Latvia

The Latvia national football team played their first official match on September 24, 1922, against Estonia, resulting in a 1–1 draw. The first goal in the team's history was scored by forward Edvīns Bārda. In 1920, the Latvian Football Union (today - Latvijas Futbola federācija) was established, which led to the formation of the national team. Latvia participated in the Football at the 1924 Summer Olympics, but lost their only match 0–7 to France. The team's first victory came on October 18, 1924, against Estonia, winning 2–0.

In 1928, Latvia triumphed in the inaugural Baltic Cup, defeating the national teams of Lithuania and Estonia. During the 1920s, some of the standout players included goalkeeper Arvīds Jurgens and the Bārda brothers—Edvīns, Arvīds, and Rūdolfs—as well as Voldemārs Grāvelis, Arnolds Tauriņš, and Alberts Šeibelis.

The 1930s marked a period of growth for the Latvian national team, particularly between 1936 and 1938 under Austrian coach Rudolf Stanzl. Latvia frequently played friendly matches against teams such as Lithuania, Estonia, Finland, Sweden, and Poland. In 1937, Latvia participated in the 1938 FIFA World Cup qualification. Placed in Group 8 alongside Austria and Lithuania, Latvia achieved notable victories, beating Lithuania 4–2 in Riga, with a Fricis Kaņeps hat-trick and a goal from Iļja Vestermans. In Kaunas, they secured a 5–1 win with two goals each from Kaņeps, Vaclavs Borduško, and Iļja Vestermans. However, they lost 1–2 in a decisive away match against Austria, despite an early goal from Vestermans.

In April 1938, Austria's Anschluss rendered their team ineligible to participate in the FIFA World Cup. Despite Latvia being the group's runner-up, FIFA did not invite them to replace Austria.

Latvia played 99 official matches during the pre-war period from 1922 to 1940 and won the Baltic Cup 12 times. The last match of the pre-war Latvian national team was on July 18, 1940, against Estonia, ending in a 1–2 loss. The outbreak of World War II initially limited and eventually halted the team's activities entirely. During the German and Soviet occupations, the Latvian national team ceased to exist in its form during Latvia's independence.

The best players of the 1930s included Jānis Lidmanis, Ēriks Raisters, Jānis Rozītis, Fricis Kaņeps, Iļja Vestermans, and Aleksandrs Vanags. Ēriks Pētersons is considered the greatest Latvian footballer of the pre-war era, having scored 21 goals in 63 matches for the national team.

Latvian football's evident growth was abruptly halted and devastated when, in 1940, Latvia was occupied and annexed by the Soviet Union. The largest internal sports event in the Soviet Union was the Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR. Football was included in some editions, featuring teams representing the Soviet republics, as well as Moscow and Leningrad. In the 1956 Spartakiad, Latvia was represented by FC Daugava Riga. The team played four matches, securing three victories and suffering one defeat, with a goal difference of 10–7.^[]

Football returned to the Spartakiad program only in 1979, and once again, Latvia was represented by FC Daugava Riga. However, the results were poor, with one victory and five losses, and a goal difference of 10–16. In subsequent Spartakiads, youth teams (under 20 years old) participated instead.

During the Soviet occupation, the Latvian SSR national football team continued to compete in the Baltic Cup — a tournament first held in 1928 — until 1976.

The country regained its independence in 1991, before, in 1990, the Latvian Football Federation (LFF) was reestablished, and Latvia rejoined FIFA shortly after regaining independence. However, the Latvian national football team had to be built from scratch. In December 1991, during an LFF executive committee meeting, Jānis Gilis was appointed as the first head coach of the restored national team. It was decided that the position of national team head coach was of such importance that it should not be combined with any club coaching roles. Gilis committed to focusing entirely on the national team, stepping down from his role with FK Pārdaugava's youth team. His competitor for the position, Marks Zahodins, expressed willingness to support Gilis as an assistant coach if needed.

Following his appointment, Gilis emphasized the challenge of assembling a team from scratch, meeting with potential players, and ensuring that those selected prioritized national pride above all else. The experimental team fielded in the autumn of 1991 was put together hastily, even lacking proper kits initially. Offers from international suppliers soon resolved this issue, and Gilis selected Vadims Ulbergs and Vladimirs Beškarevs as his assistants.

Latvia's first victory came on July 10, 1992, with a 2–1 win over Estonia, thanks to two goals by Ainārs Linards. Later that summer, Latvia began its campaign in the 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification tournament. The team achieved historic draws against Spain (0–0) and Denmark (0–0) but suffered heavy defeats to Spain (0–5) and Ireland (0–4). With five draws and five points, Latvia finished 6th out of 7 teams in their group. Key players during this period included former Riga "Daugava" stars such as Jurijs Popkovs, Jurijs Ševļakovs, Oļegs Aleksejenko, Ainārs Linards, and Oļegs Karavajevs, as well as promising newcomers like Mihails Zemļinskis and Vitālijs Astafjevs.

In the qualification campaign for the 1996 UEFA European Championship, Latvia demonstrated increasing competitiveness, securing wins against Austria and Northern Ireland. The most memorable match of the campaign was a 2–3 loss to Portugal in Porto, where Latvia rallied from a 0–3 halftime deficit with two goals from young striker Vīts Rimkus, who became the team's top scorer of the campaign with five goals in five matches. This period also saw the emergence of new talents such as Imants Bleidelis, Andrejs Štolcers, and Igors Stepanovs.

In the qualification for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, Latvia faced tough competition, narrowly losing to Austria, Scotland, and Sweden. However, the team secured victories against Belarus and Estonia. By this time, the squad's core included Skonto FC players such as Vitālijs Astafjevs, Igors Stepanovs, Marians Pahars, and Andrejs Štolcers.

In late 1997, Jānis Gilis stepped down as head coach, marking the end of an era. Around the same time, team captain and defensive leader Jurijs Ševļakovs retired from international football. These years laid the groundwork for Latvia's growing competitiveness on the international stage.

On April 8, 1992, after a 52-year hiatus, the restored Latvian national football team played its first match in Bucharest, losing 0–2 to Romania. This marked Latvia's 100th match in its football history, with 10,000 spectators in attendance. The players experienced unfamiliar conditions, as accommodations, catering, and training facilities were of the highest standard.

A notable figure in the Latvian Football Federation (LFF) delegation was Vadims Ulbergs, who had witnessed the previous match between Latvia and Romania in 1937, a 0–0 draw at the ASK Stadium in Riga. The match in Bucharest attracted significant media attention, with representatives from all teams in the upcoming qualification cycle present, including the Belgian coach Paul van Himst.

Romania fielded an almost full-strength team, with the only notable absence being Gheorghe Hagi, who was withheld by Real Madrid. The match also marked the debut of Romania's coach, Cornel Dinu. The game was hosted at the Complexul Sportiv Steaua, referred to as the "Temple of Romanian Football," built under the direction of one of Nicolae Ceaușescu's sons and maintained by the army. Tickets for the match were priced at 150 lei, approximately $2.50.

Latvia’s head coach, Jānis Gilis, opted to trust younger players and implemented a tactical scheme with two free defenders, placing additional pressure on the midfielders and forwards. The first half was promising, but in the second half, a lack of discipline allowed Romania to dominate territorially.

The match began with a costly mistake when goalkeeper Raimonds Laizāns slipped while preparing to save a 30-meter shot from Pavel Badea, allowing the ball to soar into the net. Latvia had an opportunity to equalize when Aivars Drupass, assisted by Jurijs Popkovs, made a sharp strike from six meters, but Romania’s goalkeeper Bogdan Stelea reacted brilliantly. Another defensive error early in the second half led to Romania’s second goal. Despite this, Laizāns recovered his composure, earning applause for saving a free kick by Gabi Balint in the 84th minute.

Rolands Bulders also came close to scoring but couldn’t produce a strong enough shot in a favorable position. While the team showed resilience, Gilis expressed disappointment with some players, including Vitālijs Teplovs and Aivars Drupass, who played with a minor injury. Ilmārs Verpakovskis, meanwhile, struggled due to his age. Gilis emphasized the need for a stronger attack, acknowledging that solid defense alone wouldn’t secure victories.

Romanian observers were astonished to learn that none of the Latvian players had ever competed for the Soviet national team or played in the Soviet Top League. This game provided Latvia with an opportunity to showcase its potential on the international stage, serving as a catalyst for growth. However, progress was hampered by a lack of professionalism in some teams and a casual attitude toward training among certain players.

Interestingly, in the early years, the Latvian national team coach’s salary was 8,500 rubles, equivalent to just $55.

Following Gary Johnson's departure, the experienced Skonto FC head coach Aleksandrs Starkovs was appointed as the head coach of the Latvian national team. Under Starkovs' leadership, Latvia finished the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification cycle with three narrow defeats against group favorites, showcasing the team's growing competitiveness.

The UEFA Euro 2004 qualification campaign began with a 0–0 draw against Sweden, followed by a vital 1–0 victory over Poland. Latvia then secured two wins against San Marino but suffered a setback with a loss to Hungary. Māris Verpakovskis emerged as the team's new offensive leader, replacing injury-plagued Marians Pahars, while veteran striker Vīts Rimkus returned to the squad.

Despite a 0–2 loss to Poland, which complicated Latvia’s position in the standings, the team rebounded with a 3–1 win over Hungary and a crucial 1–0 victory against Sweden. Verpakovskis scored in both matches, helping Latvia secure second place in their group and earn a spot in the play-offs.

In November 2003, Latvia faced Turkey, a strong opponent who had recently reached the semi-finals of the 2002 FIFA World Cup. In the first leg in Riga, Verpakovskis scored the only goal, giving Latvia a 1–0 advantage. The second leg in Istanbul was dramatic, with Turkey taking a 2–0 lead. However, Latvia fought back with goals from Juris Laizāns and Verpakovskis, securing a 2–2 draw. With a 3–2 aggregate victory, Latvia qualified for the UEFA European Championship for the first time in its history.

The key players during this period included Verpakovskis, captain Vitālijs Astafjevs, midfielders Juris Laizāns and Andrejs Rubins, defenders Mihails Zemļinskis and Igors Stepanovs, and goalkeeper Aleksandrs Koliņko.