# Finland national football team
The **Finland national football team** (Finnish: *Suomen jalkapallomaajoukkue*, Swedish: *Finlands fotbollslandslag*) represents Finland in men's international football and is controlled by the Football Association of Finland, Suomen Palloliitto ry (Finlands Bollförbund rf in Swedish)[1](https://www-assets.palloliitto.fi/62562/1727348781-the-constitution-of-football-association-of-finland.pdf). Finland played its first international in 1911, reached the quarter-finals of the 1912 Olympic tournament, and qualified for a major tournament for the first time at [UEFA Euro 2020](https://www.edgepedia.org/uefa-euro-2020); it has never appeared at a [FIFA World Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fifa-world-cup)[2](https://www.rsssf.org/tablesf/fin-intres.html) • [3](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/history/news/025e-0fc671c94fe1-44afb82ede90-1000--finland-v-russia-facts/).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Governing body | Football Association of Finland (Suomen Palloliitto ry)[1](https://www-assets.palloliitto.fi/62562/1727348781-the-constitution-of-football-association-of-finland.pdf) |
| First international | 22 October 1911, Helsinki, lost 2-5 to Sweden[2](https://www.rsssf.org/tablesf/fin-intres.html) |
| First major tournament | UEFA Euro 2020, qualified on 15 November 2019 with a 3-0 win over Liechtenstein[4](https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/0259-0e94cedd61fb-7d8e8b68b947-1000/uefa_euro2020_road_to_the_finals_mag_p41_aw4_postdraw.pdf) |
| FIFA World Cup | Never qualified[3](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/history/news/025e-0fc671c94fe1-44afb82ede90-1000--finland-v-russia-facts/) |
| Most caps | Jari Litmanen (137)[5](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/history/teams/42--finland/) • [12](https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/fin-recintlp.html) |
| Top scorer | Teemu Pukki, 43[5](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/history/teams/42--finland/) • [12](https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/fin-recintlp.html) |
| Record competitive results | 8-0 v San Marino (qualifying, 17 November 2010); 1-8 v Greece (qualifying, 11 October 1978)[6](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/history/news/0253-0d8226c2ebd2-6eb28ee26fd3-1000--uefa-european-championship-records-finland/) |
| Head coach | Jacob Friis, appointed 21 January 2025[7](https://www.fifa.com/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/canadamexicousa2026/articles/jacob-friis-appointed-finland-coach) |
## Early history and the 1912 Olympics
Finland's first A international was a 2-5 defeat by Sweden in Helsinki on 22 October 1911[2](https://www.rsssf.org/tablesf/fin-intres.html). At the 1912 Stockholm Olympics the team beat Italy 3-2 and Russia 2-1 before losing 0-4 to Great Britain and 0-9 to the Netherlands, results that still stand among its best early performances[2](https://www.rsssf.org/tablesf/fin-intres.html). Through the following decades Finland played mostly neighboring [Nordic countries](https://www.edgepedia.org/nordic-countries), with heavy defeats frequent, including a 0-13 loss to Germany in Leipzig in 1940 and a 0-12 loss to Norway in Bergen in 1946[2](https://www.rsssf.org/tablesf/fin-intres.html).
## Decades without qualification
Finland entered every European Championship from 1960 through 2016 without qualifying, and did not participate in the 1960 and 1964 editions[6](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/history/news/0253-0d8226c2ebd2-6eb28ee26fd3-1000--uefa-european-championship-records-finland/). It also never qualified for a FIFA World Cup, a distinction it shares among Nordic teams with the [Faroe Islands](https://www.edgepedia.org/faroe-islands)[3](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/history/news/025e-0fc671c94fe1-44afb82ede90-1000--finland-v-russia-facts/). The heaviest competitive defeats of this period came in qualifying: 8-1 against Greece on 11 October 1978, against a best qualifying win of 8-0 over [San Marino](https://www.edgepedia.org/san-marino) on 17 November 2010[6](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/history/news/0253-0d8226c2ebd2-6eb28ee26fd3-1000--uefa-european-championship-records-finland/).
## Euro 2020 qualification
On 15 November 2019 Finland beat [Liechtenstein](https://www.edgepedia.org/liechtenstein) 3-0 and qualified for UEFA Euro 2020, becoming the 34th team to reach a European Championship and ending a run in which the team had never previously reached a major tournament[4](https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/0259-0e94cedd61fb-7d8e8b68b947-1000/uefa_euro2020_road_to_the_finals_mag_p41_aw4_postdraw.pdf). Finland finished runners-up behind Italy in qualifying Group J[4](https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/0259-0e94cedd61fb-7d8e8b68b947-1000/uefa_euro2020_road_to_the_finals_mag_p41_aw4_postdraw.pdf). [Teemu Pukki](https://www.edgepedia.org/teemu-pukki) scored ten of Finland's 16 goals in the qualifying campaign[8](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/history/news/026a-1278cc2a8747-ac54bc8a6072-1000--euro-2020-inside-track-finland/). The tournament itself was postponed by a year because of the COVID-19 pandemic and played in 2021[9](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/history/news/026a-129856ba07fe-8676faabff74-1000--euro-2020-review-finland/).
## Euro 2020 finals
Coached by Markku Kanerva, Finland played in [Group B](https://www.edgepedia.org/group-b) against Denmark, Russia, and Belgium[9](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/history/news/026a-129856ba07fe-8676faabff74-1000--euro-2020-review-finland/). The team's first finals match, on 12 June 2021 in Copenhagen, brought its first finals win, 1-0 over Denmark, with Joel Pohjanpalo scoring the goal[6](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/history/news/0253-0d8226c2ebd2-6eb28ee26fd3-1000--uefa-european-championship-records-finland/). Finland then lost 0-1 to Russia on a curling strike by Aleksei Miranchuk and 0-2 to Belgium in [Saint Petersburg](https://www.edgepedia.org/saint-petersburg), where a deflected own goal and a [Romelu Lukaku](https://www.edgepedia.org/romelu-lukaku) finish broke Finnish resistance[9](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/history/news/026a-129856ba07fe-8676faabff74-1000--euro-2020-review-finland/).
Three points from three games left Finland third in Group B, short of the knockout stage but rated a more than respectable debut; UEFA's tournament review noted that the side was defensively compact and competitive in every match[9](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/history/news/026a-129856ba07fe-8676faabff74-1000--euro-2020-review-finland/). Twelve players, including Pohjanpalo, Pukki, goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky, and midfielder [Glen Kamara](https://www.edgepedia.org/glen-kamara), appeared in all three finals matches, and Pohjanpalo remains the team's only finals goalscorer[6](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/history/news/0253-0d8226c2ebd2-6eb28ee26fd3-1000--uefa-european-championship-records-finland/).
## Records and leading players
[Jari Litmanen](https://www.edgepedia.org/jari-litmanen) holds the appearance record with 137 caps[12](https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/fin-recintlp.html), ahead of Teemu Pukki with 133 and [Sami Hyypiä](https://www.edgepedia.org/sami-hyypia) with 105; Lukas Hradecky had 102 caps through 17 November 2025[5](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/history/teams/42--finland/). Pukki is Finland's record scorer with 43 international goals[5](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/history/teams/42--finland/) • [12](https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/fin-recintlp.html). An earlier UEFA records page, last updated in June 2021, listed Pukki at 10 goals alongside Forssell, Litmanen, and Paatelainen, so his total has grown since[6](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/history/news/0253-0d8226c2ebd2-6eb28ee26fd3-1000--uefa-european-championship-records-finland/).
## Recent years
After Euro 2020, Finland played in 2024 European Championship qualifying and the Nations League, with results including a 1-0 home defeat by the [Republic of Ireland](https://www.edgepedia.org/republic-of-ireland) decided by a late [Robbie Brady](https://www.edgepedia.org/robbie-brady) goal and a home loss to England in Harry Kane's 100th-cap match[10](https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/teams/finland). On 21 January 2025 the Football Association of Finland appointed the Danish coach Jacob Friis, previously an assistant at Augsburg, to lead the team's bid for the 2026 FIFA World Cup[7](https://www.fifa.com/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/canadamexicousa2026/articles/jacob-friis-appointed-finland-coach).
In 2026 World Cup qualifying Finland beat Malta 1-0, drew 2-2 with Lithuania, beat Poland 2-1 at home, and then lost away to Poland 1-3 and to the Netherlands 0-4, before a 0-1 home defeat by Malta in November 2025[11](https://fbref.com/en/squads/df3e055b/2026/matchlogs/all_comps/schedule/Finland-Men-Scores-and-Fixtures-All-Competitions).
## References
1. [Constitution of the Football Association of Finland (Suomen Palloliitto)](https://www-assets.palloliitto.fi/62562/1727348781-the-constitution-of-football-association-of-finland.pdf)
2. [Finland - International A Matches, RSSSF](https://www.rsssf.org/tablesf/fin-intres.html)
3. [Finland vs Russia: UEFA EURO 2020 match background, facts and stats, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/history/news/025e-0fc671c94fe1-44afb82ede90-1000--finland-v-russia-facts/)
4. [Road to the Finals: Finland qualifies for UEFA EURO 2020, UEFA editorial](https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/0259-0e94cedd61fb-7d8e8b68b947-1000/uefa_euro2020_road_to_the_finals_mag_p41_aw4_postdraw.pdf)
5. [Finland | History | UEFA EURO, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/history/teams/42--finland/)
6. [UEFA European Championship records: Finland, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/history/news/0253-0d8226c2ebd2-6eb28ee26fd3-1000--uefa-european-championship-records-finland/)
7. [Jacob Friis appointed Finland coach, FIFA.com (21 January 2025)](https://www.fifa.com/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/canadamexicousa2026/articles/jacob-friis-appointed-finland-coach)
8. [EURO 2020 inside track: Finland, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/history/news/026a-1278cc2a8747-ac54bc8a6072-1000--euro-2020-inside-track-finland/)
9. [EURO 2020 review: Finland, UEFA.com (24 June 2021)](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/history/news/026a-129856ba07fe-8676faabff74-1000--euro-2020-review-finland/)
10. [Finland - BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/teams/finland)
11. [Finland Men Scores and Fixtures, FBref.com](https://fbref.com/en/squads/df3e055b/2026/matchlogs/all_comps/schedule/Finland-Men-Scores-and-Fixtures-All-Competitions)
12. [Finland, International Player Records](https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/fin-recintlp.html)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › Teams and sporting organizations › National and representative association football teams*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 21, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license