Slovenia national football team
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The Slovenia national football team ( sl, Slovenska nogometna reprezentanca) represents
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 ...
in men's international
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
and is controlled by the
Football Association of Slovenia The Football Association of Slovenia ( sl, Nogometna zveza Slovenije or NZS) is the governing body of football in Slovenia. It organizes the Slovenian PrvaLiga, first division (1. SNL), Slovenian Second League, second division (2. SNL), Slovenian ...
, the governing body for
football in Slovenia Football in Slovenia is governed by the Football Association of Slovenia ( sl, Nogometna zveza Slovenije). Slovenia has participated in international football as an independent nation since 1991, when the country gained independence from SFR Y ...
. The squad is under the global jurisdiction 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 ...
and is governed in Europe by
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 ...
. It competes in the three major professional tournaments available to European nations: 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 ...
,
UEFA Nations League The UEFA Nations League is a biennial international football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the member associations of UEFA, the sport's European governing body. The first tournament began in September 2018. The ...
and 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 contes ...
. Slovenia played its first official match in 1992, one year after the country gained independence from Yugoslavia. The majority of Slovenia's home matches are played at
Stožice Stadium Stožice Stadium ( sl, Stadion Stožice) is a multi-purpose stadium located in Ljubljana, Slovenia. It was designed by Slovenian Sadar + Vuga architects and is the biggest football stadium in the country. It is one of two main stadiu ...
in
Ljubljana Ljubljana (also known by other historical names) is the capital and largest city of Slovenia. It is the country's cultural, educational, economic, political and administrative center. During antiquity, a Roman city called Emona stood in the ar ...
. Slovenia have qualified for the FIFA World Cup on two occasions, and the UEFA European Championship once, but have never progressed beyond the group stage of a finals tournament. At the
2010 FIFA World Cup , image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg , size = 200px , caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
, Slovenia achieved its first (and so far only) victory in a major tournament, defeating
Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...
1–0. The team have achieved some noteworthy results, such as beating the
2006 FIFA 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 ...
winners
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 ...
1–0 in 2004, which was Italy's only defeat in the entire 2006 World Cup campaign. Their biggest defeat came in 2002 with a 5–0 loss to
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 ...
, while their highest-scoring victory was a 7–0 win over
Oman Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of t ...
in 1999.
Boštjan Cesar Boštjan Cesar (born 9 July 1982) is a Slovenian former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. Cesar played in Slovenia, Croatia, France, England and Italy. With 101 international appearances, he is Slovenia's most capped player of ...
holds the record for Slovenia appearances, having played 101 times between 2003 and 2018.
Zlatko Zahovič Zlatko Zahovič (; born 1 February 1971) is a Slovenian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. After making a name for himself in Europe in Portugal, most notably with Porto and Benfica where he amassed Primeira ...
scored 35 goals for Slovenia and is the record holder for most goals scored.


History


Origins and pre-independence years (1921–1991)

Before Slovenia's independence in 1991, the national football team of Slovenia existed only as a regional team, not officially recognised by
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 ...
. On 23 June 1921, the Slovenian capital
Ljubljana Ljubljana (also known by other historical names) is the capital and largest city of Slovenia. It is the country's cultural, educational, economic, political and administrative center. During antiquity, a Roman city called Emona stood in the ar ...
hosted a match between
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 ...
and a selection of players from Slovenian clubs. One of the guests at the match was the acting 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 ...
, who later initiated the first
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 ...
tournament. The French team won the match 5–0 and, although the match was not official by international standards, it was, at least in Slovenia, generally accepted as the first appearance of the Slovenian national team. In the following decades, Slovenia played four more unofficial
friendly matches 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 ...
: in 1956 against
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, in 1968 against
Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
, in 1990 against
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 ...
, and in 1991 against
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 ...
.


Independence, first victory and first qualifiers (1992–1998)

In 1992, one year after Slovenia's independence from Yugoslavia, the national team was admitted to
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 ...
and FIFA. On 3 June of the same year, Slovenia played its first FIFA-recognised game, a friendly match against
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 ...
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 ' ...
. The match ended in a 1–1 draw, and the first official goal for the team was scored by Igor Benedejčič. The first team manager was
Bojan Prašnikar Bojan Prašnikar (born 3 February 1953) is a Slovenian football manager and former player. Prašnikar managed the Slovenian national team three times, between 1991 and 1993, in 1998, and between 2002 and 2004. Playing career Prašnikar starte ...
. On 7 April 1993, the two teams played another friendly, and this time Slovenia achieved its first international victory by winning the match 2–0. In 1994, managed by
Zdenko Verdenik Zdenko Verdenik (born 2 May 1949) is a Slovenian football manager and former player. He coached NK Olimpija, Slovenia under-21 team, Slovenia senior team, FK Austria Wien, JEF United Ichihara, Nagoya Grampus Eight, Vegalta Sendai is a Ja ...
, Slovenia debuted in official competitions as the team competed in the UEFA Euro 1996 qualifiers. Slovenia played in Group 4 and finished in fifth place out of six teams, with eleven points. In the opening match of the qualifiers, Slovenia drew 1–1 at home against 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 ...
finalists
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 ...
. In the qualifiers 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 a group with
Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...
, Croatia,
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 ...
and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia finished in last place, registering just one point in eight matches.


Golden generation (1998–2002)


UEFA Euro 2000 campaign

In July 1998, Srečko Katanec was appointed as the new manager of the team. Under his guidance, Slovenia finished the UEFA Euro 2000 qualifiers in second place, only behind
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 t ...
.
Zlatko Zahovič Zlatko Zahovič (; born 1 February 1971) is a Slovenian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. After making a name for himself in Europe in Portugal, most notably with Porto and Benfica where he amassed Primeira ...
scored eight of Slovenia's twelve goals in the qualifiers. In the additional playoffs, Slovenia faced
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 ...
. The first leg was played in Ljubljana, which Slovenia won 2–1 after going a goal behind. Zahovič scored Slovenia's first goal, and
Milenko Ačimovič Milenko "Mile" Ačimovič (; ; born 15 February 1977) is a Slovenian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Besides Slovenia, he has played in FR Yugoslavia, England, France, Saudi Arabia, and Austria. Club career Born to S ...
scored a goal from the halfway line late in the match for the final score of 2–1. The second match was played in snowy conditions in
Kyiv Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...
.
Serhii Rebrov Serhiy Stanislavovych Rebrov ( uk, Сергій Станіславович Ребров; born 3 June 1974) is a Ukrainian professional football manager and former player who played as a striker. He is in charge of UAE Pro League side Al-Ain. R ...
scored from the
penalty spot The penalty area or 18-yard box (also known less formally as the penalty box or simply box) is an area of an association football pitch. It is rectangular and extends 16.5m (18 yd) to each side of the goal and 16.5m (18 yd) in front of it. Wit ...
in the 68th minute to give Ukraine a lead, while Slovenia equalised eight minutes later with a goal by
Miran Pavlin Miran Pavlin (born 8 October 1971) is a Slovenian former professional footballer who played as midfielder. He featured for clubs such as Olimpija, SC Freiburg, Olympiakos Nicosia, APOEL, FC Porto and Olimpija Ljubljana. Club career In 2009, ...
. The 1–1 draw meant that Slovenia won 3–2 on aggregate and qualified for its first major tournament. At
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 ...
, Slovenia were drawn into Group C, together with
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 ...
,
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 A relationship breakup, breakup, or ...
and Norway. In the first game, Slovenia played against Yugoslavia and took a 3–0 lead after one hour of play, with Zahovič scoring twice and Pavlin once. However, Yugoslavia made a comeback as they scored three goals in just six minutes for a final score of 3–3, playing with only ten players after
Siniša Mihajlović Siniša Mihajlović ( sr-Cyrl, Синиша Михајловић, ; 20 February 1969 – 16 December 2022) was a Serbian professional Footballer, football player and Football coach (association football), manager. During his career as a football ...
was sent off when the score was still 3–0 for Slovenia. The second game against Spain was played in
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
. Spain took a 1–0 lead with a goal by
Raúl Raul, Raúl and Raül are the Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Galician, Asturian, Basque, Aragonese, and Catalan forms of the Anglo-Germanic given name Ralph or Rudolph. They are cognates of the French Raoul. Raul, Raúl or Raül may re ...
, but Slovenia equalised after one hour of play as Zahovič scored his third goal of the tournament. Just a minute later, Spain was leading again as
Joseba Etxeberria Joseba Andoni Etxeberria Lizardi (born 5 September 1977) is a Spanish retired footballer who played mostly as a winger, currently manager of CD Mirandés. After starting his professional career at the age of 17 with Real Sociedad, he quickly s ...
scored the winning goal. In the last round of the group stage, Slovenia played against Norway and still had a chance to progress to the quarterfinals. The match finished in a goalless draw and Slovenia won its second point of the tournament, but was eliminated.


2002 FIFA World Cup campaign

For the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Slovenia were drawn into a group with
Russia 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 ...
, FR Yugoslavia,
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 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
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 ...
. In its first five qualifying games, Slovenia won only one match (away at Luxembourg), and even drew 2–2 with the underdogs Faroe Islands despite leading 2–0 with less than five minutes remaining. In the next five matches, Slovenia won four times, including a last minute victory over Russia. Slovenia finished in second place without a single defeat, and advanced to the playoff stage. In the playoffs, Slovenia faced
Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
. They came from a goal down to win the first game 2–1 with the goals from Ačimovič in the first half and Milan Osterc in the second half. In the second leg in
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
, Slovenia took the lead with a goal scored by
Mladen Rudonja Mladen Rudonja () (born 26 July 1971) is a retired Slovenian footballer. He most often played as a winger (usually on the left) or striker. Despite this, he did not score a goal for the Slovenian national team until his 53rd cap – in the seco ...
. The final result was 1–1, and Slovenia qualified for its second consecutive major tournament and first ever World Cup. At the World Cup, Slovenia played in Group B with Spain,
Paraguay Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...
and
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
. In the first game, Slovenia faced Spain for the second time in a row at a big tournament, having lost the previous game at Euro 2000. Spain took the lead in the first half with the goal from Raúl.
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 ...
scored Spain's second goal 15 minutes before full-time for a 2–0 lead. A few minutes later,
Sebastjan Cimirotič Sebastjan Cimirotič (born 14 September 1974) is a retired Slovenian football player. He played for the Slovenia national football team and was a participant at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, scoring the nation's first ever World Cup goal. Internatio ...
scored the first World Cup goal for Slovenia to reduce the score to 2–1, before
Fernando Hierro Fernando Ruiz Hierro (; born 23 March 1968) is a Spanish football manager and former player who played as a centre-back, sweeper or defensive midfielder. He is the current sporting director of Liga MX club C.D. Guadalajara. He won five L ...
scored in the 87th minute for the final score of 3–1. The match is notable due to the conflict between manager Katanec and star player Zahovič, after which Katanec announced his retirement after the tournament, while Zahovič was expelled from the team and sent home. Slovenia lost the two remaining matches against South Africa (1–0) and Paraguay (3–1) and finished last in the group with three defeats.


Decline (2003–2007)

After the resignation of Katanec, Prašnikar took over the team on a four-year contract. The team has undergone some major changes, with several key players retiring from the national team. In the
UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying Qualification for the 2004 UEFA European Championship took place between September 2002 and November 2003. Fifty teams were divided into ten groups, with each team playing the others in their group twice, once at home and once away. The top te ...
campaign, Slovenia played against France,
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
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 ...
. The team finished in second place with four wins out of eight games, however, they lost both matches against France without scoring any goals. In the playoffs, Slovenia played against its biggest rivals, Croatia. The first leg was played in
Zagreb Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slop ...
, where Croatia took the lead as
Dado Pršo Miladin "Dado" Pršo (born 5 November 1974) is a Croatian former professional footballer who played as a forward. Pršo played for seven different teams and made over 300 league appearances as a professional. He was included in the Monaco team t ...
scored a goal in the fifth minute, while Slovenia equalised in the 22nd minute with a goal by
Ermin Šiljak Ermin Šiljak (born 11 May 1973) is a Slovenian former professional footballer who played as a centre forward. Managerial career Early career Šiljak managed Slovenian under-16 and under-19 national teams. In 2012, he was a manager of Olim ...
, for the final score of 1–1. In the second leg, Pršo scored the only goal of the game 15 minutes into the second half. Croatia qualified for the UEFA Euro 2004 with the aggregate score of 2–1, and Slovenia failed to qualify for its third consecutive major tournament. Šiljak scored a total of nine goals in the whole campaign, thus becoming the top goalscorer of the whole UEFA qualification tournament. In May 2004, Prašnikar was replaced by
Branko Oblak Branko Oblak (born 27 May 1947) is a Slovenian football coach and former international player. He usually played as an attacking midfielder or deep-lying playmaker. Playing career Brane, as he is often known, started playing football at the you ...
. Under Oblak's management, Slovenia played in the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Grouped with Italy, Norway,
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 ...
,
Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by R ...
and
Moldova Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The List of states ...
, the team started with victories over Moldova and Italy and a draw against Scotland, but still finished in fourth place after securing only five points in the remaining seven matches. With the victory over Italy, Slovenia became the only team to beat the eventual world champions, as Italy did not lose another game during the entire campaign (qualifiers and the main tournament). Oblak was still in charge of Slovenia when the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifiers started. Grouped with 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 ...
, Romania,
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 ...
, Belarus,
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 Luxembourg, the team started out with defeats to Bulgaria and Belarus, thus significantly reducing their chances to qualify, and as a result, in November 2006, Oblak was dismissed by the Football Association of Slovenia. During his two-year stint as the manager, Oblak tried out over forty different players. In January 2007,
Matjaž Kek Matjaž Kek (born 9 September 1961) is a Slovenian professional football manager and former player who is the manager of the Slovenia national team. Playing career Kek started his career at his home club NK Maribor, before moving to another Mar ...
was appointed as the new manager of the national team. He led Slovenia in the remainder of the Euro 2008 qualifiers, where Slovenia finished in sixth place, only above Luxembourg.


First World Cup victory (2008–2011)

For the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Slovenia were drawn into a group with 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 ...
,
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
,
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
,
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 ...
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 ...
. In its opening match, Slovenia held Poland to a 1–1 draw in
Wrocław Wrocław (; german: Breslau, or . ; Silesian German: ''Brassel'') is a city in southwestern Poland and the largest city in the historical region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the River Oder in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Europe, rou ...
, before winning two consecutive home games against Slovakia and Northern Ireland, respectively. Slovenia then won only one point in the two games against the Czech Republic and lost away to Northern Ireland, and thus fell to fifth place in the group. However, the team greatly improved its form and won the last four games without conceding a single goal. As runners-up, Slovenia qualified for the playoffs, where they were drawn against Russia. The first leg was played in
Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
. The match ended in a 2–1 win for the home side, with
Nejc Pečnik Nejc Pečnik (born 3 January 1986) is a Slovenian professional footballer who plays for Dravograd. Primarily an attacking midfielder, he can also play as a winger or forward. He represented Slovenia at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Prior to that, ...
scoring a crucial
away goal The away goals rule is a method of tiebreaking in association football and other sports when teams play each other twice, once at each team's home ground. Under the away goals rule, if the total goals scored by each team are equal, the team that ...
for Slovenia late in the game. In the second leg, held in
Maribor Maribor ( , , , ; also known by other #Name, historical names) is the second-largest city in Slovenia and the largest city of the traditional region of Styria (Slovenia), Lower Styria. It is also the seat of the City Municipality of Maribor, th ...
, Slovenia defeated Russia 1–0 with a goal by Zlatko Dedić, advancing to the main tournament with an aggregate score of 2–2 due to the away goals rule. The top scorer of the national team during the qualifying campaign was
Milivoje Novaković Milivoje Novaković (; sr-Cyrl, Миливоје Новаковић, ; born 18 May 1979) is a Slovenian former professional footballer who played as a forward. Club career Novaković spent his youth career at Olimpija where he remained unti ...
with five goals. At the
2010 FIFA World Cup , image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg , size = 200px , caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
, Slovenia played in Group C alongside
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
,
Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...
and 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 ...
. In the opening game against Algeria, Slovenia achieved its first ever victory at the World Cup after
Robert Koren Robert Koren (born 20 September 1980) is a Slovenian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Koren earned 61 caps and scored five goals for the Slovenia national team between 2003 and 2011 and played at the 2010 FIFA World C ...
scored the only goal in the match for a 1–0 victory. In their second game against the United States, Slovenia were leading 2–0 at half-time with goals from
Valter Birsa Valter Birsa (born 7 August 1986) is a retired Slovenian footballer who played as a winger. Club career Born in Šempeter pri Gorici, he spent his childhood in Nova Gorica, Slovenia. Birsa's career began at the age of five, when he started play ...
and
Zlatan Ljubijankić Zlatan Ljubijankić (; ; born 15 December 1983) is a Slovenian former professional footballer who played as a forward. International career Ljubijankić was a member of Slovenia national team between 2006 and 2015. He scored one of three Slov ...
, however, Landon Donovan and Michael Bradley scored in the second half for the United States for the final score of 2–2. In their last match of the group stage, Slovenia lost to England 1–0 with a goal by
Jermain Defoe Jermain Colin Defoe (born 7 October 1982) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker. He also played for the England national team. Defoe began his career with Charlton Athletic, joining their youth team aged 14, be ...
. The United States defeated Algeria with a goal scored in the last moments of the match, thus eliminating Slovenia from the tournament. After the 2010 World Cup, Slovenia achieved their highest ever position in the
FIFA World Rankings The FIFA Men's World Ranking is a ranking system for men's national teams in association football, led by Brazil . The teams of the men's member nations of FIFA, football's world governing body, are ranked based on their game results with the ...
, as the team was ranked 15th in October 2010. However, Slovenia started the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifiers with an unexpected home defeat against Northern Ireland. Two defeats against Italy and another unexpected home defeat, this time against Estonia, meant that Slovenia finished only in fourth place in the group, behind Italy, Estonia and
Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
.


Katanec's second spell and management changes (2011–2018)

In October 2011, the Football Association of Slovenia appointed
Slaviša Stojanović Slaviša () is a South Slavic masculine given name, an old Slavic origin given name derived from word "slav" - glory. This name may refer to: * Slaviša Čula, Serbian football player *Slaviša Jokanović, Serbian football player * Slaviša Du ...
as the new manager. He led the team in only nine matches, including the first four matches of the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, where Slovenia recorded one victory and three defeats. He was sacked by the end of 2012 and was replaced by Katanec, who had previously led the team between 1998 and 2002. Under his leadership, Slovenia lost at home to
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 ...
, before winning four consecutive games to finish third in the group, two points behind Iceland. In the qualifiers for
UEFA Euro 2016 The 2016 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2016 (stylised as UEFA EURO 2016) or simply Euro 2016, was the 15th UEFA European Championship, the quadrennial international men's football championship of Europe o ...
, Slovenia came close to directly qualifying for the tournament for the first time, however, the team lost a decisive game away to Switzerland. Slovenia led 2–0 with less than 15 minutes remaining, but the Swiss team then scored three times to win 3–2. As the third-placed team, Slovenia advanced to the playoffs, where they were eliminated by the Ukraine 3–1 on aggregate. The qualifiers for the
2018 FIFA World Cup The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national Association football, football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awa ...
were similar to the previous ones, as Slovenia narrowly lost two decisive away matches against Slovakia and England. After the defeat at
Wembley Wembley () is a large suburbIn British English, "suburb" often refers to the secondary urban centres of a city. Wembley is not a suburb in the American sense, i.e. a single-family residential area outside of the city itself. in north-west Londo ...
, where
Harry Kane Harry Edward Kane (born 28 July 1993) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for club Tottenham Hotspur and captains the England national team. A prolific goalscorer with strong link play, Kane is regarded as one of ...
scored the only goal of the match in the 94th minute, Katanec announced his resignation as the manager. In December 2017, Tomaž Kavčič became the new manager. In 2018, Slovenia competed in the inaugural edition of the
UEFA Nations League The UEFA Nations League is a biennial international football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the member associations of UEFA, the sport's European governing body. The first tournament began in September 2018. The ...
. In accordance with the FIFA World Rankings, the team competed in the third-tier
League C League or The League may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band * ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football Sports * Sports league * Rugby league, full contact footba ...
along with Bulgaria, Cyprus and Norway. After the poor run of results, in which Slovenia obtained only one point in the first four matches, Kavčič was sacked. He became the manager with the shortest tenure in Slovenian history, leading the team in only seven games. As Slovenia finished last in the group, they were supposed to be relegated to the bottom tier League D, but UEFA changed the system for the next edition and the team remained in League C.


Kek's second spell and Nations League promotion (2019 to present)

Kek was appointed as the manager for the second time in November 2018. Slovenia failed to make a breakthrough during the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifiers, losing both games against Austria and obtaining only one point against
North Macedonia North Macedonia, ; sq, Maqedonia e Veriut, (Macedonia before February 2019), officially the Republic of North Macedonia,, is a country in Southeast Europe. It gained independence in 1991 as one of the successor states of Socialist Feder ...
. Despite the unexpected 2–0 home victory against Poland, Slovenia finished fourth in the group. In the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League C, however, Slovenia remained undefeated in all six games against Greece, Moldova and
Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
. Under the leadership of
team captain In team sport, captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field. In eithe ...
Jan Oblak Jan Oblak (born 7 January 1993) is a Slovenian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for La Liga club Atlético Madrid and captains the Slovenia national team. He is frequently ranked as one of the best goalkeepers in the world. O ...
, Slovenia held Greece to a 0–0 draw in both matches, and also obtained all twelve available points against Moldova and Kosovo, thus securing first place in the group and promotion to League B for the 2022–23 edition. In the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Slovenia once again failed to qualify for the main event. They started the campaign with a 1–0 home victory versus Croatia with a goal by
Sandi Lovrić Sandi Lovrić (born 28 March 1998) is a professional association football, footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serie A club Udinese Calcio, Udinese and the Slovenia national football team, Slovenia national team. After playing for Austria at ...
, which was notably Slovenia's first victory over their neighbour rivals after failing to beat them in the previous eight official matches. After two narrow defeats against Russia and a surprising defeat to Cyprus, Slovenia finished fourth in the group with four wins in ten matches, behind Croatia, Russia and Slovakia. In 2022, Slovenia made their maiden appearance in
League B League or The League may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band * ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football Sports * Sports league * Rugby league, full contact footba ...
of the Nations League, and avoided relegation after finishing third in a group with Serbia, Norway and
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 ...
.
Benjamin Šeško Benjamin Šeško (, born 31 May 2003) is a Slovenian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Austrian Bundesliga club Red Bull Salzburg and the Slovenia national team. He will join German Bundesliga club RB Leipzig in July 2023. ...
scored three of Slovenia's six goals in the competition, including a goal in the decisive 1–1 away draw to Sweden that secured a crucial point on the last matchday.


Team image


Nickname and mascot

The Slovenian national team does not have an official nickname and was the only team at the
2010 FIFA World Cup , image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg , size = 200px , caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
without one. During the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, Slovenian journalists and the
Football Association of Slovenia The Football Association of Slovenia ( sl, Nogometna zveza Slovenije or NZS) is the governing body of football in Slovenia. It organizes the Slovenian PrvaLiga, first division (1. SNL), Slovenian Second League, second division (2. SNL), Slovenian ...
tried to choose a nickname for the team, but the process failed to gain the support of fans. In 2010, the Slovenian web portal
Siol Siol.net is a Slovenian web media and the oldest news portal in Slovenia. It is owned and managed by TSmedia company that is itself owned by the Telekom Slovenije. The main contents cover daily politics, news, sports, technology, lifestyle, and mo ...
organized a fan vote and the nickname "Kekci", a reference to the Slovenian fictional child character Kekec and the then national team manager
Matjaž Kek Matjaž Kek (born 9 September 1961) is a Slovenian professional football manager and former player who is the manager of the Slovenia national team. Playing career Kek started his career at his home club NK Maribor, before moving to another Mar ...
, finished in first place. However, the nickname was never officially adopted by the Football Association of Slovenia. "Kekci" is still occasionally used by the Slovenian media when referring to the national team. During the 2010 World Cup, some foreign media articles used the nickname "Zmajčeki" ( en, Little Dragons) when referring to the Slovenian national team, however, this was the old nickname of Slovenian club
NK Olimpija Ljubljana Nogometni klub Olimpija Ljubljana (; en, Olimpija Ljubljana Football Club), commonly referred to as Olimpija Ljubljana or simply Olimpija, is a professional football club, based in the city of Ljubljana, Slovenia. The club competes in the Slo ...
when they competed in the Yugoslav football system. Because Olimpija had a long tradition in the former
Yugoslav First League The Yugoslav First Federal Football League ( Serbian: Прва савезна лига у фудбалу / ''Prva savezna liga u fudbalu'', hr, Prva savezna liga u nogometu, sl, Prva zvezna nogometna liga, mk, Прва сојузна лига, ...
, football fans and the media in the countries of the former Yugoslavia still use this nickname today when referring to the Slovenian team. The 1998–2002 generation, managed by Srečko Katanec, is still referred to as the 'golden generation'. In 2002, Slovenia received an official mascot for its appearance at the
2002 FIFA World Cup The 2002 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Korea Japan 2002, was the 17th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial Association football, football world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams organized by ...
. The mascot, called Trigi, is based on a round shape representing the Earth or a ball, with the Triglav mountain symbol on its head in a green, white and blue colour combination.


Kits and colours

Until 1993, Slovenia played its matches in white, blue and red, which are the traditional colours of the country. In 1993, the board of the Football Association of Slovenia decided to change the main colours to green and white, which were also the main colours of Olimpija from the capital city of
Ljubljana Ljubljana (also known by other historical names) is the capital and largest city of Slovenia. It is the country's cultural, educational, economic, political and administrative center. During antiquity, a Roman city called Emona stood in the ar ...
. In 2009, a new board of the Football Association of Slovenia immediately opted for a change of the colours. In December 2009, the board voted to change the jersey colours to white for home matches and blue for away matches. The new colours came into effect in April 2012, when
Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...
unveiled the new home kits. The strip was all-white with a blue and green trim. The new away kit, introduced a few months earlier, was all-blue with a green and white trim. In 2016, the all-green version returned as an away kit, while the light blue kit became the new home kit. In 2022, the new Slovenian kits were selected through an online fan vote for the first time. The home colours were again changed to all-white and the away colours to all-blue, with a black pattern in the middle of the jersey on both kits. At the FIFA World Cup tournaments in 2002 and 2010, the Slovenian kit included an abstract shape of a mountain, which represented a stylized depiction of Triglav, the highest mountain in the country. Since 2010, the depiction of Triglav has been used on each new kit set.


Kit suppliers

Since 2007, the kit provider of the national team is Nike. Previously, the kit providers were Puma,
Adidas Adidas AG (; stylized as adidas since 1949) is a German multinational corporation, founded and headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, that designs and manufactures shoes, clothing and accessories. It is the largest sportswear manufactur ...
,
Uhlsport Uhlsport GmbH is a German sporting goods manufacturer. Originally established in 1948 as "Haase & Uhl OHG" and later renamed "Karl Uhl GmbH", the company became "uhlsport GmbH" in 1994. It is an international company which has its permanent headq ...
, and
Kappa Kappa (uppercase Κ, lowercase κ or cursive ; el, κάππα, ''káppa'') is the 10th letter of the Greek alphabet, representing the voiceless velar plosive sound in Ancient and Modern Greek. In the system of Greek numerals, has a value o ...
.


Home stadium

A total of ten venues in eight cities have hosted Slovenia's home matches. The Football Association of Slovenia lists four of them, in
Celje ) , pushpin_map = Slovenia , pushpin_label_position = left , pushpin_map_caption = Location of the city of Celje in Slovenia , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Cou ...
,
Koper Koper (; it, Capodistria, hr, Kopar) is the fifth largest city in Slovenia. Located in the Istrian region in the southwestern part of the country, approximately five kilometres () south of the border with Italy and 20 kilometres () from Triest ...
, Ljubljana and
Maribor Maribor ( , , , ; also known by other #Name, historical names) is the second-largest city in Slovenia and the largest city of the traditional region of Styria (Slovenia), Lower Styria. It is also the seat of the City Municipality of Maribor, th ...
, as the national team's home stadium. Since 2010, most matches have been played in Ljubljana at the
Stožice Stadium Stožice Stadium ( sl, Stadion Stožice) is a multi-purpose stadium located in Ljubljana, Slovenia. It was designed by Slovenian Sadar + Vuga architects and is the biggest football stadium in the country. It is one of two main stadiu ...
, with a seating capacity of 16,038. The final training sessions and physical preparation of the team before domestic matches are held at the National Football Centre Brdo in
Predoslje Predoslje (; german: Predassel''Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru,'' vol. 6: ''Kranjsko''. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, p. 56.) is a village in the Municipality of Kranj in the Upper Carniola re ...
. The first home stadium of Slovenia was the
Bežigrad Stadium Bežigrad Stadium ( sl, Bežigrajski stadion, stadion Bežigrad, stadion za Bežigradom), also known as Bežigrad Central Stadium ( sl, Centralni stadion Bežigrad), is a multi-purpose stadium in Ljubljana, Slovenia. It is the oldest stadium in ...
, located in the
Bežigrad District The Bežigrad District ( sl, Četrtna skupnost Bežigrad), or simply Bežigrad (), is a district () of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It encompasses the northern part of Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, between the southern rail line to th ...
in Ljubljana. It was the main stadium of the national team until 2004, when
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 ...
banned it due to insufficient infrastructure. In the same year, the newly built Arena Petrol in Celje became the new main venue of the team for the next three years. For the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, Slovenia moved to the recently renovated Ljudski vrt stadium in Maribor, where the team remained undefeated in their six home matches during the qualifying campaign (five wins and a draw), consequently qualifying for the main tournament. Stožice were built in 2010, and since then the venue has hosted most of the national team's home competitive matches. During the inaugural international match at the venue in August 2010, the highest ever home attendance of the Slovenian team was achieved, as 16,135 spectators gathered for a Exhibition game#Association football, friendly match between Slovenia and Australia national soccer team, Australia. Other venues where Slovenia played at least one home match are the Bonifika Stadium in Koper, Fazanerija City Stadium in Murska Sobota, Domžale Sports Park in Domžale, Nova Gorica Sports Park in Nova Gorica, Stanko Mlakar Stadium in Kranj, and ŽŠD Ljubljana Stadium in Ljubljana.


Rivalries

Slovenia's main football rivals are its neighbours
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 ...
. The matchup between the two sides is known as the Neighbourhood derby ( sl, Sosedski derbi). As of March 2022 they have played each other twelve times (eleven official matches and one unofficial match). One of the most notable matches between Slovenia and Croatia took place in 2003, where the two teams met in the qualifying playoffs for UEFA Euro 2004. After a 1–1 draw in the first match in
Zagreb Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slop ...
, Slovenia then lost 1–0 at home and failed to qualify for its third consecutive major tournament. In March 2021, Slovenia finally managed to defeat Croatia after failing to do so in the previous nine matches, as they won 1–0 at home during the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA), 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.


Results and fixtures

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.


2022


2023


Management

Since 1991, eight managers have been in charge of the national team.
Bojan Prašnikar Bojan Prašnikar (born 3 February 1953) is a Slovenian football manager and former player. Prašnikar managed the Slovenian national team three times, between 1991 and 1993, in 1998, and between 2002 and 2004. Playing career Prašnikar starte ...
, Srečko Katanec and
Matjaž Kek Matjaž Kek (born 9 September 1961) is a Slovenian professional football manager and former player who is the manager of the Slovenia national team. Playing career Kek started his career at his home club NK Maribor, before moving to another Mar ...
are the only three managers with more than one spell. Tomaž Kavčič is the manager with the shortest managerial tenure, having been in charge for only seven matches in 2018 before being sacked. He was replaced by Igor Benedejčič, who became the first manager to be appointed as a Caretaker manager, caretaker.


List of managers

'.


Players


Current squad

The following players were called up for the Exhibition game#Association football, friendly matches against
Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
and Montenegro national football team, Montenegro in November 2022. ''Caps and goals are correct as of 20 November 2022, after the match against Montenegro.''


Recent call-ups

The following players have also been selected by Slovenia in the past twelve months, but are not part of the current squad. ;Notes *INJ = Withdrew due to injury *WD = Player withdrew from the squad due to non-injury issue.


Previous squads

;FIFA World Cup squads: *2002 FIFA World Cup squads#Slovenia, 2002 FIFA World Cup squad *2010 FIFA World Cup squads#Slovenia, 2010 FIFA World Cup squad ;UEFA European Football Championship squads: *UEFA Euro 2000 squads#Slovenia, UEFA Euro 2000 squad


Records


Individual records

As of 20 November 2022, 220 players have made at least one appearance for the Slovenian national team. With 101 caps,
Boštjan Cesar Boštjan Cesar (born 9 July 1982) is a Slovenian former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. Cesar played in Slovenia, Croatia, France, England and Italy. With 101 international appearances, he is Slovenia's most capped player of ...
has the most appearances for Slovenia. Cesar also started the most matches as Captain (association football), captain (39) and had the longest career as a Slovenian international footballer: 15 years, 1 month and 15 days.
Zlatko Zahovič Zlatko Zahovič (; born 1 February 1971) is a Slovenian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. After making a name for himself in Europe in Portugal, most notably with Porto and Benfica where he amassed Primeira ...
is the highest-scoring Slovenia player with 35 goals. Sašo Udovič scored the most goals in a single match, scoring five against
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 ...
in 1996. :''Players in bold are still active with Slovenia.''


Team records

*Biggest victory: 7–0 vs.
Oman Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of t ...
, 8 February 1999 *Heaviest defeat: 0–5 vs.
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 ...
, 12 October 2002 *Most consecutive victories: 4 **From 5 June 1999 against Latvia national football team, Latvia to 4 September 1999 against Georgia national football team, Georgia **From 18 November 2009 against
Russia 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 ...
to 13 June 2010 against
Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...
**From 6 September 2020 against
Moldova Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The List of states ...
to 14 October 2020 against Moldova *Most consecutive matches without defeat: 9, from 3 September 2020 against
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 ...
to 24 March 2021 against
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 ...
*Most consecutive defeats: 4 (achieved on five occasions, most recently in 2014) *Most consecutive matches without victory: 9, from 6 September 2018 against
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 ...
to 7 June 2019 against
Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
*Most consecutive matches without scoring: 4 **From 13 October 2004 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 t ...
to 26 March 2005 against Germany national football team, Germany **From 5 March 2014 against Algeria to 8 September 2014 against
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 ...
*Most consecutive matches without conceding a goal: 6, from 3 September 2020 against Greece to 11 November 2020 against Azerbaijan national football team, Azerbaijan


Competitive record


FIFA World Cup


UEFA European Championship


UEFA Nations League


Head-to-head record

The following table shows Slovenia's all-time international record, correct as of 20 November 2022 after the match against Montenegro national football team, Montenegro.


Honours


Minor tournaments

* Malta (Rothmans) International Tournament, Rothmans International Tournament :: Winners: 1994 :: Runners-up: 1996 Rothmans International Tournament, 1996 * Cyprus International Football Tournaments, Cyprus International Tournament :: Runners-up: 1998, 2006 * Oman International Tournament :: Runners-up: 1999, 2000 * Lunar New Year Cup, Carlsberg Cup :: Third place: 2002 Lunar New Year Cup, 2002


Other awards

* FIFA World Rankings#Best Mover of the Year, Best Mover of the Year: 1999


See also

*Slovenia national football B team *Slovenia national under-21 football team *Slovenia national under-19 football team *Slovenia national under-17 football team *Sport in Slovenia


References


External links

*
FIFA team profileUEFA team profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Slovenia National Football Team Slovenia national football team, European national association football teams Football in Slovenia