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Serbia national football team

April 16, 2023

This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Serbia women's national football team.

The Serbia national football team (Serbian: Фудбалска репрезентација Србије, romanized: Fudbalska reprezentacija Srbije) represents Serbia in men's international football competition. It is controlled by the Football Association of Serbia, the governing body for football in Serbia.

Serbia
Nickname(s)Орлови / Оrlovi (Eagles)
AssociationFudbalski savez Srbije (FSS)
ConfederationUEFA (Europe)
Head coachDragan Stojković
CaptainDušan Tadić
Most capsBranislav Ivanović (105)
Top scorerAleksandar Mitrović (52)
Home stadiumVarious
FIFA codeSRB
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 25 4 (6 April 2023)[1]
Highest6 (December 1998)
Lowest101 (December 1994)
First international
 Czechoslovakia 7–0 Kingdom of SCS 
(Antwerp, Belgium; 28 August 1920)
as Serbia
unofficial
FS Serbia 2–1 FS Montenegro
(Belgrade, Yugoslavia; 3 September 1945)
official
 Czech Republic 1–3 Serbia 
(Uherské Hradiště, Czech Republic; 16 August 2006)
Biggest win
 Yugoslavia 10–0 Venezuela 
(Curitiba, Brazil; 14 June 1972)
as Serbia
 Azerbaijan 1–6 Serbia 
(Baku, Azerbaijan; 17 October 2007)
 Serbia 6–1 Bulgaria 
(Belgrade, Serbia; 19 November 2008)
 Serbia 5–0 Romania 
(Belgrade, Serbia; 10 October 2009)
 Serbia 6–1 Wales 
(Novi Sad, Serbia; 11 September 2012)
 Serbia 5–0 Russia 
(Belgrade, Serbia; 18 November 2020)
Biggest defeat
 Czechoslovakia 7–0 Kingdom of SCS 
(Antwerp, Belgium; 28 August 1920)
 Uruguay 7–0 Kingdom of SCS 
(Paris, France; 26 May 1924)
 Czechoslovakia 7–0 Kingdom of SCS 
(Prague, Czechoslovakia; 28 October 1925)
as Serbia
 Ukraine 5–0 Serbia 
(Lviv, Ukraine 7 June 2019)
World Cup
Appearances13 (first in 1930)
Best resultFourth place (1930, 1962)
European Championship
Appearances5 (first in 1960)
Best resultRunners-up (1960, 1968)
Medal record

After the breakup of SFR Yugoslavia and its football team in 1992 Serbia was represented (alongside Montenegro) within the new FR Yugoslavia national football team. Despite qualifying for Euro 92 the team was banned from participating in the tournament due to international sanctions, with the ruling also enforced for World Cup 94 and Euro 96 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, reaching the round of 16, and the quarter-finals at Euro 2000. The team played in the 2006, 2010, 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup tournaments, but failed to progress past the group stage on each occasion.[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]

Between February 2003 and June 2006 Serbia participated as Serbia and Montenegro due to the countries name change. Following a 2006 referendum Montenegro declared its independence, leading to separate football federations which resulted in the teams final renaming and establishment as the Serbia national football team.[11][12][13][14][15][16] Serbia is considered by FIFA and UEFA to be the official successor of both the Kingdom of Yugoslavia/SFR Yugoslavia, and FR Yugoslavia/Serbia and Montenegro national football teams.[17][18][19][20][21][22][23]

History

Serbia within Yugoslavia (1920–1992)

 
Yugoslavia at the 1930 FIFA World Cup, featured an all Serbian team following a boycott by Croat representatives.
Main article: History of the Serbia national football team
See also: Yugoslavia national football team

The Football Federation of what was then the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later Yugoslavia) was founded in Zagreb in 1919 under the name Jugoslavenski nogometni savez (Yugoslavian Football Association). Jovan Ružić was the first Serb to represent the national team in its international debut match, a 7-0 drubbing by Czechoslovakia at the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp, Belgium.[24]

In 1921 the Belgrade Football Subassociation organized a friendly match between the France national football team and a Belgrade XI, dubbed the "Serbian representatives". The team featured footballers from SK Jugoslavija and BSK, 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 were in attendance as the visitors triumphed 3–0.[25]

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, composed largely of players from Belgrade's BSK, SK Jugoslavija and BASK, reached the semi-final, losing to hosts and eventual winners Uruguay 6–1.[26][27][28] The royal interbellum era featured footballers such as Blagoje Marjanović, Aleksandar Tirnanić, Milorad Arsenijević, Đorđe Vujadinović, Branislav Sekulić and Milutin Ivković. Due to the dismemberment of Yugoslavia during World War II the football federation and national team ceased activities but reformed following the end of hostilities.

In 1945 Svetislav Glišović led the first unofficial national team representing the Federal State of Serbia in a tournament held to mark the end of World War II.[29] 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.[30][31]

The reconstituted Yugoslavia reached the UEFA European Championship finals in 1960 and 1968, and finished fourth place at the 1962 FIFA World Cup. 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, Branko Stanković, Vladimir Beara, Vujadin Boškov, Todor Veselinović, Miloš Milutinović, Borivoje Kostić, Milan Galić, Vladimir Durković, Velibor Vasović, Dragan Džajić, Jovan Aćimović, Dušan Bajević, Vladimir Petrović 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.[32]

FR Yugoslavia/Serbia & Montenegro era (1992–2006)

While the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, consisting of Serbia and Montenegro, was formed on 27 April 1992,[33] 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.[34] 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 and in which Brazil won 2–0.[35] This was the first ever team composed of Serbian and Montenegrin players exclusively, while Slobodan Santrač, 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, resulting in a 1–0 loss to Argentina.[36]

Due to international sanctions, the team could not participate in 1994 World Cup qualifying nor the Euro 1996 qualifying process.[34][37]

1998 World Cup

As FR Yugoslavia 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.[38] In the qualifiers, Yugoslavia was drawn in Group 6 with Euro 1996 runners-up Czech Republic, Slovakia, Spain, Faroe Islands and Malta. With 23 points, Yugoslavia ended up in second place behind Spain. Yugoslavia qualified for the play-off in which they were drawn to play against Hungary. Winning 12–1 on aggregate, Yugoslavia qualified for the World Cup.[39]

The draw put the team in Group F alongside Germany, the United States, and Iran. Yugoslavia won its first game 1–0 against Iran thanks to a goal from defender Siniša Mihajlović.[40] The next game was a draw for Yugoslavia; after leading Germany 2–0, a free kick from Michael Tarnat deflected off Mihajlović and into the goal, then Oliver Bierhoff equalised it at 2–2 at the 80th minute.[41] 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.[42] 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 in the Round of 16. 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 was fouled.[43] Predrag Mijatović missed, and the scoreline remained the same at 1–1.[44] 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.[43] 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, 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, Macedonia, and Malta. Milan Živadinović was dismissed and was replaced by Vujadin Boškov.[45][46]

The team started with a 1–0 win over Ireland in Belgrade, before beating Malta 3–0 in Ta' Qali. The home fixture against the Maltese followed, but was moved to Thessaloniki, Greece due to the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia. 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.[47] A 2–1 defeat against Ireland in Dublin 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, 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 along with Spain, Norway and another former Yugoslav republic, Slovenia. 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 backheel strike. The final group game, against Spain in Bruges, saw the Yugoslavs take the lead three times, before a Gaizka Mendieta penalty and an Alfonso 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, and Slaviša Jokanović, respectively).[48] In the quarter-finals, Yugoslavia was paired with the Netherlands. The co-hosts won 6–1 in Rotterdam with Patrick Kluivert scoring a hat-trick. Despite Yugoslavia's elimination, Savo Milošević was crowned the joint top scorer of the tournament alongside Patrick Kluivert. Both players scored five goals, although Milošević played one game fewer.[49]

2002 World Cup campaign

Ilija Petković replaced Boškov as head coach in July 2000.[50] For the 2002 World Cup qualifiers, Yugoslavia was drawn in Group 1 with Russia, Slovenia, Switzerland, the Faroe Islands and Luxembourg. After winning against Luxembourg, Petković was sacked and replaced with a three-pieced team which consisted of Boškov, Dejan Savićević and Ivan Ćurković. 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.[51]

Euro 2004 campaign

Savićević was appointed as coach in July 2002.[52] For the Euro 2004 qualifiers Yugoslavia was drawn in Group 9 with Italy, Wales, Finland and Azerbaijan. 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.[53] In June, after a 2–1 loss to Azerbaijan, Savićević resigned and was replaced by Ilija Petković.[54] 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

 
Serbia and Montenegro and Ivory Coast playing at the Allianz Arena in the 2006 FIFA World Cup

Petković remained as manager for the team;[55] however, qualifying for 2006 World Cup 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, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lithuania and San Marino. 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, 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, 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. 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.[56]

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.[57] After Montenegro declared independence, Serbia marked their split from Montenegro with a 3–1 win over the Czech Republic. For the Euro 2008 qualifiers, Serbia was drawn in Group A along with Poland, Portugal, Belgium, Finland, Kazakhstan, 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.[58]

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

 
Atmosphere at the start of match vs. France, 9 September 2009

Subsequent to Ðukić's departure, Radomir Antić was appointed coach. Serbia's World Cup qualification campaign began in 2008. Their qualification group featured 1998 World Cup winners and 2006 World Cup runners-up France, Romania, as well as 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).[60] They were to face Ghana, Germany and 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 in the first half. FIFA's official YouTube channel called the win "the most famous day in Serbia's footballing history".[61]

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 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 to the job.

For the Euro 2012 qualifying, Serbia was drawn in Group C featuring Italy, Slovenia, Estonia, 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.[62] New coach Petrović faced setbacks with a 3–1 loss at home to Estonia[63] and an abandoned match resulting in a 3–0 loss to Italy due to crowd trouble from the Serbian away supporters in Genoa.[64]

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.[65] In the second half, Nemanja Vidić missed penalty.[65] 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 European Championships.[65] Vladimir Petrović was sacked after the team's failure to qualify.

2014 World Cup campaign

Ahead of the qualifying campaign for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Dejan Stanković and Nemanja Vidić announced that they were retiring from international football.[66][67] 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 Group A in qualification for the 2014 World Cup, together with Croatia, Belgium, 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 their rivalry both on and off the pitch. Croatia won 2–0.[68] 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.[69] They then defeated Wales 3–0 in Cardiff. Dejan Stanković's farewell game was completed in a friendly against 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,[70] 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.[71] Serbia was drawn in Group I in qualification for UEFA Euro 2016, together with Portugal, Denmark, 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 a 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.[72] 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.[72] On 14 November 2014, Serbia played against Denmark in Belgrade and lost, 1–3. After this game, Advocaat left,[73] whereupon Radovan Ćurčić was announced as a new coach on 25 November.[74]

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

 
Serbia team at the 2018 World Cup in Russia

After failing to qualify for Euro 2016, Slavoljub Muslin was appointed as a coach. Serbia was drawn in Group D in qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup with Euro 2016 semi-finalists Wales, Austria, Ireland, Georgia and 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 Group D and therefore qualified for the 2018 tournament. Despite Serbia's qualification, Muslin was sacked by the Football Association of Serbia as a result on differences regarding team selection.[75] 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.[76]

In the World Cup, Serbia opened their match against 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[77] and 0–2 to Brazil, thus being eliminated in the group stage.[78]

2018–19 UEFA Nations League

Due to performance of Serbia in previous years, the country found itself started the campaign of the inaugural Nations League, where they were drawn into 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 Euro 2020 play-off spot and being promoted into League B for 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.[79] 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 Group B with Euro 2016 champions Portugal, 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 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.[80] The game was won by Scotland in a penalty shootout (5–4) after the game was tied 1–1 after full time.[81] 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.[82]

2022 World Cup

Serbia was drawn in Group A in qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup with Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Luxembourg and Azerbaijan.[83]

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 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 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.[84]

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 Group 4 alongside Norway, Sweden and Slovenia, finishing first and being promoted after wins against Sweden at home and Norway in Oslo.

Rivalries

Team image

The badge of the Football Association of Serbia is modelled on the Serbian cross inescutcheon featured on the 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: Орлови) in reference to the white double-headed eagle, a national symbol of Serbia.[89][90][91][92][93] In 2022 the Football Association of Serbia launched a new, national team specific emblem for brand and marketing purposes. The previous FA crest was replaced by a stylised logo inspired by the lesser coat of arms of the Republic of Serbia.[94]

 
Serbia team before a friendly match versus Ireland in Dublin in May 2008

For years following the breakup of 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 Communist era national anthem "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 Yugoslav tricolour.[95][92][96]

Following the secession of Montenegro in 2006 the national team adopted red shirts, blue shorts and white socks in honor of the 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.[97][98]

 
The 53,000 capacity Rajko Mitić Stadium is the largest in Serbia, and is often utilised for international fixtures.

Serbia does not have an official national stadium and the team has played at grounds throughout the country. The Rajko Mitić Stadium is the most popular venue following by Partizan Stadium, both ground are located in the capital city Belgrade.[99][100][101]

Kit sponsorship

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Serbia national football team kits.

In July 2014, a partnership was announced between the Football Association of Serbia and English manufacturer Umbro which is Serbia's official supplier before Puma took over with their home and away kits, debuting 7 September 2014 in the friendly match against France. On 7 September 2014, Serbia unveiled their latest kits also worn at the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifiers campaign.[102]

Kit Supplier Period
  Adidas 1974–2002
  Lotto 2002–2006
  Nike 2006–2014
  Umbro 2014–2018
  Puma 2018–present

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

2 June 2022 2022–23 UEFA Nations League Serbia   0–1   Norway Belgrade, Serbia
20:45 Report
  • Haaland   26'
 Stadium: Rajko Mitić Stadium
Attendance: 9,726
Referee: Paweł Raczkowski (Poland)
5 June 2022 2022–23 UEFA Nations League Serbia   4–1   Slovenia Belgrade, Serbia
20:45
Report
Stadium: Rajko Mitić Stadium
Attendance: 10,925
Referee: Jesús Gil Manzano (Spain)
9 June 2022 2022–23 UEFA Nations League Sweden   0–1   Serbia Solna, Sweden
20:45 Report
Stadium: Friends Arena
Attendance: 24,123
Referee: Lawrence Visser (Belgium)
12 June 2022 2022–23 UEFA Nations League Slovenia   2–2   Serbia Ljubljana, Slovenia
20:45
Report
Stadium: Stožice Stadium
Attendance: 13,782
Referee: Maurizio Mariani (Italy)
24 September 2022 2022–23 UEFA Nations League Serbia   4–1   Sweden Belgrade, Serbia
20:45
Report
Stadium: Rajko Mitić Stadium
Attendance: 14,122
Referee: Georgi Kabakov (Bulgaria)
27 September 2022 2022–23 UEFA Nations League Norway   0–2   Serbia Oslo, Norway
20:45 Report
Stadium: Ullevaal Stadion
Attendance: 24,364
Referee: Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Spain)
18 November 2022 International friendly Bahrain   1–5   Serbia Arad, Bahrain
 Report
Stadium: Al Muharraq Stadium
Referee: Khalid Alturais (Saudi Arabia)
24 November 2022 2022 FIFA World Cup Brazil   2–0   Serbia Lusail, Qatar
20:00
Report Stadium: Lusail Iconic Stadium
Attendance: 88,103
Referee: Alireza Faghani (Iran)
28 November 2022 2022 FIFA World Cup Cameroon   3–3   Serbia Al Wakrah, Qatar
11:00
Report
Stadium: Al Janoub Stadium
Attendance: 39,789
Referee: Mohammed Abdulla Hassan Mohamed (United Arab Emirates)
2 December 2022 2022 FIFA World Cup Serbia   2–3   Switzerland Doha, Qatar
20:00
Report
Stadium: Stadium 974
Attendance: 41,378
Referee: Fernando Rapallini (Argentina)

2023

26 January 2023 International friendly United States   1–2   Serbia Los Angeles, United States
04:00
Report
Stadium: BMO Stadium
Attendance: 11,475
Referee: Daneon Parchment (Jamaica)
24 March 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Serbia   2–0   Lithuania Belgrade, Serbia
20:45
Report Stadium: Rajko Mitić Stadium
Attendance: 21,125
Referee: Lawrence Visser (Belgium)
27 March 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Montenegro   0–2   Serbia Podgorica, Montenegro
20:45 Report
Stadium: Podgorica City Stadium
Attendance: 9,831
Referee: Clément Turpin (France)
20 June 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Bulgaria   v   Serbia Razgrad, Bulgaria
20:45 Report Stadium: Huvepharma Arena
7 September 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Serbia   v   Hungary Serbia
20:45 Report
10 September 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Lithuania   v   Serbia Lithuania
20:45 Report
14 October 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Hungary   v   Serbia Budapest, Hungary
20:45 Report Stadium: Puskás Aréna
17 October 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Serbia   v   Montenegro Serbia
20:45 Report
19 November 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Serbia   v   Bulgaria Serbia
15:00 Report

Coaching staff

As of 3 March 2021
Serbian coaching staff[103]
Position Name
Manager   Dragan Stojković
Assistant coach   Goran Đorović
Coach   Bratislav Živković
Coach   Ljubinko Drulović
Goalkeeping coach   Goran Čumić
Fitness coach   Katsuhito Kinoshi
Coach-analyst   Nebojša Stamenković
Team manager   Nemanja Filipović
Athletic director   Stevan Stojanović

Manager history

As of 27 March 2023
Manager Period Record Major competitions
Matches Won Drawn Lost Win % Draw % Loss %
  Dragan Stojković 2021– 27 17 5 5 62.96 18.52 18.52   2022 World Cup – Group stage
  Ilija Stolica (caretaker) 2021 2 0 2 0 0.00 100.00 0.00 —
  Ljubiša Tumbaković 2019–2020 14 6 5 3 42.86 35.71 21.43   Euro 2020 – Failed to qualify
  Mladen Krstajić 2017–2019 19 9 5 5 47.36 26.32 26.32   2018 World Cup – Group stage
  Slavoljub Muslin 2016–2017 15 8 5 2 53.33 33.33 13.33
  Radovan Ćurčić 2014–2016 11 5 0 6 45.45 0.00 55.55   Euro 2016 – Failed to qualify
  Dick Advocaat 2014 4 0 2 2 0.00 50.00 50.00
  Ljubinko Drulović (caretaker) 2014 4 2 1 1 50.00 25.00 25.00 —
  Siniša Mihajlović 2012–2013 19 7 4 8 36.84 21.05 42.10   2014 World Cup – Failed to qualify
  Radovan Ćurčić (caretaker) 2011–2012 5 2 1 2 40.00 20.00 40.00 —
  Vladimir Petrović 2010–2011 13 5 3 5 38.46 23.08 38.46   Euro 2012 – Failed to qualify
  Radomir Antić 2008–2010 28 17 3 8 60.71 10.71 28.57   2010 World Cup – Group stage
  Miroslav Đukić 2007–2008 5 0 2 3 0.00 40.00 60.00 —
  Javier Clemente 2006–2007 16 7 7 2 43.75 43.75 12.50   Euro 2008 – Failed to qualify
  Ilija Petković 2003–2006 30 11 10 9 36.66 33.33 30.00   2006 World Cup – Group stage
  Dejan Savićević 2001–2003 17 4 3 10 23.53 17.65 58.82   Euro 2004 – Failed to qualify
  Boškov-Ćurković-Savićević 2001 8 4 2 2 50.00 25.00 25.00   2002 World Cup – Failed to qualify
  Milovan Đorić 2001 3 0 2 1 0.00 66.67 33.33
  Ilija Petković 2000–2001 4 2 1 1 50.00 25.00 25.00 —
  Vujadin Boškov 1999–2000 15 6 5 4 40.00 33.33 26.67   Euro 2000 – Quarter final
  Milan Živadinović 1998–1999 6 3 2 1 50.00 33.33 16.67 —
  Slobodan Santrač 1994–1998 43 26 10 7 60.46 23.25 16.28   1998 World Cup – Round of 16
  TOTAL 308 141 80 87 45.78 25.97 28.25 6 out of 13

For the period before 1992 see: Yugoslavia national football team#Head coaches

Players

Current squad

The following players are on a preliminary list for a UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying games against Lithuania and Montenegro on 24 and 27 March 2023.[104][105]

Caps and goals as of 27 March 2023, after the match against Montenegro.[106][107]

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Predrag Rajković (1995-10-31) 31 October 1995 (age 27) 28 0   Mallorca
23 1GK Vanja Milinković-Savić (1997-02-20) 20 February 1997 (age 26) 12 0   Torino
12 1GK Dragan Rosić (1996-11-15) 15 November 1996 (age 26) 1 0   Radnički Niš
4 2DF Nikola Milenković (1997-10-12) 12 October 1997 (age 25) 43 3   Fiorentina
2 2DF Strahinja Pavlović (2001-05-24) 24 May 2001 (age 21) 27 2   Red Bull Salzburg
3 2DF Filip Mladenović (1991-08-15) 15 August 1991 (age 31) 22 1   Legia Warsaw
5 2DF Strahinja Eraković (2001-01-22) 22 January 2001 (age 22) 4 0   Red Star Belgrade
15 2DF Erhan Mašović (1998-11-22) 22 November 1998 (age 24) 2 0   VfL Bochum
13 2DF Nemanja Stojić (1998-01-15) 15 January 1998 (age 25) 1 0   TSC Bačka Topola
10 3MF Dušan Tadić (captain) (1988-11-20) 20 November 1988 (age 34) 96 21   Ajax
8 3MF Nemanja Gudelj (1991-11-16) 16 November 1991 (age 31) 53 1   Sevilla
20 3MF Sergej Milinković-Savić (1995-02-27) 27 February 1995 (age 28) 41 7   Lazio
21 3MF Filip Đuričić (1992-01-30) 30 January 1992 (age 31) 40 5   Sampdoria
7 3MF Nemanja Radonjić (1996-02-15) 15 February 1996 (age 27) 39 5   Torino
22 3MF Saša Lukić (1996-08-13) 13 August 1996 (age 26) 37 2   Fulham
14 3MF Andrija Živković (1996-07-11) 11 July 1996 (age 26) 34 1   PAOK
16 3MF Marko Grujić (1996-04-13) 13 April 1996 (age 27) 21 0   Porto
19 3MF Uroš Račić (1998-03-17) 17 March 1998 (age 25) 10 0   Braga
6 3MF Ivan Ilić (2001-03-17) 17 March 2001 (age 22) 9 0   Torino
17 3MF Lazar Samardžić (2002-02-24) 24 February 2002 (age 21) 1 0   Udinese
9 4FW Aleksandar Mitrović (vice-captain) (1994-09-16) 16 September 1994 (age 28) 81 52   Fulham
18 4FW Dušan Vlahović (2000-01-28) 28 January 2000 (age 23) 21 13   Juventus
11 4FW Dejan Joveljić (1999-08-07) 7 August 1999 (age 23) 4 0   LA Galaxy

Recent call-ups

The following players have also been called up for the team in the last twelve months.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Marko Dmitrović (1992-01-24) 24 January 1992 (age 31) 19 0   Sevilla v.   Lithuania, 24 March 2023RET
GK Vladan Kovačević (1998-04-11) 11 April 1998 (age 25) 0 0   Raków Częstochowa v.   Lithuania, 24 March 2023PRE
GK Đorđe Petrović (1999-10-08) 8 October 1999 (age 23) 2 0   New England Revolution v.   United States, 25 January 2023
GK Marko Ilić (1998-02-03) 3 February 1998 (age 25) 1 0   Colorado Rapids v.   Norway, 27 September 2022
GK Mile Svilar (1999-08-27) 27 August 1999 (age 23) 1 0   Roma v.   Norway, 12 June 2022
DF Miloš Veljković (1995-09-26) 26 September 1995 (age 27) 24 0   Werder Bremen v.   Lithuania, 24 March 2023PRE
DF Mihailo Ristić (1995-10-31) 31 October 1995 (age 27) 9 0   Benfica v.   Lithuania, 24 March 2023PRE
DF Srđan Babić (1996-04-22) 22 April 1996 (age 26) 3 0   Almería v.   Lithuania, 24 March 2023PRE
DF Ranko Veselinović (1999-03-24) 24 March 1999 (age 24) 2 0   Vancouver Whitecaps FC v.   United States, 25 January 2023
DF Nemanja Petrović (1992-04-17) 17 April 1992 (age 30) 1 0   TSC Bačka Topola v.   United States, 25 January 2023
DF Marko Mijailović (1997-08-14) 14 August 1997 (age 25) 1 0   Voždovac v.   United States, 25 January 2023
DF Filip Damjanović (1998-07-02) 2 July 1998 (age 24) 1 0   Voždovac v.   United States, 25 January 2023
DF Stefan Mitrović (1990-05-22) 22 May 1990 (age 32) 36 0   Getafe v.   Switzerland, 2 December 2022
DF Matija Nastasić (1993-03-28) 28 March 1993 (age 30) 34 0   Mallorca v.   Sweden, 9 June 2022WD
DF Marko Petković (1992-09-03) 3 September 1992 (age 30) 4 0 Free agent v.   Norway, 2 June 2022PRE
MF Filip Kostić (1992-11-01) 1 November 1992 (age 30) 53 3   Juventus v.   Montenegro, 27 March 2023INJ
MF Nemanja Maksimović (1995-01-26) 26 January 1995 (age 28) 43 0   Getafe v.   Lithuania, 24 March 2023PRE
MF Darko Lazović (1990-09-15) 15 September 1990 (age 32) 27 0   Hellas Verona v.   Lithuania, 24 March 2023PRE
MF Veljko Simić (1995-02-17) 17 February 1995 (age 28) 1 1   Vojvodina v.   Lithuania, 24 March 2023PRE
MF Vladimir Lučić (2002-06-28) 28 June 2002 (age 20) 1 0   Čukarički v.   Lithuania, 24 March 2023PRE
MF Stefan Mitrović (2002-08-15) 15 August 2002 (age 20) 1 0   Red Star Belgrade v.   Lithuania, 24 March 2023PRE
MF Luka Ilić (1999-07-02) 2 July 1999 (age 23) 1 1   TSC Bačka Topola v.   United States, 25 January 2023
MF Mirko Topić (2001-02-05) 5 February 2001 (age 22) 1 0   Vojvodina v.   United States, 25 January 2023
MF Luka Bijelović (2001-04-11) 11 April 2001 (age 22) 1 0   Spartak Subotica v.   United States, 25 January 2023
MF Marko Ivezić (2001-12-02) 2 December 2001 (age 21) 1 0   Voždovac v.   United States, 25 January 2023
MF Miloš Pantović (2002-08-24) 24 August 2002 (age 20) 1 0   Voždovac v.   United States, 25 January 2023
MF Nikola Petković (2003-03-23) 23 March 2003 (age 20) 1 0   Crown Legacy v.   United States, 25 January 2023
FW Luka Jović (1997-12-23) 23 December 1997 (age 25) 30 10   Fiorentina v.   Lithuania, 24 March 2023INJ
FW Nikola Štulić (2001-09-08) 8 September 2001 (age 21) 1 0   Sporting Charleroi v.   Lithuania, 24 March 2023PRE
FW Đorđe Jovanović (1999-02-11) 11 February 1999 (age 24) 1 0   Maccabi Tel Aviv v.   Slovenia, 12 June 2022
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

Player records

As of 27 March 2023[108]
Players in bold are still active with Serbia.

Most capped players

 
Branislav Ivanović is the most capped player in the history of Serbia with 105 appearances.
Rank Player Caps Goals Pos. Career
1 Branislav Ivanović 105 13 DF 2005–2018
2 Dejan Stanković 103 15 MF 1998–2013
3 Savo Milošević 102 37 FW 1994–2008
4 Dušan Tadić 96 21 MF 2008–present
5 Aleksandar Kolarov 94 11 DF 2008–2020
6 Dragan Džajić 85 23 MF 1964–1979
7 Dragan Stojković 84 15 MF 1983–2001
Vladimir Stojković 84 0 GK 2006–2018
9 Aleksandar Mitrović 81 52 FW 2013–present
10 Zoran Tošić 76 11 MF 2007–2016

Top goalscorers

 
Aleksandar Mitrović is the top scorer in the history of Serbia with 52 goals.
Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Aleksandar Mitrović 52 81 0.64 2013–present
2 Stjepan Bobek 38 63 0.60 1946–1956
3 Milan Galić 37 51 0.73 1959–1965
Blagoje Marjanović 37 58 0.64 1926–1938
Savo Milošević 37 102 0.36 1994–2008
6 Rajko Mitić 32 59 0.54 1946–1957
7 Dušan Bajević 29 37 0.78 1970–1977
8 Todor Veselinović 28 37 0.76 1953–1961
9 Predrag Mijatović 27 73 0.37 1989–2003
10 Borivoje Kostić 26 33 0.79 1956–1964

Captains (since 1994)

Notable players

For notable players of Yugoslavia, see Yugoslavia national football team § Notable_players.
Goalkeepers
Defenders
Midfielders
Forwards

Competition records

Serbia was part of Yugoslavia and its national football team which existed between 1920 and 1992. With the collapse of Yugoslavia, the remaining constituent republics, Serbia and Montenegro, formed the 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 consider the Football Association of Serbia a direct successor to the Football Association of Yugoslavia, thereby attributing all records to Serbia.[109]

FIFA World Cup

Main article: Serbia at the FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
as   Yugoslavia
  1930 Fourth place 4th 3 2 0 1 7 7 Invited
  1934 Did not qualify 2 0 1 1 3 4
  1938 2 1 0 1 1 4
  1950 Group stage 5th 3 2 0 1 7 3 5 3 2 0 16 6
  1954 Quarter-finals 7th 3 1 1 1 2 3 4 4 0 0 4 0
  1958 Quarter-finals 5th 4 1 2 1 7 7 4 2 2 0 7 2
  1962 Fourth place 4th 6 3 0 3 10 7 4 3 1 0 11 4
  1966 Did not qualify 6 3 1 2 10 8
  1970 6 3 1 2 19 7
  1974 Second group stage 7th 6 1 2 3 12 7 5 3 2 0 8 4
  1978 Did not qualify 4 1 0 3 6 8
  1982 Group stage 16th 3 1 1 1 2 2 8 6 1 1 22 7
  1986 Did not qualify 8 3 2 3 7 8
  1990 Quarter-finals 5th 5 3 1 1 8 6 8 6 2 0 16 6
as   FR Yugoslavia / Serbia and Montenegro
  1994 Suspended[note 1] 0 0 0 0 0 0
  1998 Round of 16 10th 4 2 1 1 5 4 12 9 2 1 41 8
   2002 Did not qualify 10 5 4 1 22 8
  2006 Group stage 32nd 3 0 0 3 2 10 10 6 4 0 16 1
as   Serbia
  2010 Group stage 23rd 3 1 0 2 2 3 10 7 1 2 22 8
  2014 Did not qualify 10 4 2 4 18 11
  2018 Group stage 23rd 3 1 0 2 2 4 10 6 3 1 20 10
  2022 Group stage 29th 3 0 1 2 5 8 8 6 2 0 18 9
    2026 To be determined Future event
Total Fourth place 13/22 49 18 9 22 71 71 136 81 33 22 287 123

UEFA European Championship

Main article: Serbia at the UEFA European Championship
UEFA European Championship record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
as   Yugoslavia
  1960 Runners-up 2nd 2 1 0 1 6 6 4 2 1 1 9 4
  1964 Did not qualify 4 2 1 1 6 5
  1968 Runners-up 2nd 3 1 1 1 2 3 6 4 1 1 14 5
  1972 Did not qualify 8 3 4 1 7 5
  1976 Fourth place 4th 2 0 0 2 4 7 8 6 1 1 15 5
  1980 Did not qualify 6 4 0 2 14 6
  1984 Group stage 8th 3 0 0 3 2 10 6 3 2 1 12 11
  1988 Did not qualify 6 4 0 2 13 9
  1992 Qualified, but suspended 8 7 0 1 24 4
as   FR Yugoslavia / Serbia and Montenegro
  1996 Suspended Suspended
    2000 Quarter-finals 8th 4 1 1 2 8 13 8 5 2 1 18 8
  2004 Did not qualify 8 3 3 2 11 11
as   Serbia
    2008 Did not qualify 14 6 6 2 22 11
    2012 10 4 3 3 13 12
  2016 8 2 1 5 8 13
  2020 10 5 3 2 20 19
  2024 To be determined Future event
Total Runners-up 5/16 14 3 2 9 22 39 114 60 28 26 206 128