Lithuania national football team explained

Lithuania
Nickname:Nacionalinė komanda (National team)
Badge:Badge_of_Lithuania_national_football_teams.png
Badge Size:130px
Association:Lithuanian Football Federation
(LFF)
Confederation:UEFA (Europe)
Coach:Edgaras Jankauskas
Captain:Fedor Černych
Most Caps:Saulius Mikoliūnas (101)
Top Scorer:Tomas Danilevičius (19)
Home Stadium:Darius and Girėnas Stadium
Fifa Trigramme:LTU
Fifa Max:37
Fifa Max Date:October 2008
Fifa Min:149
Fifa Min Date:December 2017
Elo Max:47
Elo Max Date:10 September 2009
Elo Min:150
Elo Min Date:27 May 1990, 18 December 2022
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First Game: 0–5
(Kaunas, Lithuania; 24 June 1923)
Largest Win: 7–0
(Riga, Latvia; 20 May 1995)
Largest Loss: 10–0
(Paris, France; 27 May 1924)
Regional Name:Baltic Cup
Regional Cup Apps:30
Regional Cup First:1928
Regional Cup Best:Champions (1930, 1935, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2005, 2010)

The Lithuania national football team (Lithuanian: Lietuvos nacionalinė futbolo rinktinė) represents Lithuania in men's international football, and is controlled by the Lithuanian Football Federation, the governing body for football in Lithuania. They played their first match in 1923. In 1940, Lithuania was occupied by the Soviet Union; the country regained its independence in 1990 and played their first match thereafter against Georgia on 27 May of that year.

Although Lithuania has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup, nor the UEFA European Championship, they have successfully participated in the regional Baltic Cup tournament, which takes place every two years between Lithuania and their Baltic rivals, Latvia and Estonia. Lithuania has won the Baltic Cup championship 10 times out of 29 appearances, and only Latvia has won it more frequently. Despite this Lithuania holds the record for winning the most consecutive Baltic Cup championships, four titles in a row from 1996 to 2000.

From 2012 until 2022, the national team played their home matches at the LFF Stadium in Vilnius.

History

On 24 June 1923, Lithuania played their first ever game, at the Lietuvos Fizinio Lavinimosi Sąjunga Stadionas, resulting in a 5–0 loss against Estonia. In 1924, Lithuania entered the 1924 Olympics in France, losing 9–0 against Switzerland on 25 May 1924. Two days later, Lithuania suffered a 10–0 loss to Egypt, a record defeat to date. During the early years of the Lithuanian national team, Lithuania regularly played Baltic neighbours Estonia and Latvia, with Lithuania's first win coming in a 2–1 away win against Estonia on 24 August 1924 in Tallinn. In 1930, Lithuania won the third edition of the Baltic Cup in Kaunas.[1] On 13 October 1940, Lithuania played their final game for just shy of 50 years, a 4–3 win against Latvia, following the first Soviet annexation of the country.[2]

Lithuania's first game following the declaration of independence in 1990 was a 2–2 draw against Georgia in Tbilisi on 27 May 1990.[3] In the 1990s, Lithuania established a respectable presence in the World Cup and European Championship qualifiers: third place in their group in both Euro 1996 and the 1998 World Cup qualifiers. In the Euro 2004 qualifiers, they were once again contenders for qualification and managed an away draw with Germany and a home win over Scotland; however, a 1–0 defeat to Scotland in the final game ended their hopes. Although finishing fifth in their 2006 World Cup qualifying group, Lithuania were nevertheless competitive.

Lithuania drew with world champions Italy 1–1 in Naples in a Euro 2008 qualifying game on 2 September 2006, in the first competitive game that Italy played since the World Cup final.

On 6 September 2008, Lithuania defeated Romania 3–0 in a 2010 World Cup qualifier. The victory was regarded by many as "a historic win."[4] It was followed by another successful 2–0 performance against Austria in Marijampolė on 10 September 2008.

Results and fixtures

See main article: Lithuania national football team results (2020–present). The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

2024

Coaching staff

Position[5] Name
Manager Edgaras Jankauskas
Assistant coach Andrius Velička
Assistant coach Vaidas Sabaliauskas
Fitness coach Georgas Freidgeimas
Goalkeeping coach Audrius Paškevičius
Analyst Rokas Pranaitis

Managers history

scope=colNamescope=colscope=colFromscope=colToscope=colGamesscope=colWonscope=colDrawnscope=colLostscope=colscope=colscope=col
scope=row 1990 1991
scope=row 1992 1994
scope=row 1995 1997
scope=row 1998 1999
scope=row (caretaker) 1999 1999
scope=row
scope=row (caretaker)
scope=row 2001 2003
scope=row 2003 2008
scope=row 2008 2009
scope=row 2010 2011
scope=row 2012 2013
scope=row 2013 2015
scope=row 2016 2018
scope=row 2019 2021
scope=row 2021 2022
scope=row (interim) 2022 2022
scope=row 2023 present

Players

Current squad

The following players were called up for the international matches in June 2024.[6]

Caps and goals correct as of 12 June 2024, after the match against .

Recent call-ups

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

Notes

Player records

[7]

Players in bold are still active with Lithuania.

Most appearances

width=30 Rankwidth=160 Playerwidth=60 Capswidth=60 Goalswidth=80 Career
1Saulius Mikoliūnas10152004–2022
2Arvydas Novikovas96122010–present
3Fedor Černych93152012–present
4Andrius Skerla8411996–2011
5Deividas Šemberas8201996–2013
6Tomas Danilevičius71191998–2012
7Žydrūnas Karčemarskas6602003–2013
8Aurelijus Skarbalius6551991–2005
Marius Stankevičius6552001–2013
Vykintas Slivka6532015–present

Top goalscorers

width=20 Rankwidth=150 Playerwidth=50 Goalswidth=50 Capswidth=50 Ratiowidth=80 Career
1Tomas Danilevičius19 711998–2012
2Fedor Černych15932012–present
3Antanas Lingis12331928–1938
Arvydas Novikovas12 962010–present
5Edgaras Jankauskas10 561991–2008
6Virginijus Baltušnikas9421990–1998
7Jaroslavas Citavičius8241926–1933
Valdas Ivanauskas8 281992–2000
Darius Maciulevičius8 381991–2005
Robertas Poškus8 481999–2011

Competitive record

FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup recordwidth=1% rowspan=28Qualification record
YearResultPosition
1930Did not enterDeclined invitation
1934Did not qualify100102
1938200239
1950 to 1990Part of the Part of the
1994Did not qualify12237821
199810523118
20028026320
20061024489
2010104061011
201410325911
20181013 6720
20228107419
2026To be determinedTo be determined
2030
2034
Total8118164763130

UEFA European Championship

UEFA European Championship recordQualifying record
YearResultPosition
1960Part of the Part of the
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996Did not qualify105141312
200010325816
20048314711
2008125161113
20128125413
201610316718
20208017525
20248134814
2028To be determinedTo be determined
2032
Total0/87421124163122

UEFA Nations League

UEFA Nations League record
Season**DivisionGroupwidth=28width=28width=28width=28width=28width=28width=35width=28
2018–19C4600631639th
2020–21C462225741st
2022–23C1821541447th
2024–25C2To be determined
Total204313123739th

Baltic Cup

See main article: Baltic Cup (football).

Honours

Baltic Cup

Head-to-head record

See main article: Lithuanian national football team head to head. As of 19 November 2023.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: MATCHES → international football results of Lithuania. 27 May 2019. eufootball.info. 21 August 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190821162628/https://eu-football.info/_matches.php?id=234. live.
  2. Web site: International football MATCH: 13.10.1940 Lithuania v Latvia*. 27 May 2019. eufootball.info. 18 October 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20111018210417/https://eu-football.info/_match.php?id=77782. live.
  3. Web site: International football MATCH: 27.05.1990 Georgia v Lithuania. 26 May 2019. eufootball.info. 9 October 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20111009140600/https://eu-football.info/_match.php?id=25092. live.
  4. http://www.uefa.com/competitions/worldcup/news/kind=1/newsid=747204.html FIFA World Cup
  5. News: Įvyko LFF Vykdomojo komiteto posėdis . 31 January 2023 . LFF . 30 January 2023 . lt . 31 January 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230131083156/https://www.lff.lt/vykdomojo-komiteto-posedyje-patvirtinti-lietuvos-nacionaliniu-rinktiniu-treneriai/ . live .
  6. https://www.lff.lt/patvirtinta-vyru-rinktines-sudetis-baltijos-taures-turnyrui-2/
  7. Web site: Mamrud . Roberto . Lithuania - Record International Players . RSSSF . 12 June 2024 . 10 April 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230410011342/https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/lito-recintlp.html . live .