Faroe Islands national football team

The Faroe Islands men's national football team (Faroese: Føroyska fótbóltsmanslandsliðið) represents the Faroe Islands in association football and is governed by the Faroe Islands Football Association (FSF). The FSF became a member of FIFA in 1988 and UEFA in 1990 and represents the fourth-smallest UEFA country by population.[2]

This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Faroe Islands women's national football team.

Faroe Islands
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)Landsliðið (The National Team)
AssociationFótbóltssamband Føroya
ConfederationUEFA (Europe)
Head coachHåkan Ericson
CaptainHallur Hansson
Most capsFróði Benjaminsen (96)
Top scorerRógvi Jacobsen
Klæmint Olsen (10)
Home stadiumTórsvøllur
FIFA codeFRO
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 131 Decrease 2 (21 September 2023)[1]
Highest74 (July 2015, October 2016)
Lowest198 (September 2008)
First international
 Faroe Islands 1–0 Canada 
(Tórshavn, Faroe Islands; 2 July 1988)
Biggest win
 Faroe Islands 5–1 Liechtenstein 
(Tórshavn, Faroe Islands; 7 June 2021)
Biggest defeat
Unofficial
 Iceland 9–0 Faroe Islands 
(Keflavík, Iceland; 10 July 1985)
Official
 Yugoslavia 7–0 Faroe Islands 
(Belgrade, Yugoslavia; 16 May 1991)
 Romania 7–0 Faroe Islands 
(Bucharest, Romania; 6 May 1992)
 Faroe Islands 0–7 Norway 
(Toftir, Faroe Islands; 11 August 1993)
 Faroe Islands 1–8 FR Yugoslavia 
(Toftir, Faroe Islands; 6 October 1996)
Faroe Islands national football team in March 2013
Faroe Islands playing against Italy on 2 September 2011. The match ended in a 1–0 defeat.

The team has never advanced to the finals of the FIFA World Cup or UEFA European Championship. They took part in the Island Games in 1989 and 1991 and won both tournaments. The team also took part in the Nordic Football Championship for the first time in 2000–01, the last time the competition was played. In the Faroe Islands, the team is known as the landsliðið. Home matches are played at Tórsvøllur.

History

Early years (1930–1988)

From 1930 to 1988 before joining FIFA, the Faroe Islands gameplay was limited to national friendly matches against Iceland, Shetland, Orkney Islands, Greenland and Denmark U-21. None of these matches was sanctioned by FIFA, nor the Faroe Islands Football Association.[3]

The Faroe Islands tied Iceland for the most successful team at the friendly Greenland Cup tournament with two wins back-to-back in 1983 and 1984.[4][5]

International membership and the miracle of Landskrona (1988–1993)
See also: Faroe Islands v Austria (UEFA Euro 1992 qualifying)

The FSF gained FIFA membership on 2 July 1988 and the team's first official victory was a 1–0 win in a friendly match against Canada the next year. The next year, the FSF joined the UEFA on 18 April 1990.[6]

The Faroe Islands participated in two Island Games, winning both tournaments in 1989 and 1991. They never entered the tournament again, as the opponent teams were considered too weak a match for the Faroese side.

The Faroe Islands made football history on 12 September 1990 when they beat Austria 1–0 in their first-ever competitive international.[7] The game, a Euro 92 qualifier, was played in Landskrona, Sweden because there were no grass pitches on the Faroe Islands at the time. Torkil Nielsen—a salesman for his local building company—scored the lone game-winning goal.[8] 32-year-old national coach Páll Guðlaugsson became a folk hero overnight and is today remembered by his players as a fearless character who believed, against the odds, that the Faroe Islands could get a result against their bigger nation opponents. In his autobiography, national goalkeeper Jens Martin Knudsen revealed that Guðlaugsson gave a stirring pre-match speech that boosted the team's confidence prior to the match against the Austrians. Guðlaugsson told the players, "Think of the Faroese flag. Your flag. Take it with you on that field. Throw yourself into the tackles against those arrogant Austrians with one mission—to win the game for your nation. Tonight you pay back your childhood home. You have the opportunity now and it is an irreparable blow if you don't seize it!"[9] The team's underdog win remains the story most often retold about Faroese football  and sports in the Faroe Islands. The Faroese victory was rated number 10 of all-time football greatest upsets by American sports magazine Soccerphile.[10]

One month later, the Faroe Islands lost 4–1 to Denmark at Parken, Copenhagen. The same team got another good result in the qualifying tournament on 1 May 1991, when they drew 1–1 against Northern Ireland at Windsor Park. However, the Faroe Islands subsequently lost the remaining five matches of the tournament.

The Allan Simonsen years (1994–2001)

Since Landskrona, Faroese football continued its upward trajectory, regularly getting good results against stronger teams. However, it was a surprise to many around Europe when—in 1994—Allan Simonsen was appointed the new coach for the Faroese national team. Many thought that after a shining playing career at Borussia Mönchengladbach and F.C. Barcelona, the European footballer of the year in 1977 was too big a name for such a small nation. Allan Simonsen spent seven years at the team's helm and is remembered as the coach who lifted the Faroese amateurs to a more professional level of play.

As a coach, he asked the FSF to lengthen the season and the Faroese clubs for screen players for talent. Both requests were granted and have become an essential part of the Faroese national team's success at the highest level of the sport.

Under the guidance of Allan Simonsen, the Faroe Islands won two Euro 1996 qualifiers matches against San Marino 3–0 and 3–1. Two years later, in the 1998 World Cup Qualifiers, the team won two 2–1 matches against Malta. In the Euro 2000 qualifiers, they played three draws—Lithuania 0–0, Scotland 1–1, and Bosnia 2–2. In 2002, the team played a 2–2 draw against Slovenia for their most successful 2002 World Cup Qualifying matches until 2018.[9]

The Henrik Larsen years (2002–2005)

When looking for a new coach, it was important for the Football Association to secure a well-known and respected name in Europe. They found that in former Danish international and UEFA Euro 1992-winning player, Henrik Larsen, who succeeded his countryman Allan Simonsen, as head coach of the Faroe Islands national team.

On 7 September 2002, in the first match with Larsen as a coach, an experienced Faroese team played Scotland at home in a Euro 2004 qualifier. Though the Faroe Islands led Scotland 2–0 at halftime, the game ended in a 2–2 draw.

In the same qualifying tournament on 16 October 2002 at the HDI-Arena in Hannover, the Faroe Islands were close to a big upset against Germany. Unfortunately for the Faroese, the post denied them a draw in the dying seconds of the match, and the game ended 2–1 for the German side. However, the Faroe Islands managed one more draw against Cyprus on 9 October 2004 in the 2006 World Cup Qualifying match.[9]

The Jógvan Martin Olsen years (2006–2008)

In 2006, the Faroe Islands finally got their first Faroese coach in Jógvan Martin Olsen from Toftir, who had served as an assistant coach for the Faroese national team for nine years prior to his appointment. That same year, many experienced players who had been regulars on the national squad for years retired from the team, giving Olsen's the task of building a new squad with a new generation of players. The team's turnover and inexperience affected their results, and the Faroe Islands got zero points in the Euro 2008 qualifier, their first qualification match under Olsen as head coach.

However, in the 2 June 2007 game against Italy, the Faroes netted a 77th-minute goal and surprisingly took the sluggish world champions to the limit after a 2–1 loss. Overall, the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign was disastrous for the young team, as they conceded 43 goals and scored only four (all of which were scored by the same player, Rógvi Jacobsen), and half of which were against Italy en route to losing all twelve matches, of which three of were 6–0 defeats.

During the summer of 2008, the Faroese side played two friendlies. In the 4–3 loss to Estonia on 1 June 2008, and the team is credited with their only official international match in which they scored 3 goals but lost. Later they lost 5–0 to Portugal.

Olsen remained as a coach for the first four qualification matches in the 2010 World Cup Qualifiers. After announcing the squad against the Austrian national team, Olsen announced that he was stepping down after three years in charge. Before this departure, he finally managed to get a big result with the team on 11 October 2008 against Austria. The game ended 1–1, giving the Faroe Islands their first qualifying point in four years.

The Brian Kerr years and the new generation (2009–2011)

On 22 March 2009, the Faroese people got a glimpse of their future national team—a new generation of more technical and peaceful players— when they beat the Icelandic national team 2–1 in a friendly match, their first-ever victory over Iceland. Caretaker Heðin Askham managed the Faroese side in this match.

On 5 April 2009, former Republic of Ireland manager Brian Kerr was appointed new head coach of the team, with assistant manager Big Ed ‘the hammer’ Casey.[11] With his charisma and Irish humour, he soon became a favourite among the Faroese football fans.

On 9 September 2009, the Faroe Islands recorded their first competitive win since the 2002 World Cup qualification stage, beating Lithuania 2–1.[12]

On 11 August 2010, the Faroe Islands came close to an away win against Estonia during the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifiers. The Faroes took the lead in the first half with a goal by Jóan Símun Edmundsson. The score was still 1–0 after 90 minutes, but Estonia scored twice during stoppage time, and the Faroe Islands lost the match 2–1.

Two months later, on 12 October 2010, the Faroe Islands drew 1–1 against the higher-ranked Northern Ireland at Svangaskarð Stadion, Toftir. Striker Christian Holst scored for the Faroes in the 60th minute before Kyle Lafferty equalised 16 minutes later for the visiting side, earning a point for both teams.

On 7 June 2011, the Faroe Islands defeated Estonia 2–0 at Svangaskarð. Captain Fróði Benjaminsen opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 43rd minute before Arnbjørn Hansen secured the win with a follow-up after another Benjaminsen penalty. It was the Faroe Islands' first UEFA Euro qualification win since 1995.

The Faroe Islands were drawn against Kerr's former employers, the Republic of Ireland, in Group C for the 2014 World Cup Qualifying. The other teams in the group were Germany, Sweden, Austria, and Kazakhstan.

The players liked the Irishman and they described him as a very motivating figure. His pre-match speeches were full of passion and gave the players confidence to go out and play against the very best in Europe.[9] However, on 26 October 2011, the Faroe Islands Football Association (FSF) announced that "it was not possible to agree on a new contract with Brian Kerr".[13] Brian Kerr stepped down as coach after unsuccessful negotiations with the FSF.

The Lars Olsen years and the double Greek victory (2011–2019)
Faroe Islands defeated Greece 2–1 on 13 June 2015.

On 8 November 2011, the Faroese Football Association announced that an agreement had been reached with the 50-year-old former Denmark captain and European Champion from 1992, Lars Olsen, to become the next coach of the Faroe Islands and the third Dane at the helm, after Allan Simonsen and Henrik Larsen.[14]

On 1 March 2014, for the first time in the Faroe Islands' history, the team scored four goals in a match. In what was only Gibraltar's second match as an official UEFA member, the hosts lost their first-ever home match by the score of 1–4. Faroe midfielder Christian Holst scored twice. On 11 October 2013, Olsen got his first point as the Faroe Islands head coach in a 1–1 draw against Kazakhstan.

On 25 September 2014, Faroese football lost one of its most promising football players, when 22-year-old Gunnar Zachariasen died in a tragic accident on board a Greenlandic fishing trawler, which had docked in Tórshavn in order to unload its cargo. The accident happened when a EUR-pallet stacked with frozen fish fell on top of Gunnar Zachariasen who died instantly. According to Rúni Nolsøe, Zachariasen's coach at EB/Streymur, Faroese football had lost a very good football player. He played 11 caps and scored 4 goals for the U21 Faroe Islands team.[15]

On 14 November 2014, the Faroe Islands caused a major international football upset by defeating host Greece 0–1 during the Euro 2016 qualifiers.[16][17] The Guardian reckoned the win as the biggest upset ever in terms of FIFA Rankings; Greece were ranked 18th, the Faroe Islands 187th, a 169-place difference.[18]

On 13 June 2015, the Faroe Islands stunned the world yet again by defeating the same Greek side in their second meeting of the Euro 2016 qualifying tournament by a score of 2–1.[19][20] These two wins saw the national team moving from 187th place to 74th place in the FIFA rankings. The team eventually finished fifth in their group with six points, without conceding more than three goals in a match.

On 29 March 2016, the Faroe Islands beat Liechtenstein 3–2 in a friendly match in Marbella, Spain. The opposition scored two late goals in stoppage time, but this was the Faroe Islands' fourth victory over Liechtenstein since 2000.[21]

On 6 September 2016, the Faroe Islands draw 0–0 against Hungary in a 2018 World Cup Qualifying match at Tórsvøllur.

On 10 October 2016, the Faroe Islands defeated Latvia 2–0 in a 2018 World Cup Qualifying match.[22]

On 3 September 2017, the Faroe Islands defeated Andorra 1–0 in a 2018 World Cup Qualifying match on home soil, beating their own record which was 7 points in a Euro or World Cup qualification; after the victory over Andorra the Faroe Islands reached a record nine points in all competitions.[23]

On 18 November 2019, Lars Olsen led his team to a 0–3 loss against Sweden, in his last international match as the manager for the Faroe Islands. He's regarded as the most successful manager in the nation's 29-year history, as members of UEFA and FIFA. In the same match, captain Atli Gregersen retired from international duties as well, after winning 59 caps for the national team.[24][25]

The Håkan Ericson years (2019–)

On 16 December 2019, the Faroe Islands Football Association announced they had signed a four-year deal with Swedish coach Håkan Ericson.[26]

On 3 September 2020, in what would be his first match in charge, Håkan Ericson's side won 3–2 against Malta[27] in a 2020-21 UEFA Nations League match. Only three days later, in what would be the 200th competitive match for Faroe Islands since joining FIFA and UEFA back in 1988, they recorded their second win in a row with a 1–0 win over Andorra,[28] their first double victory since a 2–1 win against Malta on 8 June 1997.[29]

On 17 November 2020, Ericson's side won their first-ever competitive tournament, after a 1–1 draw against Malta secured them the top spot and promotion from the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League D, followed by a new record of 12 points in all competitions, beating the previous 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) record at 9 points.[30]

On 7 June 2021, the Faroese national team recorded their biggest win ever in a 5–1 friendly against Liechtenstein[31] in Tórshavn.

On 26 September 2022, the Faroese national team defied all odds when beating Turkey 2–1 in the last game of the 2022–23 UEFA Nations League campaign. The win pushed their unbeaten record to four games, the longest streak in their history, and the result was arguably their best since the Greek Double victories of 2014 and 2015 respectively, although unlike the double Greek victories, the win against Turkey proved meaningless as Turkey has already won promotion earlier.[32]

As of 26 September 2022, the Faroese national team has thirteen full-time professionals playing in Belgian, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish and Icelandic leagues, compared to the 1990 team who won the Austria game in Landskrona, which was entirely made up of amateurs.

Stadiums

Between 1999 and 2011, the Faroe Islands rotated its home matches between two different stadiums, Tórsvøllur and Svangaskarð. Their latest match in Svangaskarð was a 2–0 victory in a UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying match against Estonia on 7 June 2011.[33]

Tórsvøllur has since undergone comprehensive renovation, transforming it into a multifunctional venue for concerts and sports in general, although it is primarily used for football. Floodlights were introduced in 2011, and 6,000 new seats were installed, all under roof. The stadium has been resurfaced with artificial grass and now meets all UEFA and FIFA demands.[34]

Work on Tórsvøllur was completed in 2021.

Supporters
Skansin, Faroese football supporters at the Faroe Islands vs Greece match at Tórsvøllur 2015.

Faroe Islands have a main stand for their supporters at Tórsvøllur, which is known as "Skansin", meaning fort in English. Skansin was formed in 2014, following their 1–0 away victory against Greece in Pireaus and the opening of their newly renovated stadium.

As of September 2021, Skansin has 600 members domestically, and stand tickets are sold out every home match. Following Northern Ireland's 3–1 victory against Faroe Islands during the Euro 2016 qualifiers on 4 September 2015, Northern Ireland forward Kyle Lafferty stated that he was particularly impressed with the Faroese supporters, as they cheered for their players throughout the entire match, even when the Faroes threw away a likely 1–1 result.

Drums, trumpets and folksongs are an essential part of their support.[35]

Results and fixtures
Main article: Faroe Islands national football team results (2020–present)

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

2022
16 November Friendly Czech Republic  5–0  Faroe Islands Olomouc, Czech Republic
20:00
  • Chytil 13', 19', 23'
  • Černý 42'
  • Stronati 76'
 Report Stadium: Andrův stadion
Attendance: 10,762
Referee: Martin Dohál (Slovakia)
19 November Friendly Kosovo  1–1  Faroe Islands Pristina, Kosovo
19:00 Bislimi 64' Report Radosavljevic 77' Stadium: Fadil Vokrri Stadium
Referee: Juxhin Xhaja (Albania)

2023
24 March UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Moldova  1–1  Faroe Islands Chișinău, Moldova
21:45 Nicolaescu 87' (pen.) Report Mikkelsen 27' Stadium: Stadionul Zimbru
Attendance: 4,944
Referee: Nick Walsh (Scotland)
27 March Friendly North Macedonia  1–0  Faroe Islands Skopje, North Macedonia
17:00
Report Stadium: Toše Proeski Arena
Attendance: 500
Referee: Miloš Savović (Montenegro)
17 June UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Faroe Islands  0–3  Czech Republic Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
19:45 Report
Stadium: Tórsvøllur
Attendance: 2,232
Referee: Dennis Higler (Netherlands)
20 June UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Faroe Islands  1–3  Albania Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
19:45
Report
Stadium: Tórsvøllur
Attendance: 2,507
Referee: Chrysovalantis Theouli (Cyprus)
7 September UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Poland  2–0  Faroe Islands Warsaw, Poland
20:45
Report Stadium: Stadion Narodowy
Attendance: 54,129
Referee: David Smajc (Slovenia)
10 September UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Faroe Islands  0–1  Moldova Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
17:00 Report
Stadium: Tórsvøllur
Attendance: 2,710
Referee: Vassilios Fotias (Greece)
12 October UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Faroe Islands  0–2  Poland Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
19:45 Report
Stadium: Tórsvøllur
Attendance: 3,220
Referee: Allard Lindhout (Netherlands)
15 October UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Czech Republic  1–0  Faroe Islands Plzeň, Czech Republic
18:00
Report Stadium: Štruncovy sady Stadion
Attendance: 9,115
Referee: Rohit Saggi (Norway)
16 November Friendly Norway  v  Faroe Islands Oslo, Norway
Stadium: Ullevaal Stadion
20 November UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Albania  v  Faroe Islands Tirana, Albania
20:45 Report Stadium: Arena Kombëtare

Coaching staff
As of 10 March 2017.[36]
Position Name
Head coach Sweden Håkan Ericson
Assistant coach Faroe Islands Eli Hentze
Goalkeeping coach Faroe Islands Hjørtur Askham
Team Doctor
Team Doctor Coordinator		 Faroe Islands Elmar Ósá
Team Doctor Faroe Islands Ólavur Johannesen
Fitness Coach
Physio
Physio Coordinator		 Faroe Islands Álvur Hansen
Physio Faroe Islands Øssur Steinhólm
Kit Manager Faroe Islands Bárður Lava Olsen

Coaching history
As of 7 July 2023 after the game against Albania.[31]
  • Friendly matches included.
Name From To P W D L GS GA %W Honours Notes
Iceland Páll Guðlaugsson 1988 1993 25 2 3 20 9 76 008.00
Faroe Islands Johan Nielsen
Faroe Islands Jógvan Norðbúð (C)		 1993 1993 1 0 0 1 0 4 000.00
Denmark Allan Simonsen 1994 2001 52 8 7 37 37 119 015.38
Denmark Henrik Larsen 2002 2005 26 5 2 19 24 62 019.23
Faroe Islands Jógvan Martin Olsen 2006 2008 20 0 1 19 8 64 000.00
Faroe Islands Heðin Askham (C) 2009 2009 1 1 0 0 2 1 100.00
Republic of Ireland Brian Kerr 6 April 2009 26 October 2011 19 2 3 14 10 46 010.53
Denmark Lars Olsen November 2011 November 2019 56 9 7 40 37 114 016.07
Sweden Håkan Ericson 16 December 2019 34 8 9 17 32 61 023.53

Players

Current squad
No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Mattias Lamhauge (1999-08-02) 2 August 1999 5 0 Faroe Islands B36
12 1GK Bjarti Vitalis Mørk (2001-06-07) 7 June 2001 0 0 Faroe Islands HB
23 1GK Bárður á Reynatrøð (2000-01-08) 8 January 2000 1 0 Faroe Islands Víkingur
2 2DF Jóannes Danielsen (1997-09-10) 10 September 1997 10 0 Faroe Islands KÍ
3 2DF Viljormur Davidsen (1991-07-19) 19 July 1991 70 4 Faroe Islands HB
5 2DF Sonni Nattestad (1994-08-05) 5 August 1994 47 3 Faroe Islands B36
6 2DF Andrias Edmundsson (2000-12-18) 18 December 2000 2 0 Poland Chojniczanka Chojnice
13 2DF Hørður Askham (1994-09-22) 22 September 1994 13 0 Denmark AB
15 2DF Odmar Færø (1989-11-01) 1 November 1989 54 2 Faroe Islands KÍ
16 2DF Gunnar Vatnhamar (1995-03-29) 29 March 1995 33 2 Iceland Víkingur
17 2DF Bartal Wardum (1997-05-03) 3 May 1997 2 0 Faroe Islands HB
2DF Hanus Sørensen (2001-02-19) 19 February 2001 4 0 Faroe Islands HB
8 3MF Brandur Hendriksson (1995-12-19) 19 December 1995 53 6 Norway Fredrikstad
10 3MF Sølvi Vatnhamar (1986-05-05) 5 May 1986 68 2 Faroe Islands Víkingur
18 3MF Stefan Radosavljević (2000-09-08) 8 September 2000 7 1 Republic of Ireland Sligo Rovers
19 3MF Ári Mohr Jónsson (1994-07-22) 22 July 1994 17 1 Faroe Islands HB
20 3MF René Shaki Joensen (1993-02-08) 8 February 1993 46 3 Faroe Islands KÍ
21 3MF Andrass Johansen (2001-11-16) 16 November 2001 2 0 Faroe Islands B36
22 3MF Jákup Andreasen (1998-05-31) 31 May 1998 20 2 Faroe Islands KÍ
4 4FW Pætur Petersen (1998-03-29) 29 March 1998 3 0 Iceland KA
7 4FW Jóannes Bjartalíð (1996-07-10) 10 July 1996 27 2 Norway Fredrikstad
9 4FW Jóan Símun Edmundsson (1991-07-26) 26 July 1991 82 8 Iceland KA Akureyri
11 4FW Klæmint Olsen (1990-07-17) 17 July 1990 57 10 Iceland Breiðablik
14 4FW Petur Knudsen (1998-04-21) 21 April 1998 11 0 United States El Paso Locomotive

Recent call-ups

The following players have been called up within the last 12 months.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Gunnar Nielsen (1986-10-07) 7 October 1986 70 0 Free agent v.  Kosovo, 19 November 2022
DF Daniel Johansen (1998-07-09) 9 July 1998 5 0 Denmark Thisted v.  North Macedonia, 27 March 2023
DF Samuel Chukwudi (2003-06-25) 25 June 2003 2 0 Faroe Islands HB v.  Kosovo, 19 November 2022
DF Martin Agnarsson (2003-12-07) 7 December 2003 1 0 Denmark Viborg v.  Kosovo, 19 November 2022
DF Jann Benjaminsen (1997-04-03) 3 April 1997 1 0 Faroe Islands B36 v.  Kosovo, 19 November 2022
MF Meinhard Olsen (1997-04-10) 10 April 1997 27 1 Norway Mjøndalen v.  North Macedonia, 27 March 2023
MF Noah Mneney (2002-12-06) 6 December 2002 3 0 Norway Bryne v.  North Macedonia, 27 March 2023
MF Heðin Hansen (1993-07-30) 30 July 1993 9 0 Faroe Islands HB v.  Kosovo, 19 November 2022
FW Patrik Johannesen (1995-09-07) 7 September 1995 21 1 Iceland Breiðablik v.  North Macedonia, 27 March 2023
FW Páll Klettskarð (1990-05-17) 17 May 1990 14 0 Faroe Islands KÍ v.  North Macedonia, 27 March 2023
FW Kaj Leo í Bartalsstovu (1991-06-23) 23 June 1991 30 1 Iceland Njarðvík v.  Kosovo, 19 November 2022

INJ = Withdrew due to an injury
PRE = Preliminary squad
RET = Retired from the national team
WD = Withdrew due to non-injury issues

Records
As of 10 September 2023[38][39]
Players in bold are still active with Faroe Islands.

Most appearances
Fróði Benjaminsen is Faroe Islands' most capped player with 96 appearances.
Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Fróði Benjaminsen 96 6 1999–2017
2 Óli Johannesen 83 1 1992–2007
3 Jóan Símun Edmundsson 82 8 2009–present
4 Hallur Hansson 73 5 2012–present
Jákup Mikkelsen 73 0 1995–2012
6 Viljormur Davidsen 70 4 2013–present
Gunnar Nielsen 70 0 2009–present
8 Sølvi Vatnhamar 68 2 2013–present
9 Jens Martin Knudsen 65 0 1988–2006
10 Julian Johnsson 62 4 1995–2005

Top goalscorers
Klæmint Olsen is Faroe Islands' joint top scorer with 10 goals.
Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Rógvi Jacobsen 10 53 0.19 1999–2009
Klæmint Olsen 10 57 0.18 2012–present
3 Todi Jónsson 9 45 0.2 1991–2005
4 Uni Arge 8 37 0.22 1992–2002
Jóan Símun Edmundsson 8 82 0.1 2009–present
6 Brandur Hendriksson 6 53 0.11 2014–present
John Petersen 6 57 0.11 1995–2004
Fróði Benjaminsen 6 95 0.06 1999–2017
9 Hallur Hansson 5 73 0.07 2012–present
10 Jan Allan Müller 4 34 0.12 1988–1998
Christian Holst 4 49 0.08 2003–2015
Rógvi Baldvinsson 4 52 0.08 2011–present
Julian Johnsson 4 62 0.06 1995–2006
Viljormur Davidsen 4 70 0.06 2013–present

Competitive record

FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup record FIFA World Cup qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
Uruguay 1930 to Italy 1990 Did not enter Declined participation
United States 1994 Did not qualify 10 0 0 10 1 38
France 1998 10 2 0 8 10 31
South KoreaJapan 2002 10 2 1 7 6 23
Germany 2006 10 0 1 9 4 27
South Africa 2010 10 1 1 8 5 20
Brazil 2014 10 0 1 9 4 29
Russia 2018 10 2 3 5 4 16
Qatar 2022 10 1 1 8 7 23
CanadaMexicoUnited States 2026 To be determined To be determined
Total 0/22 80 8 8 64 41 207

UEFA European Championship
UEFA European Championship record UEFA European Championship qualifying record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
France 1960 to West Germany 1988 Did not enter Declined participation
Sweden 1992 Did not qualify 8 1 1 6 3 26
England 1996 10 2 0 8 10 35
BelgiumNetherlands 2000 10 0 3 7 4 17
Portugal 2004 8 0 1 7 7 18
AustriaSwitzerland 2008 12 0 0 12 4 43
PolandUkraine 2012 10 1 1 8 6 26
France 2016 10 2 0 8 6 17
Europe 2020 10 1 0 9 4 30
Germany 2024 To be determined To be determined
United Kingdom Republic of Ireland 2028
Italy Turkey 2032
Total 0/16 78 7 6 65 44 212

UEFA Nations League
UEFA Nations League record
Season Division Group Pld W D L GF GA P/R RK
2018–19 D 3 6123510Same position50th
2020–21 D 1 633095Rise50th
2022–23 C 1 6222710Same position41st
2024–25 C To be determined
Total 18 6 7 5 21 25 41st

Island Games
Island Games record
Year Result Pld W D L GF GA
Faroe Islands 1989Champions4400201
Åland 1991Champions4400135
Isle of Wight 1993 to presentDid not enter
Total 8 8 0 0 33 6

Notable matches
  • Friendly matches not included.
As of match played 25 September 2022
12 September 1990 Faroe Islands  1–0  Austria Idrottsparken, Landskrona (N)
Nielsen [40] Attendance: 1,265
1 May 1991 Northern Ireland  1–1  Faroe Islands Windsor Park, Belfast (A)
[41] Reynheim Attendance: 10,000
25 May 1995 Faroe Islands  3–0  San Marino Svangaskarð, Toftir (H)
J. Hansen
Rasmussen
Johnsson		 [42] Attendance: 3,450
11 October 1995 San Marino  1–3  Faroe Islands Stadio Olimpico, Serravalle (A)
[43] T. Jónsson (3) Attendance: 928
30 April 1997 Malta  1–2  Faroe Islands Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali (A)
[44] Ø. Hansen
T. Jónsson		 Attendance: 2,750
8 June 1997 Faroe Islands  2–1  Malta Svangaskarð, Toftir (H)
T. Jónsson (2) [44] Attendance: 6,400
10 October 1998 Lithuania  0–0  Faroe Islands Žalgiris Stadium, Vilnius (A)
[45] Attendance: 1,500
5 June 1999 Faroe Islands  1–1  Scotland Svangaskarð, Toftir (H)
H. Hansen [46] Attendance: 4,100
9 June 1999 Faroe Islands  2–2  Bosnia and Herzegovina Svangaskarð, Toftir (H)
Arge (2) [46] Attendance: 4,800
3 September 2000 Faroe Islands  2–2  Slovenia Svangaskarð, Toftir (H)
Arge
Ø. Hansen		 [47] Attendance: 3,200
31 January 2001 Sweden  0–0  Faroe Islands Tipshallen, Växjö (A)
[48] Attendance: 2,204
24 March 2001 Luxembourg  0–2  Faroe Islands Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg City (A)
[48] C. Jacobsen
K. Mørkøre		 Attendance: 2,500
1 September 2001 Faroe Islands  1–0  Luxembourg Svangaskarð, Toftir (H)
J. Hansen [49] Attendance: 1,464
7 September 2002 Faroe Islands  2–2  Scotland Svangaskarð, Toftir (H)
J. Petersen (2) [50] Attendance: 4,000
9 October 2004 Cyprus  2–2  Faroe Islands GSP Stadium, Nicosia (A)
[51] Jørgensen
R. Jacobsen		 Attendance: 1,400
11 October 2008 Faroe Islands  1–1  Austria Tórsvøllur, Tórshavn (H)
Løkin [52] Attendance: 1,890
9 September 2009 Faroe Islands  2–1  Lithuania Svangaskarð, Toftir (H)
S. Olsen
A. Hansen		 [52] Attendance: 1,942
12 October 2010 Faroe Islands  1–1  Northern Ireland Svangaskarð, Toftir (H)
Holst [53] Attendance: 1,921
7 June 2011 Faroe Islands  2–0  Estonia Svangaskarð, Toftir (H)
Benjaminsen
A. Hansen		 [53] Attendance: 1,715
14 November 2014 Greece  0–1  Faroe Islands Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus (A)
Edmundsson Attendance: 16,821
13 June 2015 Faroe Islands  2–1  Greece Tórsvøllur, Tórshavn (H)
Hansson
Hendriksson		 Attendance: 5,000
6 September 2016 Faroe Islands  0–0  Hungary Tórsvøllur, Tórshavn (H)
Attendance: 4,066
7 October 2016 Latvia  0–2  Faroe Islands Skonto Stadium, Riga (A)
Nattestad
Edmundsson		 Attendance: 4,823
25 March 2017 Andorra  0–0  Faroe Islands Estadi Nacional, Andorra la Vella (A)
Attendance: 1,000
3 September 2017 Faroe Islands  1–0  Andorra Tórsvøllur, Tórshavn (H)
Rólantsson Attendance: 4,357
8 October 2017 Faroe Islands  0–0  Latvia Tórsvøllur, Tórshavn (H)
Attendance: 4,206
7 September 2018 Faroe Islands  3–1  Malta Tórsvøllur, Tórshavn (H)
Edmundsson, R. Joensen, Nattestad
14 October 2018 Faroe Islands  1–1  Kosovo Tórsvøllur, Tórshavn (H)
R. Joensen
20 November 2018 Faroe Islands  1–1  Malta Tórsvøllur, Tórshavn (H)
R. Joensen
15 October 2019 Faroe Islands  1–0  Malta Tórsvøllur, Tórshavn (H)
Baldvinsson
3 September 2020 Faroe Islands  3–2  Malta Tórsvøllur, Tórshavn (H)
K. Olsen, A. Olsen, Hendriksson [27] Attendance: 0
6 September 2020 Andorra  0–1  Faroe Islands Estadi Nacional, Andorra la Vella (A)
[28] K. Olsen Attendance: 0
10 October 2020 Faroe Islands  1–1  Latvia Tórsvøllur, Tórshavn (H)
Færø [54] Attendance: 447
13 October 2020 Faroe Islands  2–0  Andorra Tórsvøllur, Tórshavn (H)
K.Olsen (2) [55] Attendance: 500
14 November 2020 Latvia  1–1  Faroe Islands Skonto Stadium, Riga (A)
[56] G. Vatnhamar Attendance: 500
17 November 2020 Malta  1–1  Faroe Islands Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali (A)
[30] Á. Jónsson Attendance: 0
25 March 2021 Moldova  1–1  Faroe Islands Stadionul Zimbru, Chișinău (A)
Report
7 September 2021 Faroe Islands  2–1  Moldova Tórsvøllur, Tórshavn (H)
 Report
11 June 2022 Faroe Islands  2–1  Lithuania Tórsvøllur, Tórshavn (H)
 Report
14 June 2022 Luxembourg  2–2  Faroe Islands Stade de Luxembourg, Luxembourg (A)
Report
22 September 2022 Lithuania  1–1  Faroe Islands LFF Stadium, Vilnius (A)
Report
25 September 2022 Faroe Islands  2–1  Turkey Tórsvøllur, Tórshavn (H)
 Report Attendance: 2500

FIFA ranking history

Source:[57]

1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
115 133 120 135 117 125 112 117 117 114 126 131 132 181 194 184 117 136 116 153 170 104 97 83 95 94 110 107 123 122

All-time record
As of match played 8 July 2023
All-time record of the Faroe Islands national football team
Opponents Pld W D L GF GA Pts
 Albania 1 0 0 1 1 3 0
 Andorra 5 3 2 0 4 0 11
 Austria 8 1 1 6 4 21 4
 Azerbaijan 3 0 0 3 0 8 0
 Belgium 2 0 0 2 0 6 0
 Bosnia and Herzegovina 2 0 1 1 2 3 1
 Canada 2 1 0 1 1 1 3
 Cyprus 4 0 1 3 3 10 1
 Czech Republic 6 0 0 6 0 15 0
 Czechoslovakia 2 0 0 2 0 7 0
 Denmark 6 0 0 6 2 18 0
 Estonia 7 2 1 4 10 15 7
 Finland 5 0 0 5 1 14 0
 France 6 0 0 6 0 22 0
 Georgia 2 0 0 2 1 9 0
 Germany 4 0 0 4 1 10 0
 Gibraltar 2 1 1 0 4 1 4
 Greece 4 2 0 2 4 11 6
 Hungary 4 0 1 3 1 4 1
 Iceland 14 1 0 13 8 25 3
 Israel 5 0 1 4 4 12 1
 Italy 4 0 0 4 2 11 0
 Kazakhstan 6 2 2 2 8 9 8
 Kosovo 4 0 2 2 2 6 2
 Latvia 5 1 4 0 5 3 7
 Liechtenstein 7 6 1 0 15 5 19
 Lithuania 11 2 2 7 8 15 8
 Luxembourg 5 2 2 1 5 3 8
 Malta 10 6 2 2 19 14 20
 Moldova 3 1 2 0 4 3 5
 Netherlands 1 0 0 1 0 3 0
 Northern Ireland 6 0 2 4 3 16 2
 North Macedonia 1 0 0 1 0 1 0
 Norway 4 0 0 4 0 15 0
 Poland 3 0 0 3 1 12 0
 Portugal 3 0 0 3 1 16 0
 Republic of Ireland 4 0 0 4 1 11 0
 Romania 8 0 0 8 2 26 0
 Russia 4 0 0 4 2 12 0
 San Marino 2 2 0 0 6 1 6
 Scotland 11 0 2 9 6 31 2
 Serbia 4 0 0 4 1 10 0
 Slovakia 2 0 0 2 1 5 0
 Slovenia 4 0 1 3 3 12 1
 Spain 4 0 0 4 4 17 0
 Sweden 5 0 1 4 1 13 1
  Switzerland 6 0 0 6 2 19 0
 Turkey 3 1 1 1 3 6 4
 Ukraine 2 0 0 2 0 7 0
 Wales 2 0 0 2 0 9 0
 Yugoslavia 6 0 0 6 2 28 0

Honours

See also

Notes

    References
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