The Georgia national football team represents Georgia in association football and is controlled by the Georgian Football Federation (GFF), the governing body of the sport there. It competes as a member of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), which encompasses the countries of Europe. Organised football has been played in the country since the 20th century. Georgia joined UEFA and the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) in 1992; [1] the country played two friendlies before joining. In 1990-91, due to succession from the Football Federation of the Soviet Union, football in Georgia was under sanctions from the Soviet federation and international ban. [2] In its inspiration to independence from the Russian dominance, Georgia became the first Soviet republic which football parted with the Soviet football.
Contents
- International matches
- 1990
- 1991
- 1992
- 1993
- 1994
- 1995
- 1996
- 1997
- 1998
- 1999
- 2000
- 2001
- 2002
- 2003
- 2004
- 2005
- 2006
- 2007
- 2008
- 2009
- 2010
- 2011
- 2012
- 2013
- 2014
- 2015
- 2016
- 2017
- 2018
- 2019
- All-time record
- Record by opponent
- Record by competition
- See also
- Notes
- References
Georgia's first match—a 2–2 draw against Lithuania—took place on 27 May 1990 and was their only match as the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic. [3] Their first victory came in their next match, 4–2 against Moldova. [4] They entered their first major international competition in 1994: the qualifying rounds for 1996 UEFA European Football Championship. [5] The team won their first competitive match on 10 February 1994 when they defeated Malta 1–0 in the 1994 Rothmans International Tournament. [6] Georgia made its first appearance in the qualifying rounds of the FIFA World Cup during the 1998 edition, but the country has yet to reach the finals of the World Cup or the European Football Championship. [7]
The team's largest victory came on 12 October 2023 when they defeated Thailand by eight goals to nil in a friendly. [8] Their worst loss is a 6–1 against Denmark in 2005. [8] Georgia have also been defeated by five goals to nil against Romania in 1996. [8] Levan Kobiashvili holds the appearance record for Georgia, having been capped 100 times during an international career that lasted 15 years. [9] The goalscoring record is held by Shota Arveladze, who scored 26 times in 61 matches. [10] As of April 2023, Georgia are ranked 77th in the FIFA World Rankings. [11] Its highest ever ranking of 42nd was achieved in September 1998. [12]
