serb
The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language.
The majority of Serbs live in their na ...
to represent the national team in its international debut match, a 7-0 drubbing by
Czechoslovakia
, rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי,
, common_name = Czechoslovakia
, life_span = 1918–19391945–1992
, p1 = Austria-Hungary
, image_p1 ...
at the
1920 Olympic Games
The 1920 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1920; nl, Olympische Zomerspelen van 1920; german: Olympische Sommerspiele 1920), officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad (french: Jeux de la VIIe olympiade; nl, Spelen van ...
in
Antwerp,
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 ...
.
In 1921 the
Belgrade Football Subassociation The Belgrade Football Subassociation, commonly known by its initials, BLP ( Serbo-Croato-Slovenian: ''Beogradski loptački podsavez'' / Београдски лоптачки подсавез - БЛП) was one of the regional football governing bodi ...
organized a
friendly match
An exhibition game (also known as a friendly, a scrimmage, a demonstration, a preseason game, a warmup match, or a preparation match, depending at least in part on the sport) is a sporting event whose prize money and impact on the player's or ...
between the
France national football team
The France national football team (french: Équipe de France de football) represents France in men's international football matches. It is governed by the French Football Federation (FFF; ), the governing body for football in France. It is ...
and a Belgrade XI, dubbed the "''Serbian representatives''". The team featured footballers from
SK Jugoslavija
Sportski klub Jugoslavija ( en, Sport Club Yugoslavia), commonly known as SK Jugoslavija (Serbian Cyrillic: Cпортски клуб Југославија) was a Serbian football club from Belgrade. It was originally formed as SK Velika Srbija ...
and
BSK BSK is a three-letter abbreviation that may refer to:
Sports
* OFK Beograd, Serbian football club
* FK BSK Borča, Serbian football club
* FK BSK Batajnica, Serbian football club
* FK BSK Banja Luka, Bosnian-Herzegovinian football club
* FK BSK L ...
, two of the Serbian clubs of the interwar period. The French delegation was on a four-game tour of Yugoslavia with the last exhibition game being played in
Belgrade's
SK Jugoslavija Stadium on 3 July. Prince Regent
Aleksandar I and
FIFA President
Jules Rimet
Jules Rimet (; 14 October 1873 – 16 October 1956) was a French football administrator who was the 3rd President of FIFA, serving from 1921 to 1954. He is FIFA's longest-serving president, in office for 33 years. He also served as the presid ...
were in attendance as the visitors triumphed 3–0.
In the lead-up to the
1930 FIFA World Cup a dispute regarding the relocation of the FAs headquarters from Zagreb to the capital Belgrade erupted, culminating in a boycott by the Zagreb Subassociation which disallowed its members to participate in the upcoming tournament. The ''de facto'' Serbian team led by coach
Boško Simonović
Boško Simonović (Serbian Cyrillic: Бoшкo Cимoнoвић; 12 February 1898 – 5 August 1965) was a football coach, player, referee, and administrator. His most notable feat was coaching the Kingdom of Yugoslavia national team at the first Wo ...
, composed largely of players from Belgrade's
BSK BSK is a three-letter abbreviation that may refer to:
Sports
* OFK Beograd, Serbian football club
* FK BSK Borča, Serbian football club
* FK BSK Batajnica, Serbian football club
* FK BSK Banja Luka, Bosnian-Herzegovinian football club
* FK BSK L ...
,
SK Jugoslavija
Sportski klub Jugoslavija ( en, Sport Club Yugoslavia), commonly known as SK Jugoslavija (Serbian Cyrillic: Cпортски клуб Југославија) was a Serbian football club from Belgrade. It was originally formed as SK Velika Srbija ...
and
BASK
Bask may refer to:
* to bask, or to sunbathe
* Bask, Gilan, Iran; a village
* Kalle Bask, a Finnish sailor
* Bask (horse) (1956–1979), an Arabian stallion
* Bask Om, a fictional character from Zeta Gundam
* Bäsk, a Swedish liquor
* FK BASK ( ...
, reached the semi-final, losing to hosts and eventual winners
Uruguay
Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
6–1. The royal interbellum era featured footballers such as
Blagoje Marjanović
Blagoje "Moša" Marjanović ( sr-Cyrl, Благоје "Моша" Марјановић, ; 9 September 1907 – 1 October 1984) was a Serbian football player and manager.
Early life
Born to merchant father Dimitrije and housewife mother Sofija, yo ...
,
Aleksandar Tirnanić
Aleksandar "Tirke" Tirnanić ( sr-Cyrl, Александар "Тирке" Тирнанић; 15 July 1910 – 13 December 1992) was a Yugoslav football (soccer), football player and manager.
Early life and beginnings
Born in the central Serbian sm ...
,
Milorad Arsenijević
Milorad Arsenijević ( sr-cyr, Милорад Арсенијевић; 6 June 1906 – 18 March 1987) was a Serbian football player and manager. He was part of Yugoslavia's team at the 1928 Summer Olympics.
Biography
He was born in Smederevo and ...
,
Đorđe Vujadinović
Đorđe "Đokica Nosonja" Vujadinović (Serbian Cyrillic: Ђорђе Вујадиновић; 29 November 1909 – 5 October 1990) was a Serbian international football player and manager.
Career
He was born in Kolari, a suburb of Smederevo, but s ...
,
Branislav Sekulić
Branislav "Bane" Sekulić (; 29 October 1906 – 24 September 1968) was a Serbian football player and football manager.
Career
He began playing with the youth team of Javor Beograd before moving to Dušanovac. Being only 15 he became senior an ...
and
Milutin Ivković
Milutin Ivković (, ; 3 March 1906 – 25 May 1943) was a Yugoslav medical doctor and football defender who played for Yugoslavia at the 1928 Summer Olympics and the 1930 FIFA World Cup. . Due to the dismemberment of Yugoslavia during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
the football federation and national team ceased activities but reformed following the end of hostilities.
In 1945
Svetislav Glišović
Svetislav Glišović (Serbian Cyrillic: Светислав Глишовић; 17 September 1913 – 10 March 1988) was a Serbian international football player and manager.
Club career
Glišović played in the youth team of SK Soko before becomin ...
led the first unofficial national team representing the
Federal State of Serbia in a
tournament
A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:
# One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...
held to mark the end of World War II. The Serbian team encompassing the newly established
Red Star squad won its first game by beating
FS Montenegro 2–1,
FS Croatia 3–1 in the semi-final, then proceeding to win the tournament against the
Yugoslav People's Army team 1–0 in Belgrade.
The
reconstituted Yugoslavia reached the
UEFA European Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship, less formally the European Championship and informally the Euro, is the primary association football tournament organised by the Union of European Football Associations ( UEFA). The competition is conte ...
finals in
1960
It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism.
Events
January
* Jan ...
and
1968
The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide.
Events January–February
* January 5 – " Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia.
* Janu ...
, and finished fourth place at the
1962 FIFA World Cup
The 1962 FIFA World Cup was the seventh edition of the FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football championship for senior men's national teams. It was held from 30 May to 17 June 1962 in Chile. The qualification rounds took place be ...
. During its existence Serbian footballers would continually play a role in the Yugoslav national team throughout the socialist era, with the likes of
Rajko Mitić
Rajko Mitić ( sr-Cyrl, Рајко Митић, ; 19 November 1922 – 29 March 2008) was a Serbian footballer, coach, executive and journalist.
Mitić is considered one of the most important players in the history of Red Star Belgrade as he is th ...
,
Branko Stanković
Branko "Stane" Stanković ( sr-Cyrl, Бранко "Стане" Станковић, ; 31 October 1921 – 20 February 2002) was a Bosnian Serb footballer and manager, from Sarajevo.
Playing career Club
He started his career in SK Slavija Sarajevo ...
,
Vladimir Beara
Vladimir Beara (; 26 August 1928 – 11 August 2014) was a Yugoslav football goalkeeper and manager. He played the vast majority of his professional club career for Hajduk Split and Red Star Belgrade in the Yugoslav Federal League and for the Yu ...
,
Vujadin Boškov
Vujadin Boškov ( sr-cyr, Вујадин Бошков, ; 16 May 1931 – 27 April 2014) was a Serbian footballer and manager.
A midfielder, he played 57 matches for the Yugoslav national team. He experienced his greatest success as a coach in 1 ...
,
Todor Veselinović
Todor "Toza" Veselinović (, ; 22 October 1930 – 17 May 2017) was a Serbian footballer and coach. He was one of the most renowned goalscorers in Yugoslavian history. Veselinović was the last surviving member of Yugoslavia's 1954 World Cup sq ...
,
Miloš Milutinović
Miloš Milutinović ( sr-Cyrl, Милош Милутиновић; 5 February 1933 – 28 January 2003) was a Serbian professional footballer and manager from Yugoslavia.
Milutinović is regarded as one of the most talented players in his count ...
,
Borivoje Kostić,
Milan Galić
Milan Galić ( sr-Cyrl, Милан Галић, ; 8 March 1938 – 13 September 2014) was a Yugoslav and Serbian professional footballer who played as a striker. He was part of the Yugoslav squad that won gold at the 1960 Summer Olympics.
During ...
,
Vladimir Durković
Vladimir Durković (Serbian Cyrillic: Владимир Дурковић; 6 November 1937 – 22 June 1972) was a Serbian football defender. He was part of the Yugoslav squad that won gold at the 1960 Summer Olympics.
Career
Club career
Durkov ...
,
Velibor Vasović
Velibor Vasović (Serbian Cyrillic: Велибор Васовић; 3 October 1939 – 4 March 2002) was a Serbian footballer and manager, also one of the legendary players of Partizan Belgrade and Ajax and one of greatest defenders of his gener ...
,
Dragan Džajić
Dragan Džajić ( sr-Cyrl, Драган Џајић; born 30 May 1946) is a Yugoslav former footballer from Serbia.
Džajić is widely considered to be one of the best footballers to emerge from the former Yugoslavia, and one of the greatest l ...
,
Jovan Aćimović,
Dušan Bajević
Dušan "Duško" Bajević ( sr-Cyrl, Душан Бајевић, ; gr, Ντούσαν Μπάγεβιτς, ''Doúsan Báyevits''; born 10 December 1948) is a Bosnian professional football manager and former player. He is regarded as the most succes ...
,
Vladimir Petrović
Vladimir Petrović ( sr-Cyrl, Владимир Петровић, ; born 1 July 1955) is a Serbian football manager and former player.
He is widely known domestically by his nickname Pižon ( sr, Пижон), after the French for ''pigeon''.
...
and others until the states
disintegrated in the 1990s. The national team of SFR Yugoslavia played its last game on 25 March 1992, losing 2–0 to the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
.
FR Yugoslavia/Serbia & Montenegro era (1992–2006)
While the
Federal Republic of 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 Yu ...
, consisting of Serbia and Montenegro, was formed on 27 April 1992, its teams were banned from all international sporting events, including the national football team as a result of
U.N. sanctions stemming from the conflict in Yugoslavia.
Consequently, the national team did not play its first game as a new country before 23 December 1994, a friendly match played in
Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre (, , Brazilian ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. Its population of 1,488,252 inhabitants (2020) makes it the twelfth most populous city in the country and the center of Brazil's fif ...
and in which
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 ...
won 2–0.
This was the first ever team composed of
Serbian and
Montenegrin players exclusively, while
Slobodan Santrač
Slobodan Santrač (, ; 1 July 1946 – 13 February 2016) was a Serbian football manager and player. He is the all-time top scorer of the Yugoslav First League with a total of 218 goals, as well as the top scorer in the history of OFK Beograd. A ...
, a former Yugoslavia national team player, was named the team's first ever manager. The next game was played three days later, this time in
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
, resulting in a 1–0 loss to
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
.
Due to international sanctions, the team could not participate in
1994 World Cup qualifying nor the
Euro 1996 qualifying process.
1998 World Cup
As
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 ...
joined FIFA and UEFA in 1994, the team was available to participate in the
1998 World Cup qualifiers. Slobodan Santrač was appointed manager for the team. In the qualifiers, Yugoslavia was drawn in
Group 6 Group 6 may refer to:
*Group 6 element, chemical element classification
*Group 6 (racing)
Group 6 was the official designation applied by the FIA to two motor racing classifications, the Prototype-Sports Car category from 1966 to 1971 and the Two ...
with
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 ...
runners-up
A prize is an award to be given to a person or a group of people (such as sporting teams and organizations) to recognize and reward their actions and achievements. 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 ...
,
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 ...
,
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 ...
,
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 ...
and
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
. With 23 points, Yugoslavia ended up in second place behind Spain. Yugoslavia qualified 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 ...
in which they were drawn to play against
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the ...
. Winning 12–1 on aggregate, Yugoslavia qualified for the
World Cup
A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the concept i ...
.
The draw put the team in
Group F alongside
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
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 territori ...
, and
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
. Yugoslavia won its first game 1–0 against Iran thanks to a goal from defender
Siniša Mihajlović
Siniša Mihajlović ( sr-Cyrl, Синиша Михајловић, ; 20 February 1969 – 16 December 2022) was a Serbian professional football player and manager.
During his career as a footballer, he played as a defender or midfielder. He won ...
. The next game was a draw for Yugoslavia; after leading Germany 2–0, a free kick from
Michael Tarnat
Michael Tarnat (born 27 October 1969) is a German former professional footballer, currently employed by Bayern Munich as the leader of the U12–U16 youth teams. A left-footed full-back, he was also employed as a left wingback and occasionall ...
deflected off Mihajlović and into the goal, then
Oliver Bierhoff
Oliver Bierhoff (born 1 May 1968) is a German football official and former player who played as a forward. He has previously served as the national team director of the German Football Association.
A tall, strong and prolific goalscorer, Bierh ...
equalised it at 2–2 at the 80th minute. Yugoslavia responded in the next game against the United States and won 1–0 due to a goal in the fourth minute by
Slobodan Komljenović
Slobodan Komljenović (, born 2 January 1971) is a Serbian football manager and retired footballer who played as either a central or right defender.
He played several years in Germany in representation of five teams, namely Eintracht Frankf ...
. Yugoslavia finished second in the group and Germany won the group with a better goal difference.
Due to their second position, Yugoslavia saw itself face the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
in the
Round of 16
A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...
. Yugoslavia entered in the match with a sole attacker, but its defensive tactics proved unsuccessful as
Dennis Bergkamp put the Netherlands in front in the 38th minute. Following the start of the second half, Yugoslavia pressured the Dutch, who conceded a header from Komljenović. The turning point of this match was a penalty awarded to Yugoslavia after
Vladimir Jugović
Vladimir Jugović ( sr-cyr, Владимир Југовић, ; born 30 August 1969) is a Serbian former professional footballer. A versatile player, he was usually employed as a left or attacking midfielder, but could play anywhere in midfield. ...
was fouled.
Predrag Mijatović
Predrag "Peđa" Mijatović ( sr-Cyrl, Предраг Мијатовић, ; born 19 January 1969) is a Montenegrin retired professional footballer who played as a striker. At club level, Mijatović played for six clubs: Budućnost, Partizan, Va ...
missed, and the scoreline remained the same at 1–1. Such an event demoralized the Yugoslavs, as the Dutch took the initiative. In the late seconds of the game
Edgar Davids' shot towards the Yugoslav net from a distance of 20 meters and beat goalkeeper
Ivica Kralj.
This marked the end of Yugoslavia's run in the 1998 World Cup.
Euro 2000
The draw for the
Euro 2000 qualifiers saw first-seeded Yugoslavia drawn in a group with
Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
, thus marking the first games between the two teams after the
breakup of Yugoslavia. The other teams in the group were the
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 Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern ...
,
Macedonia, and Malta.
Milan Živadinović
Milan Živadinović ( sr-cyr, Милан Живадиновић, ; 15 December 1944 – 17 July 2021) was a Serbian football player and coach. He was also the scout for Ghanaian footballers for Southeast Europe. In his homeland he was nicknamed ...
was dismissed and was replaced by
Vujadin Boškov
Vujadin Boškov ( sr-cyr, Вујадин Бошков, ; 16 May 1931 – 27 April 2014) was a Serbian footballer and manager.
A midfielder, he played 57 matches for the Yugoslav national team. He experienced his greatest success as a coach in 1 ...
.
The team started with a 1–0 win over Ireland in Belgrade, before beating Malta 3–0 in
Ta' Qali
Ta' Qali is a wide open space in the limits of Attard and Mosta in central and northern Malta respectively, which contains the national football stadium, the Malta Fairs & Conventions Centre, Ta' Qali National Park, a crafts village, and a natio ...
. The home fixture against the Maltese followed, but was moved to
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area, and the capital of the geographic region of ...
, Greece due to the
NATO bombing of Yugoslavia
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) carried out an aerial bombing campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The air strikes lasted from 24 March 1999 to 10 June 1999. The bombings continued until an a ...
. The team won 4–1. The first match against Croatia took place in Belgrade after the bombing ended, and was interrupted due to a power outage at the beginning of the second half, resuming after 43 minutes and eventually finishing 0–0. A 2–1 defeat against Ireland in
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...
was followed by victories home and away against Macedonia (3–1 and 4–2 respectively), meaning that Yugoslavia needed to win its final qualifier against Croatia in Zagreb, or to draw with Ireland failing to beat Macedonia in
Skopje
Skopje ( , , ; mk, Скопје ; sq, Shkup) is the capital and List of cities in North Macedonia by population, largest city of North Macedonia. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre.
The territory of Sk ...
, in order to qualify automatically for Euro 2000. In the event, Ireland conceded an injury-time equaliser, meaning that Yugoslavia's 2–2 draw with the Croatians put them through.
The draw for the finals placed Yugoslavia 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 ...
along with Spain,
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...
and another former Yugoslav republic,
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 ...
. The Slovenians took a 3–0 lead in the first game at the
Stade du Pays de Charleroi, but three goals in six second-half minutes enabled Yugoslavia to secure a 3–3 draw. The team then beat Norway 1–0 in
Liège, thanks to an early
Savo Milošević
Savo Milošević ( sr-Cyrl, Саво Милошевић, ; born 2 September 1973) is a Serbian professional football manager and former player.
A former forward, he signed for English club Aston Villa after making a name for himself at Partiza ...
backheel strike. The final group game, against Spain in
Bruges
Bruges ( , nl, Brugge ) is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium, in the northwest of the country, and the sixth-largest city of the country by population.
The area of the whole city a ...
, saw the Yugoslavs take the lead three times, before a
Gaizka Mendieta
Gaizka Mendieta Zabala (, ; born 27 March 1974) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.
A versatile player, with good technique, offensive capabilities and tackling skills, who was capable of creating goals both ...
penalty and an
Alfonso
Alphons (Latinized ''Alphonsus'', ''Adelphonsus'', or ''Adefonsus'') is a male given name recorded from the 8th century (Alfonso I of Asturias, r. 739–757) in the Christian successor states of the Visigothic kingdom in the Iberian peninsula. ...
strike in injury-time secured a 4–3 win for the Spaniards and top spot in the group. Yugoslavia nonetheless finished second, level on points with Norway but ranked ahead due to its victory in Liège. In each of the three games, the team had one player sent off (Siniša Mihajlović,
Mateja Kežman
Mateja Kežman ( sr-Cyrl, Матеја Кежман, ; born 12 April 1979) is a Serbian former professional footballer who played as a striker.
Upon playing in his homeland, Kežman went on to play top-flight football in the Netherlands, Engla ...
, and
Slaviša Jokanović
Slaviša Jokanović ( sr-Cyrl, Славиша Јокановић, ; born 16 August 1968) is a Serbian professional football manager and former player. He is the manager of Russian club Dynamo Moscow.
A physical player considered strong in the a ...
, respectively). In the quarter-finals, Yugoslavia was paired with the Netherlands. The co-hosts won 6–1 in
Rotterdam
Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"Ne ...
with
Patrick Kluivert
Patrick Stephan Kluivert (; born 1 July 1976) is a Dutch former football player, coach and sporting director. He played as a striker, most notably for AFC Ajax, FC Barcelona and the Netherlands national team.
He was part of Ajax's Golden Gen ...
scoring a hat-trick. Despite Yugoslavia's elimination,
Savo Milošević
Savo Milošević ( sr-Cyrl, Саво Милошевић, ; born 2 September 1973) is a Serbian professional football manager and former player.
A former forward, he signed for English club Aston Villa after making a name for himself at Partiza ...
was crowned the joint top scorer of the tournament alongside Patrick Kluivert. Both players scored five goals, although Milošević played one game fewer.
2002 World Cup campaign
Ilija Petković
Ilija Petković ( sr-Cyrl, Илија Петковић, ; 22 September 1945 – 27 June 2020) was a Serbian footballer and manager.
Petković was capped 43 times for Yugoslavia, participating in the 1968 European Football Championship, and in ...
replaced Boškov as head coach in July 2000. For the
2002 World Cup qualifiers, Yugoslavia was drawn 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
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
, Slovenia,
Switzerland, the Faroe Islands 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 ...
. After winning against Luxembourg, Petković was sacked and replaced with a three-pieced team which consisted of Boškov,
Dejan Savićević
Dejan Savićević ( cyrl, Дејан Савићевић, ; born 15 September 1966) is a Montenegrin former footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. Since 2004, he has been the president of the Montenegrin Football Association (FSCG), cu ...
and
Ivan Ćurković
Ivan Ćurković (, ; born 15 March 1944) is a Serbian sports executive and former footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
During his playing career that spanned 21 seasons from 1960 to 1981, Ćurković made over 700 official appearances for three ...
. Despite winning both games against Luxembourg and Faroe Islands as well and away game against Switzerland, Yugoslavia managed to suffer a home loss and away draw against Russia, a home draw against Switzerland and both draw games against Slovenia. Yugoslavia ended the qualifying campaign in the third place of the group just one point behind second-placed Slovenia.
Euro 2004 campaign
Savićević was appointed as coach in July 2002. For the
Euro 2004 qualifiers Yugoslavia was drawn in
Group 9 Group 9 may refer to:
* Group 9 element
*Group 9 Rugby League
Group 9 is a rugby league competition based in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia, and surrounding areas. The competition is played in five grades, with these being Under 17s, U ...
with
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 ...
,
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
,
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 ...
and
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of t ...
. During qualifying, the country went under a
political transformation, and the newly named Serbia and Montenegro appeared for the first time in a game against Azerbaijan in February 2003. In June, after a 2–1 loss to Azerbaijan, Savićević resigned and was replaced by Ilija Petković. Despite drawing both games against group favourites and eventual group winners Italy and winning both games against runners-up Wales, Serbia and Montenegro failed to qualify, mostly due to a 2–2 home draw, the 2–1 loss to Azerbaijan, as well and a 3–0 away loss to Finland.
2006 World Cup
![Elfenbeinküste - Serbien und Montenegro](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Elfenbeink%C3%BCste_-_Serbien_und_Montenegro.jpg)
Petković remained as manager for the team; however,
qualifying for
2006 World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Germany 2006, was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which had won the right to host the ...
was different. With six wins and four draws, Serbia and Montenegro ended up first in the group with an undefeated record in their
qualification group ahead of Spain,
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 ...
,
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...
,
Lithuania and
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 ...
. The Serbia and Montenegro team also allowed only one goal in the ten matches, the best defensive record of all 51 teams participating in qualification.
On 3 June 2006, following a
referendum
A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...
, Montenegro declared its independence from Serbia. As the World Cup was about to start, it was decided that the Serbia and Montenegro team that had qualified for the tournament would compete, with the split into separate teams representing the new countries of Montenegro and Serbia to take place once the team was no longer in the tournament.
In the
group stage
A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:
# One or more competitions held at a single venue and concen ...
, Serbia and Montenegro lost their opening game to the Netherlands. The final score was 1–0 after Arjen Robben scored the only goal of the game. They also lost their second game to Argentina 6–0, Serbia and Montenegro's worst ever international result. With the team's two losses and with Netherlands and Argentina winning both their games, Serbia and Montenegro could no longer qualify for the knockout matches and was playing for pride alone in their final group game against Ivory Coast national football team, Ivory Coast. After a 2–0 lead for much of the first half, ''the Elephants'' managed to come back and win 3–2, leaving Serbia and Montenegro with no points.
Independent Serbia (2006–present)
Euro 2008 campaign
Javier Clemente, Serbia's first-ever foreign coach, was appointed to lead the team for the 2008 Euro campaign. After Montenegro declared independence, Serbia marked their split from Montenegro national football team, Montenegro with a 3–1 win over the Czech Republic. For the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying, Euro 2008 qualifiers, Serbia was drawn in UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying Group A, Group A along with Poland national football team, Poland, Portugal national football team, Portugal,
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 ...
, Finland, Kazakhstan national football team, Kazakhstan, Armenia national football team, Armenia and Azerbaijan. A strong start in qualification was overshadowed by the final hurdle of matches where inconsistency took over, the side dropping points against the likes of Finland, Belgium, Armenia and Kazakhstan. They eventually finished third, three points behind runners-up Portugal and Group A winners Poland. Clemente was sacked after the team's failure to qualify.
Serbia replaced Clemente with Miroslav Đukić, who then left the position on 19 August of the following year without having played any official games, due to disagreements with the
Football Association of Serbia.
2010 World Cup
![Serbia soccer vs france](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Serbia_soccer_vs_france.jpg)
Subsequent to Ðukić's departure, Radomir Antić was appointed coach. Serbia's 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA), World Cup qualification campaign began in 2008. Their 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group 7, qualification group featured 1998 FIFA World Cup Final, 1998 World Cup winners and 2006 FIFA World Cup Final, 2006 World Cup runners-up France national football team, France, Romania national football team, Romania, as well as Austria national football team, Austria,
Lithuania and the Faroe Islands. Serbia played consistently during the qualifiers and this led to the team automatically qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. They confirmed qualification with a 5–0 win at home against Romania.
The 2010 World Cup team featured captain Dejan Stanković, who became the only player to feature in a World Cup having played under three different national names (although he never changed nationality; this was a result of geopolitical events involving the identity of Yugoslavia). They were to face Ghana national football team, Ghana, Germany and Australia national football team, Australia.
Their opening group game was against Ghana and chances came to both sides but a red card to Aleksandar Luković and a handball by substitute Zdravko Kuzmanović in the second half gave Ghana a penalty to take all three points at the death. Asamoah Gyan converted eight minutes from full-time and Serbia were defeated 1–0. In Serbia's second group match, they defeated Germany by a score of 1–0 with a goal by Milan Jovanović (footballer, born 1981), Milan Jovanović in the first half. FIFA's official YouTube channel called the win "the most famous day in Serbia's footballing history".
Serbia only needed a single point to reach the knockout stages, but was defeated by Australia 2–1. Australia scored two goals in the second half through Tim Cahill and Brett Holman. A late Marko Pantelić goal served only as a consolation. They finished last in the group.
Euro 2012 campaign
Radomir Antić was sacked two games into the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying, Euro 2012 qualification process, a 1–1 draw at home to Slovenia spelling the end to his two-year stint. The sacking meant the bringing in of
Vladimir Petrović
Vladimir Petrović ( sr-Cyrl, Владимир Петровић, ; born 1 July 1955) is a Serbian football manager and former player.
He is widely known domestically by his nickname Pižon ( sr, Пижон), after the French for ''pigeon''.
...
to the job.
For the Euro 2012 qualifying, Serbia was drawn in UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying Group C, Group C featuring Italy, Slovenia, Estonia national football team, Estonia, Northern Ireland national football team, Northern Ireland and the Faroe Islands. The qualifying stage began with Radomir Antić as coach and finished with Vladimir Petrović. Serbia and Antić started the first two games with a 3–0 win away to Faroe Islands and a 1–1 draw at home to Slovenia but this result brought the end of Antić's reign as the country's coach. New coach Petrović faced setbacks with a 3–1 loss at home to Estonia and an abandoned match resulting in a 3–0 loss to Italy due to crowd trouble from the Serbian away supporters in Genoa.
Serbia returned to form with a 2–1 win at home over Northern Ireland but could only manage a 1–1 draw away to Estonia. Afterwards, Serbia won back to back games with a 1–0 win away to Northern Ireland and a crucial 3–1 win at home against Faroe Islands. These results put Serbia in pole position to confirm a play-off spot behind Italy.
Serbia needed a win at home against Italy to confirm a play-off spot but their efforts only resulted in a 1–1 draw. The team, however, still had one more chance to confirm a play-off place when they faced Slovenia away. This game was a must-win even though Serbia had a superior goal difference over Estonia; a draw was not good enough for progression. Neither side played decisively better in the first half, but a long-range goal put Slovenia up 1–0 at half time.
In the second half, Nemanja Vidić missed penalty.
Serbia left empty-handed after a 1–0 loss and exited the tournament for the third time in a row during the qualifying group stages, missing out by one point behind Estonia. Serbia once again failed to qualify for the UEFA Euro 2012, European Championships.
Vladimir Petrović was sacked after the team's failure to qualify.
2014 World Cup campaign
Ahead of the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA), qualifying campaign for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Dejan Stanković and Nemanja Vidić announced that they were retiring from international football. Branislav Ivanović became the new captain. Siniša Mihajlović, a former member of the national team, was appointed as the coach on 24 April 2012. Serbia was drawn in 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group A, Group A in qualification for the 2014 World Cup, together with Croatia, Belgium, Scotland national football team, Scotland, Macedonia, and Wales. The team began the qualification campaign with a goalless draw with Scotland and a 6–1 win over Wales. In the next two games, Serbia suffered two defeats, from Macedonia and Belgium.
On 22 March 2013, Serbia played in Zagreb against Croatia. The game was highly anticipated in both countries due to Croatia–Serbia football rivalry, their rivalry both on and off the pitch. Croatia won 2–0. Serbia then defeated Scotland 2–0 at home in a crucial qualifier, though their World Cup hopes were taken away after a 2–1 defeat to Belgium. Serbia drew with Croatia 1–1 in the corresponding fixture at home, where 18-year-old Aleksandar Mitrović scored an equalizer in the second-half after Mario Mandžukić opened the scoring. They then defeated Wales 3–0 in Cardiff. Dejan Stanković's farewell game was completed in a friendly against Japan national football team, Japan, which Serbia won 2–0. He finished his career with 103 appearances for the national team, a record previously held by Savo Milošević, with 102 appearances. Serbia finished qualifying with a 5–1 home win against Macedonia, putting them in third in the group, three points from a playoff spot behind Croatia and group winners Belgium.
Euro 2016 campaign
After failing to qualify for the 2014 World Cup, Dick Advocaat was appointed as the coach in 2014. Serbia was drawn in UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying Group I, Group I in UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying, qualification for UEFA Euro 2016, together with Portugal, Denmark national football team, Denmark, Albania national football team, Albania and Armenia. Advocaat started with a draw in a friendly 1–1 game against France. The team began qualification with a 1–1 draw against Armenia. The following game was an Serbia v Albania (UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying), game against Albania in Belgrade, abandoned as a result of crowd trouble after a drone carrying an Albanian flag and a map of Greater Albania was flown over the pitch.
Serbia was originally awarded with a 3–0 victory by UEFA, and deducted three points, but on 10 July 2015, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) reversed the earlier decision and awarded Albania a 3–0 win.
On 14 November 2014, Serbia played against Denmark in Belgrade and lost, 1–3. After this game, Advocaat left, whereupon Radovan Ćurčić was announced as a new coach on 25 November.
Serbia's first match in 2015 was a qualifying match against Portugal in Lisbon, during which Serbia lost 2–1, cutting their chances for qualification to Euro 2016. On 13 June 2015, Serbia played a qualifying match against Denmark in Copenhagen, losing 2–0. With the 10 July ruling by CAS on the abandoned game against Albania, Serbia would become mathematically eliminated from Euro 2016 qualification. On 4 September 2015, Serbia had their first victory, winning 2–0, against Armenia. On 8 October 2015, Serbia defeated Albania with a goal each from Aleksandar Kolarov and Adem Ljajić. In the table of Group I, Serbia finished second to last place with four points in a five-team group.
2018 World Cup
![Ser-Swi (7)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/71/Ser-Swi_%287%29.jpg)
After failing to qualify for Euro 2016, Slavoljub Muslin was appointed as a coach. Serbia was drawn in 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group D, Group D in qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup with Euro 2016 semi-finalists Wales, Austria, Ireland, Georgia national football team, Georgia and Moldova national football team, Moldova. They started off their campaign with a 2–2 draw against Ireland at the Red Star Stadium and eventually won against Austria, Georgia and Moldova.
Serbia beat Moldova in Belgrade with goals from Aleksandar Kolarov, Aleksandar Mitrović and Mijat Gaćinović. This consolidated their first position going into their top-of-the group clash with Ireland. They won this match with a 55th-minute goal from Kolarov. Serbia finished the qualifying campaign with a 1–0 home win against Georgia, and ended at the top of 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group D, Group D and therefore qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, 2018 tournament. Despite Serbia's qualification, Muslin was sacked by the Football Association of Serbia as a result on differences regarding team selection. Muslin was criticized for not inviting Sergej Milinković-Savić to play in the campaign which sparked controversy in Serbia. Mladen Krstajić took the place as a temporary coach after Muslin's dismissal and led the team in the World Cup.
In the World Cup, Serbia opened their match against Costa Rica national football team, Costa Rica. Kolarov's free kick at the second half meant Serbia won their first World Cup game in eight years. Serbia lost their later encounters, losing 1–2 to
Switzerland with a 90th-minute goal scored by Xherdan Shaqiri and 0–2 to
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 ...
, thus being eliminated in the group stage.
2018–19 UEFA Nations League
Due to performance of Serbia in previous years, the country found itself started the campaign of the inaugural 2018–19 UEFA Nations League C, Nations League, where they were drawn into 2018–19 UEFA Nations League C#Group 4, Group 4 with Montenegro, Lithuania and Romania. With both wins against Lithuania and Montenegro and both draw games against Romania, Serbia finished on top of the group, securing the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying play-offs#Path C, Euro 2020 play-off spot and being promoted into 2020–21 UEFA Nations League B, League B for 2020–21 UEFA Nations League, 2020–21 season. With six goals, Aleksandar Mitrović finished the tournament as the top scorer.
Euro 2020 campaign
In December 2017, Mladen Krstajić became the permanent coach for Serbia. Serbia started the campaign of 2018–19 UEFA Nations League, which served as a part of UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying campaign.
For Euro 2020 qualifiers, Serbia was drawn into UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying Group B, Group B with UEFA Euro 2016 Final, Euro 2016 champions Portugal, Ukraine national football team, Ukraine, Lithuania and Luxembourg. Serbia kicked off the qualifiers with 1–1 away draw against Portugal. But in the next away game against Ukraine, Serbia lost the game 0–5. After the 4–1 home win against Lithuania, Krstajić was sacked mainly because of the loss against Ukraine and replaced with Ljubiša Tumbaković. Tumbaković started with a 2–4 home loss against Portugal. The next two games were away wins against Luxembourg and Lithuania, before beating Luxembourg at home. Serbia could not take one of the top two places after the team managed a 2–2 draw to Ukraine at home.
After the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying play-offs were resumed, Serbia placed itself against
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...
in Oslo. Two goals, one in extra time helped Serbia to overcome Norway 2–1, thus marching to the final playoff game against Scotland at home. The game was won by Scotland in a penalty shootout (5–4) after the game was tied 1–1 after full time. Serbia once again failed to qualify for the Euros, making 20 years since the country last took part in the tournament. Tumbaković was sacked after the team's failure to qualify for the tournament.
2022 World Cup
Serbia was drawn in 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group A, Group A in qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup with Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Luxembourg and Azerbaijan.
After a penalty shootout loss against Scotland in the Euro 2020 qualifying play offs, Ljubiša Tumbaković was sacked and replaced with Dragan Stojković.
Serbia started 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group A, qualification with a 3–2 win against the Republic of Ireland in Belgrade in March 2021. After a 2–2 draw against Portugal, Serbia won against Azerbaijan in Baku 2–1. Mixed results meant Serbia needed a victory against Portugal to qualify directly from the group. On 14 November 2021, Serbia faced Portugal national football team, Portugal at the Estádio da Luz, and trailed by a goal. However, an equaliser by Dušan Tadić and a decisive goal from Aleksandar Mitrović in the final minutes of the second half meant Serbia automatically booked a ticket for Qatar.
Serbia was drawn in Group G with Brazil, Switzerland and Cameroon. Despite qualifying from the first place of Group A, Serbia ended on disappointing last place with only one point. Serbia was defeated in the first game against Brazil 0–2 as expected. But in the next game against Cameroon, Serbia unexpectedly ended the match in draw with result being 3–3. The last match against Switzerland was overshadowed by brawl between Granit Xhaka and several Serbian players ending up in a fight. Eventually, Serbia lost the game against Switzerland with the result 2–3.
2022–23 UEFA Nations League
Serbia was drawn in 2022–23 UEFA Nations League B 2022–23 UEFA Nations League B#Group 4, Group 4 alongside
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...
, Sweden national football team, Sweden and Slovenia, finishing first and being promoted after wins against Sweden at home and Norway in Oslo.
Rivalries
* Croatia–Serbia football rivalry, Serbia v. Croatia: The rivalry stems from Croatia–Serbia relations, political roots, and is listed as one of the ten greatest international rivalries by Goal (website), Goal.com. and as the most politically charged football rivalry by the Bleacher Report. The two sides started the football rivalry in the 1990 when they were part of Yugoslavia, which dissolved after a Yugoslav Wars, series of wars. The two nations have played four times, with Croatia winning one and drawing the other three games.
* Albania–Serbia football rivalry, Serbia v. Albania: The rivalry stems from Albania–Serbia relations, historical tensions and the Kosovo question.
Team image
The badge of the
Football Association of Serbia is modelled on the Serbian cross inescutcheon featured on the Coat of arms of Serbia, Serbian coat of arms. It consists of a modified version of the four firesteels and cross, with the addition of a football. The team is nicknamed "''the Eagles''" (Serbian Cyrillic alphabet, Serbian Cyrillic: ''Орлови'') in reference to the Serbian eagle, white double-headed eagle, a National symbols of Serbia, national symbol of Serbia.
In 2022 the Football Association of Serbia launched a new, national team specific emblem for brand and Marketing strategy, marketing purposes. The previous FA crest was replaced by a stylised logo inspired by the lesser coat of arms of the Republic of Serbia.
![Serbian team](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/Serbian_team.jpg)
For years following the breakup of Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, SFR Yugoslavia the national team experienced an identity crisis, which despite its name, was seen as ''de facto'' representative of Serbia. From 1994 to 2006 the obsolete and unpopular League of Communists of Yugoslavia, Communist era national anthem "''Hey, Slavs, Hej, Sloveni''" was often jeered, booed and whistled by home supporters as players refrained from singing the lyrics. During this period the team continued to officially carry the old nickname "''Plavi''" (''the'' ''Blues''), badge and kit design indicative of the Flag of Yugoslavia, Yugoslav tricolour.
Following the 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, secession of Montenegro in 2006 the national team adopted red shirts, blue shorts and white socks in honor of the Flag of Serbia, Serbian tricolour. Between 2010 and 2016 a cross motif inspired by the country's coat of arms was incorporated in the jersey. In years Serbia has utilised all-red uniforms due to FIFA's kit clash regulations. Away kits are traditionally white with blue or white shorts.
FR Yugoslavia / Serbia and Montenegro
Serbia
![Fk Red Star stadium](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a3/Fk_Red_Star_stadium.jpg)
Serbia does not have an official national stadium and the team has played at grounds throughout the country. The Red Star Stadium, Rajko Mitić Stadium is the most popular venue following by Partizan Stadium, both ground are located in the capital city
Belgrade.
Kit sponsorship
In July 2014, a partnership was announced between the
Football Association of Serbia and England, English manufacturer Umbro which is Serbia's official supplier before Puma (brand), Puma took over with their home and away kits, debuting 7 September 2014 in the friendly match against France national football team, France. On 7 September 2014, Serbia unveiled their latest kits also worn at the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying Group I, UEFA Euro 2016 qualifiers campaign.
Results and fixtures
''For more result see: Serbia national football team results''
The following is a list of match results from the previous 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
2022
2023
Coaching staff
Manager history
''For the period before 1992 see: Yugoslavia national football team#Head coaches''
Players
Current squad
The following 26 players were called up for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
''Caps and goals as of December 2022, after the match against
Switzerland.''
Recent call-ups
The following players have also been called up for the team in the last twelve months.
Notes:
*
PRE Preliminary squad
*
SUS Suspended
*
INJ Withdrew from the roster due to an injury
*
COV Withdrew from the roster due to COVID-19
*
RET Retired from the national team
*
WD Withdrew from the roster for non-injury related reasons
Previous squads
;FIFA World Cup squads:
* 1930 FIFA World Cup squads#Yugoslavia, 1930 FIFA World Cup squad
* 1950 FIFA World Cup squads#Yugoslavia, 1950 FIFA World Cup squad
* 1954 FIFA World Cup squads#Yugoslavia, 1954 FIFA World Cup squad
* 1958 FIFA World Cup squads#Yugoslavia, 1958 FIFA World Cup squad
* 1962 FIFA World Cup squads#Yugoslavia, 1962 FIFA World Cup squad
* 1974 FIFA World Cup squads#Yugoslavia, 1974 FIFA World Cup squad
* 1982 FIFA World Cup squads#Yugoslavia, 1982 FIFA World Cup squad
* 1990 FIFA World Cup squads#Yugoslavia, 1990 FIFA World Cup squad
* 1998 FIFA World Cup squads#FR_Yugoslavia, 1998 FIFA World Cup squad
* 2006 FIFA World Cup squads#Serbia and Montenegro, 2006 FIFA World Cup squad
* Serbia squad – 2010 FIFA World Cup, 2010 FIFA World Cup squad
* 2018 FIFA World Cup squads#Serbia, 2018 FIFA World Cup squad
* 2022 FIFA World Cup squads#Serbia, 2022 FIFA World Cup squad
;UEFA European Football Championship squads:
* UEFA Euro 1960 squads#Yugoslavia, UEFA Euro 1960 squad
* UEFA Euro 1968 squads#Yugoslavia, UEFA Euro 1968 squad
* UEFA Euro 1976 squads#Yugoslavia, UEFA Euro 1976 squad
* UEFA Euro 1984 squads#Yugoslavia, UEFA Euro 1984 squad
* UEFA Euro 2000 squads#FR Yugoslavia, UEFA Euro 2000 squad
Player records
:''Players in bold are still active with Serbia.''
Most capped players
Top goalscorers
Captains (since 1994)
Notable players
;Goalkeepers
File:Ivica Kralj, 2009.jpg, Ivica Kralj played for the team from 1996 to 2001
File:Vladimir Stojković 2018 (cropped).jpg, Vladimir Stojković is the most capped goalkeeper in the team's history with 84 caps
;Defenders
File:Miroslav Đukić.jpg, Miroslav Đukić played for the team from 1991 to 2001
File:Siniša Mihajlović.JPG, Siniša Mihajlović
Siniša Mihajlović ( sr-Cyrl, Синиша Михајловић, ; 20 February 1969 – 16 December 2022) was a Serbian professional football player and manager.
During his career as a footballer, he played as a defender or midfielder. He won ...
played 63 matches for the team from 1993 to 2003 and managed team in 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA), 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
File:Zoran Mirkovic - Commons photo.jpg, Zoran Mirković played for the team from 1995 to 2003
File:Mladen_Krstajic_20_FC_Schalke_04.jpg, Mladen Krstajić played 59 matches for the team from 1999 to 2008 and managed team at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, 2018 World Cup
File:Vidić (cropped).jpg, Nemanja Vidić played 56 matches, was participant in two World Cups and named twice in the FIFPro#FIFA FIFPro World XI, FIFA World XI
File:Cos-Serb (2).jpg, Branislav Ivanović is the most capped player in the team's history with 105 caps
File:Aleksandar Kolarov 2018.jpg, Aleksandar Kolarov played 94 matches and captained the team at the 2018 World Cup
;Midfielders
File:Dragan Stojković Guangzhou crop.jpg, Dragan Stojković played from 1983 to 2001 for the team, and is the current head coach
File:Dejan Savićević.jpg, Dejan Savićević
Dejan Savićević ( cyrl, Дејан Савићевић, ; born 15 September 1966) is a Montenegrin former footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. Since 2004, he has been the president of the Montenegrin Football Association (FSCG), cu ...
played for the team from 1986 to 1999 and managed the team from 2001 to 2003
File:DK-Maccabi (10).jpg, Slaviša Jokanović
Slaviša Jokanović ( sr-Cyrl, Славиша Јокановић, ; born 16 August 1968) is a Serbian professional football manager and former player. He is the manager of Russian club Dynamo Moscow.
A physical player considered strong in the a ...
played for the team from 1991 to 2002
File:Jugovic 2019.jpg, Vladimir Jugović
Vladimir Jugović ( sr-cyr, Владимир Југовић, ; born 30 August 1969) is a Serbian former professional footballer. A versatile player, he was usually employed as a left or attacking midfielder, but could play anywhere in midfield. ...
played for the team from 1991 to 2002
File:Dejan_Stanković_-_Inter_Mailand_%284%29.jpg, Dejan Stanković is the Serbian player who won the most trophies; he played in three World Cups and one European Championship
File:MilosKrasic.jpg, Miloš Krasić played for the team from 2006 to 2011
File:Jovanovic (cropped).JPG, Milan Jovanović (footballer, born 1981), Milan Jovanović played for the team from 2007 to 2012
File:Ser-Swi (27).jpg, Nemanja Matić played for the team from 2008 to 2019
File:Dušan Tadić (cropped).jpg, Dušan Tadić is the current captain of the team
;Forwards
File:Predrag Mijatović 2007 b.jpg, Predrag Mijatović
Predrag "Peđa" Mijatović ( sr-Cyrl, Предраг Мијатовић, ; born 19 January 1969) is a Montenegrin retired professional footballer who played as a striker. At club level, Mijatović played for six clubs: Budućnost, Partizan, Va ...
was a top goalscorer in 1998 World Cup qualifiers with 14 goals
File:Savo Milosevic (cropped).jpg, Savo Milošević
Savo Milošević ( sr-Cyrl, Саво Милошевић, ; born 2 September 1973) is a Serbian professional football manager and former player.
A former forward, he signed for English club Aston Villa after making a name for himself at Partiza ...
played 102 matches, scored 37 goals and was UEFA Euro 2000#Goalscorers, UEFA Euro 2000 Golden Boot
File:Darko Kovačević 5-mar-2008.jpg, Darko Kovačević played 59 matches and scored 10 goals between 1994 and 2004
File:MatejaKezman.jpg, Mateja Kežman
Mateja Kežman ( sr-Cyrl, Матеја Кежман, ; born 12 April 1979) is a Serbian former professional footballer who played as a striker.
Upon playing in his homeland, Kežman went on to play top-flight football in the Netherlands, Engla ...
was top goal scorer for the team in 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA), 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
File:Zigic vs Antwerp (cropped).jpg, Nikola Žigić played 57 matches and scored 20 goals between 2004 and 2011
File:Aleksandar Mitrović 2018 (cropped).jpg, Aleksandar Mitrović is top goal scorer in the history of national team, and was 2018–19 UEFA Nations League top goal scorer
Competition records
Serbia was part of Yugoslavia and its Yugoslavia national football team, national football team which existed between 1920–1992. With the Breakup of Yugoslavia, collapse of Yugoslavia, the remaining constituent republics,
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hungar ...
and
Montenegro
)
, image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Podgorica
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, official_languages = M ...
, formed the Serbia and Montenegro, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1992. The country underwent a name change in 2003, and Montenegro left the state union in 2006.
FIFA and
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 ...
consider the
Football Association of Serbia a direct successor to the Football Association of Yugoslavia, thereby attributing all records to Serbia.
FIFA World Cup
UEFA European Championship
UEFA Nations League record
''Last update : 27 September 2022''
Other
*Football at the Summer Olympics, Summer Olympics
**Gold Medal: Football at the 1960 Summer Olympics, 1960
**Silver Medal: Football at the 1948 Summer Olympics, 1948, Football at the 1952 Summer Olympics, 1952, Association football at the 1956 Summer Olympics, 1956
**Bronze Medal: Football at the 1984 Summer Olympics, 1984
*Football at the Mediterranean Games, Mediterranean Games
**Winners: 1971 Mediterranean Games, 1971, 1979 Mediterranean Games, 1979
*Balkan Cup
**Winners: 1934–35 Balkan Cup, 1934–35, 1935 Balkan Cup, 1935
**Runners-up: 1929–31 Balkan Cup, 1929–31, 1932 Balkan Cup, 1932, 1933 Balkan Cup, 1933, 1946 Balkan Cup, 1946, 1947 Balkan Cup, 1947, 1977–80 Balkan Cup, 1977–80
*1945 Yugoslav Football Tournament
**Winners: 1945
Head-to-head records (2006 onward)
See also
* Serbia national football team results
* Serbia and Montenegro national football team results
* Serbia national under-23 football team
* Serbia national under-21 football team
* Serbia national under-20 football team
* Serbia national under-19 football team
* Serbia national under-17 football team
* List of Serbia international footballers (including predecessor teams)
* Yugoslavia national football team
* Serbia and Montenegro national football team
Notes
References
External links
;Official
Football Association of Serbia – official siteFIFA profileSerbian National Football Team
;Unofficial
Beli OrloviSerbian football at xtratime.orgBeliOrlovi.rs – fan site
{{National sports teams of Serbia
Serbia national football team,
European national association football teams
2006 establishments in Serbia
Football in Serbia