Slovakia national football team

• 1. Introduction

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  In Frankfurt on the 17th of June 2024, the Slovakia national football team defeated Belgium 1-0. Observers called it one of the biggest shocks in the tournament's history. For a country whose independent football story began only in 1993, that result was built on years of qualifying work and hard-won experience. What made it possible, and who are the coaches, players, and defining matches that shaped this team?

• 2. The Czechoslovak Shadow

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  Eight of the eleven players who defeated West Germany in the UEFA Euro 1976 final were Slovak. That proportion reveals how deeply embedded Slovak talent was in the Czechoslovak team across the postwar decades. A distinct Slovak football identity has its own earlier origin. On the 27th of August 1939, the first official match of the first Slovak Republic took place in Bratislava, a 2-0 victory against Germany. Through the Second World War, the team competed in friendly matches only against Axis-aligned nations. After the war, Slovak football was absorbed into Czechoslovakia for more than fifty years. During that time, Slovakia played no matches as an independent country. The players who shaped Czechoslovakia's results in this period, including those eight 1976 contributors, did so without their own national team. Slovak football would restart as an independent entity under Jozef Vengloš, who took charge on the 6th of April 1993.

• 3. Independence, 1994

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  Slovakia's first official international as an independent nation, on the 2nd of February 1994, was a 1-0 win in Dubai over the United Arab Emirates. Their first home match followed on the 20th of April 1994, a 4-1 win against Croatia in Bratislava. On the 22nd of June 1995, Slovakia suffered their biggest defeat since independence, losing 6-0 in Mendoza to Argentina. Their debut qualifying campaign, for Euro 1996, ended in third place behind France and Romania. Four wins opened the 1998 World Cup qualifiers, including a victory over the Czech Republic. That run lifted Slovakia to 17th in the FIFA rankings, the highest position they have ever held. Qualification for a major tournament remained out of reach. Slovakia came closest in 2006, finishing second in their group behind Portugal and ahead of Russia. Spain eliminated them in the play-off, 6-2 on aggregate. Slovakia recorded 7-0 wins against Liechtenstein in 2004 and against San Marino in both 2007 and 2009. Vladimír Weiss took charge as head coach in July 2008, launching the qualifying campaign that would follow.

• 4. Italy and South Africa

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  On the 14th of October 2009, Slovakia sealed their first-ever World Cup place as an independent nation with a 1-0 win away in Poland. They had finished first in their qualifying group, ahead of Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Northern Ireland, and Poland. At the tournament in South Africa, they were placed in a group with defending world champions Italy, along with New Zealand and Paraguay.

  The decisive group match came on the 24th of June 2010. Slovakia defeated the reigning champions 3-2. Three goals arrived after the 80th minute. Two belonged to Italy, one to Slovakia. An Italian goal was also ruled out by what ESPN called the tightest of decisions. Italy were eliminated and finished last in the group.

  Italy had been the 2006 champions and France the 2006 runners-up. For the first time in World Cup history, both finalists from the previous tournament were knocked out in the first round. Striker Róbert Vittek scored twice against Italy. He added a third from the penalty spot in the round of 16, the last kick of a 2-1 defeat to the Netherlands. That penalty briefly put Vittek level with David Villa at the top of the tournament's scoring charts. Villa then scored against Portugal in Spain's 1-0 win in the same round to move ahead. Slovakia received the Slovak Sportsperson of the Year Team Award for both 2009 and 2010.

• 5. Kozák and Euro 2016

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  Two 1-0 wins in the opening two matches of Euro 2012 qualifying, against Macedonia and Russia, suggested the momentum from South Africa might continue. It did not. An away loss to Armenia ended 3-1, and a home draw with the Republic of Ireland finished 1-1. A friendly defeat to Luxembourg in February 2011 by 2-1 raised further alarm. In a second meeting with Armenia, Slovakia conceded four goals and were eliminated. The team finished fourth in the group with only seven goals scored across the campaign. For the first time since Euro 1996 qualifying, Slovakia ended with a negative goal differential. Vladimír Weiss left after four full years as head coach. His assistants Michal Hipp and Stanislav Griga each took charge briefly before both were replaced due to poor results. In 2013, Ján Kozák, who had played for the Czechoslovak national team, was appointed head coach.

  Kozák's qualifying campaign for Euro 2016 opened with a 1-0 win over Ukraine in Kyiv. On the 9th of October 2014, Slovakia beat Spain 2-1 and claimed first place in the group. A 3-1 win over Belarus confirmed their lead. Later losses to Spain and a home defeat to Belarus narrowed the margin. Slovakia still finished second and qualified. It was the nation's first European Championship as an independent country. As the team prepared for the tournament in France, the Slovak Football Association introduced a new nickname: Slovenský sokoli. The name went into use during the tournament and has continued alongside the older informal name, Repre.

  Slovakia were drawn in Group B alongside England, Russia, and Wales. In the opening match against Wales, Ondrej Duda scored Slovakia's first-ever goal at a European Championship, though they lost 2-1. In their second group match, goals from Vladimír Weiss III and Marek Hamšík gave Slovakia a 2-1 win over Russia. A goalless draw with England was sufficient to advance as one of the tournament's best third-placed teams. In the round of 16, Germany, the 2014 World Cup holders, ended Slovakia's campaign with a 3-0 win. Slovakia received the Slovak Sportsperson of the Year Team Award in both 2014 and 2015, years that coincided with their Euro 2016 qualification campaign.

• 6. Euro 2020 and Frankfurt

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  Slovakia entered UEFA Euro 2020 after qualifying with a difficult away win against Northern Ireland. Drawn in Group E with Spain, Sweden, and Poland, they won their opening match 2-1 over Poland. The tournament then unravelled. A 0-1 defeat to Sweden was followed by a 5-0 loss to Spain. Slovakia were eliminated in the group stage, the first time the team had ever gone out at that point in a major tournament.

  Slovakia also missed the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. In 2018 qualifying, they finished as the worst group runners-up, missing out on a play-off place. In the 2022 cycle, they finished third behind Croatia and Russia, dropping points against Cyprus and Malta. On the 30th of August 2022, Francesco Calzona, who had coached Napoli, was appointed head coach. Slovakia were simultaneously placed in the fifth pot for Euro 2024 qualifying, the lowest seeding position the country had ever occupied.

  Slovakia's qualifying group for Euro 2024 included Portugal, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Luxembourg, and Liechtenstein. After a goalless draw against Luxembourg in the first match, Slovakia won seven of the remaining nine. Both losses were narrow defeats to Portugal. Slovakia qualified automatically, finishing second. In the tournament, drawn in Group E alongside Belgium, Ukraine, and Romania, Ivan Schranz scored in the group stage and finished Euro 2024 as joint-top scorer. Slovakia advanced to the round of 16, where England, who would reach the final, eliminated them 2-1 in extra time. Marek Hamšík, Slovakia's all-time leading scorer with 26 goals and record holder for caps with 138, retired from international playing duties in 2023. He now serves the team as both assistant coach and team manager.