Slovenia’s journey at Euro 2024! This piece unveils the full squad list, detailing every player vying for glory. We’ll also introduce the head coach, the designated captain leading the charge, and the home grounds that will witness Slovenia’s fight. Get ready to discover their complete fixture list, so you can mark your calendars and cheer on the Slovenian National Football Team!
The Slovenia national football team represents Slovenia in men’s international football and is controlled by the Football Association of Slovenia, the governing body for football in Slovenia. The national squad is under the global jurisdiction of FIFA and is governed in Europe by UEFA.
It competes in the three major professional tournaments available to European nations: the FIFA World Cup, UEFA Nations League and the UEFA European Championship. Slovenia played its first official match in 1992, one year after the country gained independence from Yugoslavia. The majority of Slovenia’s home matches are played at Stožice Stadium in Ljubljana.
Slovenia National Football Team Players, Current squad
This is Slovenia team for FIFA World Cup 2026, Slovenia National Football Team Players for other Tournament like Euro 2024. Slovenia Squad for International Friendlies and World Cup qualifying.
| No. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan Oblak (captain) | 7 January 1993 (age 31) | 64 | 0 | Atlético Madrid | ||
| Vid Belec | 6 June 1990 (age 33) | 20 | 0 | APOEL | ||
| Igor Vekić | 6 May 1998 (age 26) | 1 | 0 | Vejle | ||
| Matevž Vidovšek | 30 October 1999 (age 24) | 1 | 0 | Olimpija Ljubljana | ||
| Defenders | ||||||
| Petar Stojanović | 7 October 1995 (age 28) | 52 | 2 | Sampdoria | ||
| Jaka Bijol | 5 February 1999 (age 25) | 47 | 1 | Udinese | ||
| Jure Balkovec | 9 September 1994 (age 29) | 32 | 0 | Alanyaspor | ||
| Miha Blažič | 8 May 1993 (age 31) | 32 | 0 | Lech Poznań | ||
| Žan Karničnik | 18 September 1994 (age 29) | 26 | 1 | Celje | ||
| David Brekalo | 3 December 1998 (age 25) | 12 | 1 | Orlando City | ||
| Erik Janža | 21 June 1993 (age 30) | 8 | 2 | Górnik Zabrze | ||
| Vanja Drkušić | 30 October 1999 (age 24) | 6 | 0 | Sochi | ||
| Žan Zaletel | 16 September 1999 (age 24) | 1 | 0 | Viborg | ||
| Midfeilders | ||||||
| Jasmin Kurtić | 10 January 1989 (age 35) | 90 | 2 | Südtirol | ||
| Benjamin Verbič | 27 November 1993 (age 30) | 58 | 6 | Panathinaikos | ||
| Miha Zajc | 1 July 1994 (age 29) | 39 | 8 | Fenerbahçe | ||
| Sandi Lovrić | 28 March 1998 (age 26) | 33 | 4 | Udinese | ||
| Adam Gnezda Čerin | 16 July 1999 (age 24) | 29 | 4 | Panathinaikos | ||
| Jon Gorenc Stanković | 14 January 1996 (age 28) | 22 | 1 | Sturm Graz | ||
| Timi Max Elšnik | 29 April 1998 (age 26) | 13 | 1 | Olimpija Ljubljana | ||
| Tomi Horvat | 24 March 1999 (age 25) | 5 | 0 | Sturm Graz | ||
| Adrian Zeljković | 19 August 2002 (age 21) | 1 | 0 | Spartak Trnava | ||
| Nino Žugelj | 23 May 2000 (age 24) | 0 | 0 | Bodø/Glimt | ||
| Forwords | ||||||
| Josip Iličić | 29 January 1988 (age 36) | 79 | 16 | Maribor | ||
| Andraž Šporar | 27 February 1994 (age 30) | 51 | 11 | Panathinaikos | ||
| Benjamin Šeško | 31 May 2003 (age 20) | 28 | 11 | RB Leipzig | ||
| Jan Mlakar | 23 October 1998 (age 25) | 15 | 2 | Pisa | ||
| Luka Zahović | 15 November 1995 (age 28) | 15 | 0 | Pogoń Szczecin | ||
| Žan Celar | 14 March 1999 (age 25) | 9 | 0 | Lugano | ||
| Žan Vipotnik | 18 March 2002 (age 22) | 8 | 2 | Bordeaux | ||
Recent call-ups
The following players have also been selected by Slovenia in the past twelve months, but are not part of the current squad.
| Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Klemen Mihelak | 31 December 2001 (age 22) | 0 | 0 |
| Denis Pintol | 7 February 2000 (age 24) | 0 | 0 |
| Martin Turk | 21 August 2003 (age 20) | 0 | 0 |
| Aljaž Ivačič | 29 December 1993 (age 30) | 0 | 0 |
| Mitja Ilenič | 26 December 2004 (age 19) | 1 | 0 |
| Srđan Kuzmić | 16 January 2004 (age 20) | 1 | 0 |
| Marcel Ratnik | 23 December 2003 (age 20) | 1 | 0 |
| Sven Šoštarič Karič | 7 March 1998 (age 26) | 1 | 0 |
| David Zec | 5 January 2000 (age 24) | 1 | 0 |
| Matija Kavčič | 11 July 1997 (age 26) | 0 | 0 |
| Jan Repas | 19 March 1997 (age 27) | 4 | 0 |
| Tamar Svetlin | 30 July 2001 (age 22) | 1 | 0 |
| Luka Vešner Tičić | 25 October 2000 (age 23) | 1 | 0 |
| Mark Zabukovnik | 27 December 2000 (age 23) | 1 | 0 |
| Sandro Jovanović | 23 April 2002 (age 22) | 0 | 0 |
| Domen Črnigoj | 18 November 1995 (age 28) | 26 | 3 |
| Andrés Vombergar | 20 November 1994 (age 29) | 3 | 0 |
| Nejc Gradišar | 6 August 2002 (age 21) | 1 | 1 |
| Matej Poplatnik | 15 July 1992 (age 31) | 1 | 0 |
| Danijel Šturm | 4 January 1999 (age 25) | 1 | 0 |
| Aljoša Matko | 29 March 2000 (age 24) | 0 | 0 |
Support staff
| Name | Position |
|---|---|
| Matjaz Kek | Manager (appointed November 27, 2018, contract expires December 31, 2024) |
| Robert Englaro | Assistant Manager (appointed January 9, 2018) |
| Bostjan Cesar | Assistant Manager (appointed January 1, 2022) |
| Zeljko Milinovic | Assistant Manager |
Who is Captain of Slovenia National Football Team?
Slovenia National Football Team Led by captain Jan Oblak.
What is Slovenia’s nickname for their national football team?
Slovenia’s national football team actually doesn’t have an official nickname. It was the only team at the 2010 World Cup without one!
There are a couple of interesting things to note:
- Fans and media sometimes use “Zmajčeki” (Little Dragons), but this was originally the nickname of a Slovenian club, Olimpija Ljubljana.
- In 2010, there was a fan vote to create a nickname, and “Kekci” (referencing a popular children’s character and the coach at the time) won, but it never gained widespread use.
How many World Cups has Slovenia won?
Slovenia has not won any FIFA World Cups to date. They have qualified for the World Cup twice, in 2002 and 2010, but were eliminated in the group stage on both occasions.
Who is the head coach of the Slovenia national football team?
Matjaz Kek is the current head coach of the Slovenia national football team.
Slovenia National Football Team Home Ground
The Slovenia National Football Team’s primary home ground is Stožice Stadium located in Ljubljana, Slovenia. It’s the biggest football stadium in the country with a seating capacity of over 16,000. They’ve played most of their home matches there since 2010.
Slovenia National Football Team Next Fixtures 2024
Here’s a list of Slovenia’s upcoming matches for the remainder of 2024:
- Friendly International: Slovenia vs Armenia on June 4th, 2024 (Ljubljana, Slovenia)
- Friendly International: Slovenia vs Bulgaria on June 8th, 2024 (Ljubljana, Slovenia)
- Euro 2024 Group Stage: Slovenia vs Denmark on June 16th, 2024 (Stuttgart, Germany)
- Euro 2024 Group Stage: Slovenia vs Serbia on June 20th, 2024 (Munich, Germany)
- Euro 2024 Group Stage: England vs Slovenia on June 25th, 2024 (Cologne, Germany)
- UEFA Nations League B: Slovenia vs Team To Be Determined on September 6th, 2024 (Slovenia)
- UEFA Nations League B: Slovenia vs Team To Be Determined on September 9th, 2024 (Slovenia)
- UEFA Nations League B: Norway vs Slovenia on October 10th, 2024 (Norway)
- UEFA Nations League B: Kazakhstan vs Slovenia on October 13th, 2024 (Kazakhstan)
- UEFA Nations League B: Slovenia vs Norway on November 14th, 2024 (Slovenia)
- UEFA Nations League B: Austria vs Slovenia on November 17th, 2024 (Austria)
Slovenia National Football Team History
The Slovenian national football team, though a relatively young squad on the international stage, has carved out a respectable niche for itself. Emerging as an independent nation in 1991, Slovenia quickly built a competitive team, participating in its first major tournament, Euro 2000, just eight years later. This rich history, filled with both challenges and triumphs, deserves to be explored.
Early Days: From Regional Team to National Hope (1921-1991)
Football, or soccer as it’s known in some parts of the world, has a long tradition in Slovenia. Even before gaining independence, Slovenian players competed unofficially. In 1921, the Slovenian capital, Ljubljana, hosted a match between France and a selection of players from Slovenian clubs. This historical event, with FIFA’s acting president Jules Rimet in attendance, planted the seeds for a future national team.
However, for most of the 20th century, Slovenia was part of Yugoslavia. This meant Slovenian players had to compete for the Yugoslavian national team, which achieved considerable success on the international stage. Several Slovenians, including Branko Oblak (father of current Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak) and Brane Elsner, donned the Yugoslavian jersey.
Building a Nation, Building a Team (1991-2000)
With Slovenian independence in 1991, came the opportunity to form a truly national football team. The Football Association of Slovenia (NZS) was established, and on June 3rd, 1992, Slovenia played its first official international match against Estonia, drawing 1-1. This marked the beginning of a new era for Slovenian football.
The early years were a period of development. Slovenia assembled a team of talented players, many of whom had honed their skills in the Yugoslavian leagues. The squad, under manager Bojan Prašnikar, participated in qualification campaigns for the 1994 World Cup and Euro 1996, but fell short of reaching the finals.
However, a significant milestone arrived in 1999. Under the guidance of manager Srečko Katanec, Slovenia clinched qualification for Euro 2000, their first major tournament. This achievement sparked national pride and signaled Slovenia’s potential on the international stage.
Golden Generation and Major Tournaments (2000-2010)
Euro 2000, held in Belgium and the Netherlands, proved to be a learning experience for the young Slovenian team. Drawn in a tough group with Yugoslavia, Spain, and Norway, they finished third, failing to progress beyond the group stage. Despite the disappointment, the tournament showcased players like Zlatko Zahovič, Aleksander Knavs, and Milan Osterc, who formed the core of a golden generation for Slovenian football.
This golden generation continued to challenge for qualification in subsequent tournaments. Slovenia secured a place at the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan. Again, they fell short in the group stage, facing strong teams like South Africa, Spain, and Paraguay.
Undeterred, Slovenia continued to push for major tournament appearances. They qualified for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, achieving their first (and so far only) victory in a major tournament by defeating Algeria 1-0. This historic win, along with draws against England and the USA, displayed Slovenia’s resilience and tactical awareness.
Recent Years and The Road Ahead (2010-Present)
Since the 2010 World Cup, Slovenia hasn’t reached the finals of a major tournament. However, they continue to challenge for qualification and produce talented players like current captain Jan Oblak, considered one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
In 2023, Slovenia secured qualification for Euro 2024, showcasing their determination to compete at the highest level. The future of Slovenian football appears bright, with a new generation of players ready to make their mark and potentially achieve what the golden generation couldn’t – progress beyond the group stage of a major tournament.
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