The Soviet national lads football team was the under-18
football team of the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
. For world competitions it was reorganized into
under-20 team. It ceased to exist on the
breakup of the Union.
It was the oldest existing junior national football team until 1972 with introduction of the
national under-23 team. Following the realignment of
UEFA
Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; french: Union des associations européennes de football; german: Union der europäischen Fußballverbände) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs f ...
's youth competitions in 1962, the USSR Under-18 team was formed. The competition has been held since 1948. It was originally called the FIFA junior tournament, until it was taken over by UEFA in 1955 (UEFA Junior Tournament).
In 1980, UEFA competitions for under-18 teams were officially restyled as the European Under 18 Football Championship. The team had a good record, winning the competition sixth times, reaching the final once, but failing to qualify for the last five on 26 occasions.
After the dissolution of the USSR (on December 26, 1991), the senior team played out its remaining fixtures, which were the finals of
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 ...
. Because the USSR U-18s had, by December 26, already failed to qualify for their version of the
1992 European Championship, the former Soviet states didn't play as a combined team at U-19 level ever again.
Of the former Soviet states, only Russia was admitted for the
1992–1993 competition.
UEFA Junior Tournament Record
* 1957: Did not enter.
* 1958: Did not enter.
* 1959: Did not enter.
* 1960: Did not enter.
* 1961: Did not enter.
* 1962: Group stage.
* 1963: Group stage.
* 1964: Did not enter.
* 1965: Did not enter.
* 1966: Winners (title shared).
* 1967: Winners.
* 1968: Group stage.
* 1969: 3rd place.
* 1970: Group stage.
* 1971: 4th place.
* 1972: Group stage.
* 1973: Group stage.
* 1974: Did not qualify.
* 1975: Group stage.
* 1976: Winners.
* 1977: 3rd place.
* 1978: Winners.
* 1979: Did not qualify.
* 1980: Did not qualify.
UEFA U-18 Championship Record
* 1981: Did not qualify.
* 1982: 3rd place.
* 1983: Group stage.
* 1984: Runners-up.
* 1986: Did not qualify. Finished 3rd of 4 in qualification group.
* 1988: Winners.
* 1990: Winners.
* 1992: Losing quarter-finalists as
CIS.
See also
*
Soviet Union national football team
The Soviet Union national football team ( rus, сбо́рная СССР по футбо́лу, r=sbórnaya SSSR po futbólu) was the national football team of the former Soviet Union.
After the breakup of the Union the team was transformed i ...
*
Soviet Union national under-20 football team
The Soviet national youth football team was a special under-18 and under-20 football team of the Soviet Union designated specifically for FIFA World Youth Championship (today FIFA U-20 World Cup). It ceased to exist on the breakup of the Union.
T ...
*
Soviet Union national under-16 football team
The Soviet national junior football team was the under-16 (continental competitions) and under-17 (world competitions) football team of the Soviet Union. It ceased to exist as a result of the breakup of the Union.
Following the realignment of UE ...
*
UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship
The UEFA European Under-19 Championship, or simply UEFA Under-19 Championship or the UEFA Euro U-19, is an annual football competition contested by the European men's under-19 national teams of the member associations of UEFA.
Spain and En ...
External links
UEFA Under-19 websiteContains full results archive
Contains full record of U-19/U-18 Championships.
{{National sports teams of the Soviet Union
1962 establishments in the Soviet Union
1991 disestablishments in the Soviet Union
European national under-18 association football teams
Soviet Union national football team
Youth football in the Soviet Union