Montenegro national football team

Last updated

Montenegro
Football Association of Montenegro logo.svg
Nickname(s) Hrabri sokoli / Храбри соколи
(The Brave Falcons)
Association Football Association of Montenegro (FSCG)
Confederation UEFA (Europe)
Head coach Robert Prosinečki
Captain Stevan Jovetić
Most caps Fatos Bećiraj (86)
Top scorer Stevan Jovetić (36)
Home stadium Podgorica City Stadium
FIFA code MNE
Kit left arm mne24h.png
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body mne24h.png
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm mne24h.png
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks mne24hl.png
Kit socks long.svg
First colours
Kit left arm mne24a.png
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body mne24a.png
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm mne24a.png
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks mne24al.png
Kit socks long.svg
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 75 Decrease2.svg 1 (24 October 2024) [1]
Highest16 (June 2011)
Lowest199 (June 2007)
First international
Flag of Montenegro.svg  Montenegro 2–1 Hungary  Flag of Hungary.svg
(Podgorica, Montenegro; 24 March 2007)
Biggest win
Flag of San Marino.svg  San Marino 0–6 Montenegro  Flag of Montenegro.svg
(Serravalle, San Marino; 11 September 2012)
Biggest defeat
Flag of England.svg  England 7–0 Montenegro  Flag of Montenegro.svg
(London, England; 14 November 2019)

The Montenegro national football team (Montenegrin : Fudbalska reprezentacija Crne Gore) has represented Montenegro in men's international football since 2007. It is controlled by the Football Association of Montenegro, the governing body for football in Montenegro. Montenegro's home ground is Podgorica City Stadium in Podgorica.

Contents

Montenegro is one of the world's youngest international teams, having joined FIFA and UEFA in 2007, following the restoration of Montenegrin independence in 2006. Montenegro played its first official international match against Hungary in March 2007, and competed in their first FIFA World Cup qualifiers in 2010.

History

Formation

Montenegro national team squad in EURO 2020 qualifiers Montenegro line-up, Czech Rp.-Montenegro EURO 2020 QR 10-06-2019.jpg
Montenegro national team squad in EURO 2020 qualifiers

Following the independence of Montenegro from Serbia and Montenegro, Serbia was set to represent both Serbia and Montenegro in the Euro 2008 qualifying stage. UEFA, however, would be willing to include Montenegro as a late entry if FIFA ratified a separate Montenegrin Football Association before September 2006. However, this did not occur before the competition began. [2] [3] [4]

In October 2006, Montenegro was granted provisional membership of UEFA, with a debate regarding full membership scheduled at a full UEFA Congress in January 2007. [5] Montenegro's first FIFA World Ranking was joint 199th place, the last place on the list by default.

First matches

Mirko Vucinic was the first captain of Montenegro Mirko Vucinic 2012 MNE.jpg
Mirko Vučinić was the first captain of Montenegro

On 26 January 2007, the Montenegro FA was granted full membership of UEFA. [6] The team played its first FIFA-recognized friendly match against Hungary on 24 March 2007 at Stadion Pod Goricom in Podgorica. Montenegro won 2–1 in front of 12,000 spectators. Striker Mirko Vučinić scored the country's first goal in the 62nd minute. [7] [8] On 31 May 2007, Montenegro was admitted as FIFA's 208th member. [9] Montenegro's first coach was Zoran Filipović. In 23 matches, Filipović recorded eight victories, eight draws and seven defeats. He left in January 2010 when his contract expired. During his tenure, Montenegro rose to 73rd position in the FIFA rankings. Montenegro played at the 2007 Kirin Cup, but finished in last place behind Japan and Colombia. On 26 March 2008, Montenegro recorded one of its best results with a 3–1 win over Norway.

First competitive matches

On 6 September 2008, Montenegro played their first World Cup qualifier against Bulgaria at the Podgorica City Stadium. Bulgaria took the lead in the 11th minute with a goal from Stiliyan Petrov. Mirko Vučinić scored in the 61st minute to tie the game, before Igor Burzanović put Montenegro ahead 82nd minute from a penalty. However, a last-minute equalizer from Blagoy Georgiev denied Montenegro their first competitive win. In their next match on 10 September, they achieved another notable result when they held the Republic of Ireland to a 0–0 draw. Another near-upset came in a narrow 2–1 loss against Italy. After Alberto Aquilani's early strike, Vučinić quickly equalized, but Aquilani scored the winning goal ten minutes later. Their second match against Italy ended 2–0 in favour of the world champions. Another disappointment came when the team could only draw 0–0 against Georgia, followed by a 2–2 draw against Cyprus after being two goals down. On 5 September 2009, Montenegro took an early lead against Bulgaria in Sofia with Stevan Jovetić putting them 1–0 up, only for Bulgaria to recover and win 4–1. After drawing 1–1 with Cyprus, Montenegro finally registered their first competitive win, beating Georgia 2–1. They then drew 0–0 with the Republic of Ireland at Croke Park. They finished fifth in the group with nine points, below Cyprus on goal difference.

Golden era

During the UEFA Euro 2012 qualification campaign, the team recorded further success. They opened their campaign with a 1–0 victory over Wales; Mirko Vučinić scored the only goal. A few days later, the team defeated Bulgaria 1–0 in Sofia. The next month, they beat Switzerland 1–0 and then recorded a 0–0 draw in London against England. On 4 June 2011, Montenegro drew 1–1 against Bulgaria, with Radomir Đalović scoring for Montenegro early in the second half, but Ivelin Popov scoring minutes later, to keep Montenegro second in the group, behind England on goal difference. Montenegro were beaten 2–1 by Wales in Cardiff. They were still second in Group G, but Switzerland closed the gap between them to only three points. In the June 2011 FIFA rankings, Montenegro recorded their highest ranking of 16th. On 7 October, Montenegro came back from 2–0 down to draw 2–2 against England in Podgorica, after Wayne Rooney was sent off. Wales beat Switzerland 2–0 to ensure Montenegro won a play-off place, putting the team two matches away from qualifying for Euro 2012. In their last match in the qualifiers, Montenegro lost 2–0 to Switzerland in Basel. On 13 October, the draw for the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying play-offs was held in Kraków, Poland. Montenegro were paired with the Czech Republic, but they lost 3–0 on aggregate and failed to qualify. Montenegro were drawn in Group H in the qualifiers, along with England, Poland, Ukraine, Moldova and San Marino. In their first match, Montenegro tied against Poland in a 2–2 draw. On 11 September, Montenegro played against San Marino in Seravalle. In a one-sided match, Montenegro won 6–0, [10] the biggest win in the team's history. Montenegro then beat Ukraine 1–0 in Kyiv, [11] with the only goal scored by Dejan Damjanović. In their last match in 2012, Montenegro faced San Marino in Podgorica on 14 November, and won 3–0. Montenegro played their fifth qualifier match against Moldova in Chișinău on 22 March 2013, winning 1–0 through Mirko Vučinić's goal. Montenegro then returned to Podgorica to play the second-placed England. The outcome was a 1–1 draw. Leading their World Cup qualifying group, Montenegro hosted Ukraine on 7 June 2013. They suffered their first defeat in the group, losing 4–0. The match also saw Montenegro finish the match with nine men after Vladimir Volkov and Savo Pavićević were sent off. Their last four matches yielded just a single point; a 1–1 draw in Poland. Their 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign finished with a 5–2 home defeat to Moldova, and they finished third behind England and Ukraine.

Ups and downs

On 23 February 2014 in Nice, Montenegro were drawn for qualification in UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying Group G alongside Russia, Sweden, Austria, Moldova and Liechtenstein. Though they opened their campaign with a 2–0 win over Moldova, they failed to qualify with a 0–0 tie against Liechtenstein, a 1–0 loss to Austria and a 1–1 tie at home to Sweden. On 27 March 2015, Montenegro's home match against Russia was abandoned after 67 minutes due to crowd violence, after the Russian left-back Dmitri Kombarov was hit by a projectile. The score was 0–0 and Russia had missed a penalty moments before the match was abandoned. The Russian goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev was hit by a flare, causing a second 33-minute delay. [12] The abandoned match was ruled a 3–0 win in Russia's favour. Montenegro finished fourth at the end of the campaign and placed 95th on the FIFA ranking list. Montenegro participated in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification and were placed with Poland, Denmark, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Romania. Poland and Romania had been participants in the UEFA Euro 2016, but Montenegro began by drawing 1–1 away to Romania, beating Kazakhstan 5–0 at home and defeating Denmark 1–0. However, they then lost 3–2 away to Armenia despite leading 2–0, and were defeated 2–1 at home by Poland. Montenegro then rebounded, beating Armenia 4–1 and Kazakhstan 3–0. They later eliminated Romania with a 1–0 victory, but losses to the Danes and Poles ended Montenegro's chance of qualifying.

Having failed to reach the World Cup, Montenegro had a dismal performance in the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League C. The team was grouped with Serbia, Romania and Lithuania. Montenegro only managed two victories, all against Lithuania, and suffered two losses to Serbia, one defeat to Romania at home and an away draw to the Romanian side as well. This effectively denied Montenegro a chance to qualify to the UEFA Euro 2020 playoff.

Worst campaign

The Euro 2020 qualifiers for Montenegro have been the worst in the team's short history. After an unsuccessful Nations League campaign, the team started off with a 1–1 away draw to Bulgaria, following a controversial penalty for the hosts. It was followed with a 1–5 loss at home to England despite having taken an early lead. On the day of the match with Kosovo, Serbian coach Ljubiša Tumbaković and two players originated from Serbia, due to political reasons, abandoned the national team, betraying the squad in unprecedented condition before the two crucial matches for qualifiers. Montenegro managed to avoid defeat against Kosovo (1–1), however they lost to Czech Republic 0–3. The same result occurred in the rematch, one month later. With no chances to qualify directly, Montenegro failed to win the match against last placed Bulgaria (0–0), and lost to Kosovo (0–2). At the end of their worst campaign, Montenegro suffered their biggest defeat in history. On 14 November 2019, they were defeated against England in London 7–0. Not only did they finish the qualifying campaign without a single victory, Montenegro managed to score only three goals in eight matches, but conceded 22. Also, throughout the entire qualifying campaign the team had troubles with injuries to key players, most notably Stevan Jovetić and Stefan Savić.

Comeback

The team topped the group in 2020–21 UEFA Nations League above Luxembourg, Azerbaijan and Cyprus and were promoted into League B. They were also an important team in fight to qualify for 2022 FIFA World Cup. They were 4th of 6 teams in group with Netherlands, Turkey, Norway, Latvia and Gibraltar.

Stadium and facilities

Montenegro play home matches at the Podgorica City Stadium (Montenegrin : Stadion pod Goricom). The stadium's capacity is 15,230, but international matches reduce this to between 10,700 and 13,000.

Camp FSCG

The Football Association of Montenegro owns Camp FSCG, a Montenegrin training ground. Built in 2007, the centre has a total area of 54,000 square metres. [13] It is located on Ćemovsko polje, a plain located in the outskirts of Podgorica outskirts between the settlements of Stari Aerodrom and Konik. It consists of six pitches with stands and floodlights, [14] and House of Football – the seat of the Football Association of Montenegro. [15]

The camp currently represents an important asset for the whole Montenegrin football system. The grounds are home to all Montenegrin national teams (men and women) and numerous local teams from Podgorica. CAMP FSCG meets the criteria for Montenegrin First League games and UEFA competitions for young players.

Team image

Montenegrin supporters Montenegrinfans1.jpg
Montenegrin supporters

Nickname

Under the official FIFA Trigramme, the team's name is abbreviated as MNE, which is also the country's ISO 3166-1 code. The team's nickname is "The Brave Falcons" (Montenegrin : Hrabri Sokoli).

Kits and colours

Montenegro's traditional home colours are red, with a gold trim. This reflects the country's flag. The team's away kits have usually been white, with a red trim.

The current kit is produced by the Italian company Legea.

ManufacturerPeriod
Flag of Serbia (2004-2010).svg daCapo2007–2008
Flag of Italy.svg Legea 2008–present

Supporters

At competitive matches, the Montenegrin home ground Podgorica City Stadium is often filled to capacity. The stadium is regarded as too small to meet the needs of the national team. Demand for the World Cup qualifier against Italy in 2009 was 30,000 tickets; 40,000 for the Euro 2012 qualifying match against England in 2011.

Montenegro's loudest and most loyal supporters are named Ultra Crna Gora (Ултра Црна Гора; Ultra Montenegro). As an ultras group, their support consists of standing up and singing for 90 minutes both home and away. They occupy the north and south stands of Podgorica City Stadium. Choreography is usually performed at the beginning of games. Ultra Crna Gora consists of many subgroups, mostly named after Podgorica's neighborhoods and Montenegrin towns in other parts of the country.

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.

  Win  Draw  Loss  Fixture

2024

21 March Friendly Montenegro  Flag of Montenegro.svg2–0Flag of Belarus.svg  Belarus Antalya, Turkey
18:00
Report Stadium: Mardan Sports Complex
Referee: Kadir Sağlam (Turkey)
5 June Friendly Belgium  Flag of Belgium (civil).svg2–0Flag of Montenegro.svg  Montenegro Brussels, Belgium
20:30
Report Stadium: King Baudouin Stadium
Referee: Kristoffer Karlsson (Sweden)
6 September 2024–25 UEFA Nations League B Iceland  Flag of Iceland.svg2–0Flag of Montenegro.svg  Montenegro Reykjavík, Iceland
18:45  UTC±0 Report Stadium: Laugardalsvöllur
Attendance: 4,683
Referee: Willy Delajod (France)
9 September 2024–25 UEFA Nations League B Montenegro  Flag of Montenegro.svg1–2Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales Nikšić, Montenegro
19:45  UTC±0
Report
Stadium: Gradski stadion (Nikšić)
Attendance: 3,569
Referee: Georgi Kabakov (Bulgaria)
11 October 2024–25 UEFA Nations League B Turkey  Flag of Turkey.svg1–0Flag of Montenegro.svg  Montenegro Samsun, Turkey
21:45  UTC+3
Report Stadium: Samsun 19 Mayıs Stadium
Attendance: 28,829
Referee: Daniele Chiffi (Italy)
14 October 2024–25 UEFA Nations League B Wales  Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg1–0Flag of Montenegro.svg  Montenegro Cardiff, Wales
19:45  UTC±0
Report Stadium: Cardiff City Stadium
Attendance: 27,326
Referee: Filip Glova (Slovakia)
16 November 2024–25 UEFA Nations League B Montenegro  Flag of Montenegro.svg0–2Flag of Iceland.svg  Iceland Nikšić, Montenegro
18:00  UTC+1 Report Stadium: Gradski stadion (Nikšić)
Attendance: 2,354
Referee: Sven Jablonski (Germany)
19 November 2024–25 UEFA Nations League B Montenegro  Flag of Montenegro.svg3–1Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey Nikšić, Montenegro
20:45  UTC+1
Report Stadium: Gradski stadion (Nikšić)
Attendance: 2,579
Referee: Urs Schnyder (Switzerland)

Coaching history

ManagerCareerPlayedWonDrawLostGFGAWin %
Flag of Montenegro.svg Zoran Filipović 2006–200923887283134.78%
Flag of Croatia.svg Zlatko Kranjčar 2010–201113625141146.15%
Flag of Montenegro.svg Branko Brnović 2011–20153411914445032.35%
Flag of Serbia.svg Ljubiša Tumbaković 2016–2019267712333326.92%
Flag of Montenegro.svg Miodrag Džudović 2019 (caretaker)20111400.00%
Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg Faruk Hadžibegić 2019–202013544131638.46%
Flag of Montenegro.svg Miodrag Radulović 2020–2023236413223526.08%
Flag of Croatia.svg Robert Prosinečki 2024–present1030781430.00%

Players

In international football, players can normally only play for one national team once they play in all or part of any match recognised as a full international by FIFA. However, an exception is made in cases where one or more newly independent states are created out of a former state. Based on current FIFA rules, a player will be eligible to play for Montenegro, even if he had previously represented Serbia and Montenegro or any other country, if at least one of the following statements applies: [16]

Due to mixed ancestries, it is likely that a high percentage of the players eligible to play for Montenegro will also remain eligible to play for Serbia, and vice versa. However, once they have played for either Serbia or Montenegro in any competitive fixture, they are no longer eligible to play for any other nation.

Current squad

The following players were called up for games against Iceland on 16 October and against Turkey on 19 November 2024. [17]

Caps and goals as of 19 November 2024, after the match against Turkey.

No.Pos.PlayerDate of birth (age)CapsGoalsClub
11 GK Milan Mijatović (1987-07-26) 26 July 1987 (age 37)400 Flag of Montenegro.svg Budućnost Podgorica
1 GK Danijel Petković (1993-05-25) 25 May 1993 (age 31)250 Flag of Latvia.svg Liepāja
131 GK Igor Nikić (2000-08-25) 25 August 2000 (age 24)40 Flag of Montenegro.svg Dečić
121 GK Balša Popović (2000-06-10) 10 June 2000 (age 24)00 Flag of Serbia.svg OFK Beograd

232 DF Adam Marušić (1992-10-17) 17 October 1992 (age 32)644 Flag of Italy.svg Lazio
2 DF Risto Radunović (1992-05-04) 4 May 1992 (age 32)391 Flag of Romania.svg FCSB
52 DF Igor Vujačić (1994-08-08) 8 August 1994 (age 30)380 Flag of Russia.svg Rubin Kazan
42 DF Marko Vukčević (1993-06-07) 7 June 1993 (age 31)271 Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg Borac Banja Luka
2 DF Andrija Vukčević (1996-10-11) 11 October 1996 (age 28)130 Flag of Spain.svg Cartagena
152 DF Nikola Šipčić (1995-05-17) 17 May 1995 (age 29)120 Flag of Spain.svg Cartagena
62 DF Marko Tući (1998-12-04) 4 December 1998 (age 25)60 Flag of South Korea.svg Gangwon
202 DF Ognjen Gašević (2002-04-02) 2 April 2002 (age 22)10 Flag of Montenegro.svg Budućnost Podgorica
32 DF Robert Gjelaj (2002-09-23) 23 September 2002 (age 22)00 Flag of Montenegro.svg Dečić

163 MF Vladimir Jovović (1994-10-26) 26 October 1994 (age 30)630 Flag of Uzbekistan.svg Sogdiana Jizzakh
83 MF Marko Janković (1995-07-09) 9 July 1995 (age 29)511 Flag of Azerbaijan.svg Qarabağ
193 MF Marko Bakić (1993-11-01) 1 November 1993 (age 31)320 Flag of Greece.svg OFI
73 MF Driton Camaj (1997-03-07) 7 March 1997 (age 27)212 Flag of Hungary.svg Kisvárda
213 MF Stefan Lončar (1996-02-19) 19 February 1996 (age 28)160 Flag of Russia.svg Akron Tolyatti
143 MF Edvin Kuč (1993-10-27) 27 October 1993 (age 31)113 Flag of Azerbaijan.svg Neftçi
183 MF Miloš Brnović (2000-04-26) 26 April 2000 (age 24)60 Flag of Montenegro.svg Budućnost Podgorica
223 MF Andrija Radulović (2002-07-03) 3 July 2002 (age 22)50 Flag of Serbia.svg Vojvodina
173 MF Milan Vukotić (2002-10-05) 5 October 2002 (age 22)20 Flag of Montenegro.svg Budućnost Podgorica
23 MF Milan Vušurović (1995-04-18) 18 April 1995 (age 29)00 Flag of Montenegro.svg Mornar Bar

104 FW Stevan Jovetić (captain) (1989-11-02) 2 November 1989 (age 35)8336 Flag of Cyprus.svg Omonia Nicosia
94 FW Stefan Mugoša (1992-02-23) 23 February 1992 (age 32)6115 Flag of South Korea.svg Incheon United
114 FW Nikola Krstović (2000-04-05) 5 April 2000 (age 24)256 Flag of Italy.svg Lecce

Recent call-ups

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

Pos.PlayerDate of birth (age)CapsGoalsClubLatest call-up
DF Slobodan Rubežić (2000-03-21) 21 March 2000 (age 24)71 Flag of Scotland.svg Aberdeen v. Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales , 14 October 2024
DF Stefan Savić (vice-captain) (1991-01-08) 8 January 1991 (age 33)739 Flag of Turkey.svg Trabzonspor v. Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales , 9 September 2024
DF Marko Vešović (1991-08-28) 28 August 1991 (age 33)542 Flag of Azerbaijan.svg Qarabağ v. Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales , 9 September 2024
DF Meldin Drešković (1998-03-26) 26 March 1998 (age 26)30 Flag of Hungary.svg Debreceni VSC v. Flag of Georgia.svg  Georgia , 9 June 2024

MF Ilija Vukotić (1999-01-07) 7 January 1999 (age 25)31 Flag of Portugal.svg Boavista v. Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales , 14 October 2024
MF Novica Eraković (1999-11-12) 12 November 1999 (age 25)40 Flag of Cyprus.svg Omonia Nicosia v. Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales , 9 September 2024
MF Vasilije Adžić (2006-05-12) 12 May 2006 (age 18)00 Flag of Italy.svg Juventus v. Flag of Iceland.svg  Iceland , 6 September 2024INJ
MF Nebojša Kosović (1995-02-24) 24 February 1995 (age 29)341 Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Meizhou Hakka v. Flag of Georgia.svg  Georgia , 9 June 2024
MF Vukan Savićević (1994-01-29) 29 January 1994 (age 30)200 Flag of Serbia.svg Vojvodina v. Flag of Georgia.svg  Georgia , 9 June 2024
MF Demir Škrijelj (1997-07-10) 10 July 1997 (age 27)10 Flag of Ukraine.svg Vorskla Poltava v. Flag of Georgia.svg  Georgia , 9 June 2024
MF Vladan Bubanja (1999-02-21) 21 February 1999 (age 25)10 Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg Sarajevo v. Flag of Georgia.svg  Georgia , 9 June 2024

FW Milutin Osmajić (1999-07-25) 25 July 1999 (age 25)272 Flag of England.svg Preston North End v. Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales , 14 October 2024
FW Viktor Đukanović (2004-01-29) 29 January 2004 (age 20)40 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Standard Liège v. Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales , 9 September 2024
FW Vladimir Perišić (2004-08-26) 26 August 2004 (age 20)00 Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Slavia Prague B v. Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales , 9 September 2024
FW Dušan Bakić (1999-02-23) 23 February 1999 (age 25)90 Flag of Cyprus.svg Omonia Nicosia v. Flag of Georgia.svg  Georgia , 9 June 2024

Notes
  • WD = Player withdrew from the current squad due to non-injury issue.
  • INJ = Not part of the current squad due to injury.

Player records

As of 20 November 2024 [18]
Players in bold are still active with Montenegro.

Most appearances

Fatos Beciraj is Montenegro's most capped player. Ros-che 21.jpg
Fatos Bećiraj is Montenegro's most capped player.
RankPlayerCapsGoalsCareer
1 Fatos Bećiraj 86152009–2022
2 Stevan Jovetić 83362007–present
3 Stefan Savić 7392010–present
4 Žarko Tomašević 6552010–present
5 Adam Marušić 6442015–present
6 Vladimir Jovović 6302013–present
7 Elsad Zverotić 6152008–2017
Stefan Mugoša 61152015–present
9 Marko Vešović 5422013–present
10 Nikola Vukčević 5112014–present

Top goalscorers

Stevan Jovetic is the national team top scorer. Stevan Jovetic 2012 MNE.jpg
Stevan Jovetić is the national team top scorer.
RankPlayerGoalsCapsAverageCareer
1 Stevan Jovetić 36830.432007–present
2 Mirko Vučinić 17460.372007–2017
3 Stefan Mugoša 15610.252015–present
Fatos Bećiraj 15860.172009–2022
5 Stefan Savić 9730.122010–present
6 Dejan Damjanović 8300.272008–2015
7 Radomir Đalović 7260.272007–2012
8 Andrija Delibašić 6210.292009–2013
Nikola Krstović 6250.242022–present
10 Elsad Zverotić 5610.082008–2017
Žarko Tomašević 5650.082014–present

Competitive record

Montenegro have participated in seven qualification rounds for World Cup or European Championship tournaments. Montenegro have never qualified, and their biggest success was reaching the play-offs for Euro 2012.[ citation needed ]
Montenegro first tried to qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, but they finished fifth in their group. They had more success in the Euro 2012 qualifiers, when they finished second in their group to reach the play-offs, but lost to the Czech Republic.[ citation needed ]
In the qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup, Montenegro finished third, and two years later, in the qualifiers for Euro 2016, they finished fourth in their group. They again finished third in their 2018 World Cup qualifying group. Worst performance came in the qualifiers for Euro 2020, as Montenegro finished last-placed in the group without single victory.[ citation needed ]

CompetitionPldWDLGFGAGD
FIFA World Cup qualifiers401313146158+3
UEFA European Championship qualifiers36910172956−27
UEFA Nations League 2493152528-3
Friendly games532013196264-2
Overall153513965177206−29

Updated: 19 November 2024

FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
YearResultPositionPldWDLGFGAPosPldWDLGFGA
Flag of Uruguay.svg 1930 to Flag of France (1794-1815, 1830-1958).svg 1938 Part of Flag of Yugoslavia (1918-1943).svg  Yugoslavia Part of Flag of Yugoslavia (1918-1943).svg  Yugoslavia
Flag of Brazil (1889-1960).svg 1950 to Flag of Italy.svg 1990 Part of Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg  Yugoslavia Part of Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg  Yugoslavia
Flag of the United States.svg 1994 to Flag of South Korea.svg Flag of Japan.svg 2002 Part of Flag of Serbia and Montenegro (1992-2006).svg  FR Yugoslavia Part of Flag of Serbia and Montenegro (1992-2006).svg  FR Yugoslavia
Flag of Germany.svg 2006 Part of Flag of Yugoslavia (1992-2003); Flag of Serbia and Montenegro (2003-2006).svg  Serbia and Montenegro Part of Flag of Yugoslavia (1992-2003); Flag of Serbia and Montenegro (2003-2006).svg  Serbia and Montenegro
Flag of South Africa.svg 2010 Did not qualify 5th 10163914
Flag of Brazil.svg 2014 3rd 104331817
Flag of Russia.svg 2018 3rd 105142012
Flag of Qatar.svg 2022 4th 103341415
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Flag of Mexico.svg Flag of the United States.svg 2026 To be determinedTo be determined
Flag of Morocco.svg Flag of Portugal.svg Flag of Spain.svg 2030
Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg 2034
Total0/4401313146158

UEFA European Championship

UEFA European Championship record Qualification recordQualification play-offs record
YearResultPositionPldWDLGFGAPos.PldWDLGFGAPldWDLGFGA
Flag of France.svg 1960 Part of Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg  Yugoslavia Part of Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg  Yugoslavia Part of Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg  Yugoslavia
Flag of Spain (1945-1977).svg 1964
Flag of Italy.svg 1968
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg 1972
Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg 1976
Flag of Italy.svg 1980
Flag of France (lighter variant).svg 1984
Flag of Germany.svg 1988
Flag of Sweden.svg 1992
Flag of England.svg 1996 Part of Flag of Serbia and Montenegro (1992-2006).svg  FR Yugoslavia Part of Flag of Serbia and Montenegro (1992-2006).svg  FR Yugoslavia Part of Flag of Serbia and Montenegro (1992-2006).svg  FR Yugoslavia
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Flag of the Netherlands.svg 2000
Flag of Portugal.svg 2004 Part of Flag of Yugoslavia (1992-2003); Flag of Serbia and Montenegro (2003-2006).svg  Serbia and Montenegro Part of Flag of Yugoslavia (1992-2003); Flag of Serbia and Montenegro (2003-2006).svg  Serbia and Montenegro Part of Flag of Yugoslavia (1992-2003); Flag of Serbia and Montenegro (2003-2006).svg  Serbia and Montenegro
Flag of Austria.svg Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg 2008 Did not enterDid not enter
Flag of Poland.svg Flag of Ukraine.svg 2012 Did not qualify PO 833277200203
Flag of France (lighter variant).svg 2016 4th 103251013
Flag of Europe.svg 2020 5th 8035322
Flag of Germany.svg 2024 3rd 8323911
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Flag of Ireland.svg 2028 To be determinedTo be determinedTo be determined
Flag of Italy.svg Flag of Turkey.svg 2032
Total0/434910152953200203

UEFA Nations League

UEFA Nations League record
SeasonDivisionGroupPldWDLGFGAP/RRK
2018–19 C 4 621376Steady3.svg35th
2020–21 C 1 6411102Green Arrow Up Darker.svg34th
2022–23 B 3 621366Steady3.svg28th
2024–25 B 4 610539Red Arrow Down.svgTBD
2026–27 C # 000000Red Arrow Down.svgTBD
Total249312262328th

Head-to-head record

Below is a summary of Montenegrin national team results against every opponent country.

As of 19 November 2024
OpponentPWDLGFGAGDWin %
Flag of Albania.svg  Albania 200224−2000.00
Flag of Armenia.svg  Armenia 310265+1033.33
Flag of Austria.svg  Austria 200224−2000.00
Flag of Azerbaijan.svg  Azerbaijan 321040+4066.67
Flag of Belarus.svg  Belarus 532061+5060.00
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium 201124−2000.00
Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg  Bosnia and Herzegovina 403112−1000.00
Flag of Bulgaria.svg  Bulgaria 834199+0037.50
Flag of Colombia.svg  Colombia 100101−1000.00
Flag of Cyprus.svg  Cyprus 523093+6040.00
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czech Republic 5005113−12000.00
Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 310223−1033.33
Flag of England.svg  England 6033519−14000.00
Flag of Estonia.svg  Estonia 110010+1100.00
Flag of Finland.svg  Finland 200204−4000.00
Flag of Georgia.svg  Georgia 311134−1033.33
Flag of Ghana.svg  Ghana 110010+1100.00
Flag of Gibraltar.svg  Gibraltar 220071+6100.00
Flag of Greece.svg  Greece 210122+0050.00
Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary 522188+0040.00
Flag of Iceland.svg  Iceland 310225−3033.33
Flag of Israel.svg  Israel 100113−2000.00
Flag of Iran.svg  Iran 201112−1000.00
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 200214−3000.00
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan 100102−2000.00
Flag of Kazakhstan.svg  Kazakhstan 4310110+11075.00
Flag of Kosovo.svg  Kosovo 201113−2000.00
Flag of Latvia.svg  Latvia 422052+3050.00
Flag of Lebanon.svg  Lebanon 110032+1100.00
Flag of Liechtenstein.svg  Liechtenstein 211020+2050.00
Flag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania 4310103+7075.00
Flag of Luxembourg.svg  Luxembourg 320163+3066.67
Flag of Moldova.svg  Moldova 430175+2075.00
Flag of North Macedonia.svg  North Macedonia 420257−2050.00
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 201126−4000.00
Ulster Banner.svg  Northern Ireland 110020+2100.00
Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 410346−2025.00
Flag of Poland.svg  Poland 402269−3000.00
Flag of Ireland.svg  Republic of Ireland 202000+0000.00
Flag of Romania.svg  Romania 732276+1042.86
Flag of Russia.svg  Russia 200205−5000.00
Flag of San Marino.svg  San Marino 220090+9100.00
Flag of Serbia.svg  Serbia 400429−7000.00
Flag of Slovakia.svg  Slovakia 201124−2000.00
Flag of Slovenia.svg  Slovenia 301214−3000.00
Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 301236−3000.00
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Switzerland 210112−1050.00
Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey 612389−1016.67
Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine 210114−3050.00
Flag of Uzbekistan.svg  Uzbekistan 110010+1100.00
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales 520356−1040.00
51 Teams154513964180204−24033.12

FIFA rankings

See also

Notes

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