Serbia national football team players, coach, FIFA world rankings, World Cup 2022, trophies

The Serbia national football team may be less popular globally but has produced several top talents. Famous footballers who have played for the team include Nemanja Matic, Nemanja Vidic, and Aleksandar Kolarov. Get to know more about the country's football history and achievements below.

The Serbia national football team's nickname is the Eagles. The name originated from the white double-headed eagle, the country's national symbol. So, let us look at the team's history, squad, and world ranking, among other things.

Profile summary

• Full name: Serbia national football team
• Nickname: The Eagles
• Controlled by: Football Association of Serbia
• Stadium: Rajko Mitic Stadium, Partizan Stadium
• Affiliations: FIFA, UEFA
• FIFA code: SRB
• Head coach: Dragan Stojković
• Captain: Dušan Tadić
• Top scorer: Aleksandar Mitrović (44)
• FIFA World Ranking: 25
• UEFA Ranking: 14

History

The history of the Serbia national football team dates back to the early 1920s when they played their first matches. However, the team competed as Yugoslavia in 1929 and made its World Cup debut in 1930.

N'Golo Kante ordered famous Malaysian dish Nasi Lemak before Chelsea's victory in the Champions League final

Football

In 2003, Yugoslavia was reconstituted and re-named Serbia and Montenegro. The team featured in the 2006 World Cup before splitting after Montenegro declared independence on 3 June 2006. Since then, Serbia became an independent state, giving birth to the Eagles.

Has Serbia ever won the World Cup?

The Serbia national football team's world cup campaign has not been impressive. They made their world cup debut in 2010 after the country's independence but failed to progress past the group stage. But unfortunately, the team missed out on the 2014 edition in Brazil.

The Eagles returned to the global showpiece in 2018. They began with a 1-0 victory over Costa Rica but lost to Switzerland and Brazil.

Did they qualify for the 2022 World Cup?

The Eagles secured a place at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar by finishing top and unbeaten in their tough group. They will face Brazil, Switzerland, and Cameroon in their Group G fixtures of the tournament that will kick off in November 2022 in Qatar.

Video showing Tanzania giants Yanga SC receiving rapturous welcome surfaces

Football

European Championship

Surprisingly, Serbia has never qualified for the European Championship as an independent nation. In their playoff final, they suffered a home defeat to Scotland, adding more pain to a nation craving success in football.

Serbia's national football team trophies

The country has never won any trophy since gaining independence. However, the Eagles were part of the Yugoslavia team that won a Gold medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Italy. The Eagles also won two Mediterranean Games (1971 and 1979) and the 1945 Yugoslav Football Tournament.

Serbia national football team roster

Some of the country's players are known to fans worldwide and have played for top clubs in Europe. Here is a list of Serbia's national football team players, their positions, and clubs.

Goalkeepers

• Marko Dmitrović (Sevila)
• Predrag Rajković (Rems)
• Mile Svilar (Benfica)
• Vanja Milinković-Savić (Torino)

Defenders

• Stefan Mitrović (Getafe)
• Nikola Milenković (Fiorentina)
• Uroš Spajić (Kasimpaša)
• Miloš Veljković (Werder Bremen)
• Matija Nastasić (Fiorentina)
• Strahinja Pavlović (Basel )
• Marko Petković (Honvéd)
• Filip Mladenović (Legia Warsaw)
• Aleksa Terzić (Empoli)

Orlando Pirates chases down history as CAF Confederations Cup semifinal looms against Al Ahly Tripoli

Football

Midfielders

• Mihailo Ristić (Montpellier)
• Darko Lazović (Helas Verona)
• Saša Lukić (Torino)
• Uroš Račić (Valencia)
• Nemanja Maksimović (Getafe)
• Nemanja Gudelj (Sevilla)
• Marko Grujić (Porto)
• Sergej Milinković-Savić (Lazio)
• Ivan Ilić (Helas Verona)
• Filip Kostić (Eintracht Frankfurt)
• Nemanja Radonjić (Benfica)
• Andrija Živković (PAOK)
• Veljko Birmančević (Malmo)
• Filip Đuričić (Sassuolo)
• Dušan Tadić (Ajax)

Fowards

• Aleksandar Mitrović (Fulham)
• Dušan Vlahović (Juventus)
• Luka Jović (Real Madrid)

Who is Serbia's best player?

According to FIFA 22 rating, Lazio's Sergej Milinković-Savić is the country's top-rated player with 85 points. He is followed by Filip Kostić and Serbia's national football team captain, Dušan Tadić, respectively.

Who is the best Serbian soccer player of all time?

Among the top footballers who have played for the Eagles include Branislav Ivanovic, Nemanja Vidic, and the legendary Blagoje Marjanovic. The country's leading scorer, Aleksandar Mitrović, has also played a key role in bringing glory to the Eagles. So, who is the best?

Samuel Eto'o reveals how Jose Mourinho can help Cameroon win the World Cup

Football

Former Chelsea defender Ivanovic is considered the best talent to emerge from the country. He is also the most capped player with 106 games for his nation. Ivanovic won numerous titles with Chelsea and was considered among the best defenders during his prime time.

Serbia's national football team coach

The team is currently managed by Dragan Stojkovic, who was appointed in March 2021. Stojkovic was a skilful midfielder who made 84 appearances and scored 15 goals for Yugoslavia from 1983 to 2001.

Serbia national football team world rankings

According to the latest FIFA ranking, the Eagles are number 25 with 1547.38 points and 17 in Europe. The highest Serbia national football team ranking was 13 (969 points) in August 2010, while the lowest was 66 (528 points) in September 2015.

Serbia national football team results and fixtures

The Eagles have enjoyed quite an impressive performance in their last games. They have won four of their previous five matches, which have helped them qualify for the 2020 World Cup.

Heartbreaking as DR Congo winger Jody Lukoki dies at 29 during injury recovery

Football

Last five games

• Luxembourg 0-1 SRB (WC Qualification)
• SRB 3-1 Azerbaijan (WC Qualification)
• Portugal 1-2 SRB (WC Qualification)
• Hungary 0-1 SRB (friendly)
• Denmark 3-0 SRB (friendly)

Upcoming fixtures (UEFA Nations League)

• SRB vs Norway (2 June 2022)
• SRB vs Slovenia (5 June 2022)
• Sweden vs SRB ( 9 June 2022)
• Slovenia vs SRB (12 June 2022)
• SRB vs Sweden (24 September 2022)

The Serbia national football team has improved in the past few years, beating some top teams like Portugal. So, will they break their European Championship curse and qualify for the 2024 edition?

READ ALSO: Kyle Walker's wife, Instagram, contract, age, net worth in 2022

Sportsbrief.com also featured details about Kyle Walker's wife, his biography, Instagram, and net worth. Walker is regarded as one of the best right-backs globally, playing for Manchester City and the England national football team.

The veteran defender has also earned quite a lot in his career and won several trophies. To find out more about Walker, click here!