List of UEFA national association football teams by nickname
Appearance
The following is a list of nicknames of Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) national association football teams.
Nicknames
[edit]- Nicknames in italics are commonly used in English.
Team | Nickname | English translation | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Albania | Kuqezinjtë | The Red and Blacks | Depicts the colours of the flag of Albania.[citation needed] | [1] |
Shqiponjat / Shqipet | The Eagles | The eagle is one of the national symbols of Albania. The crossed hands gesture, which symbolizes an eagle, is sometimes used as a celebration by Albanian players. | [2] | |
Andorra | La Seleccio Tricolor | The Tricolour Selection | The flag of Andorra is a vertical tricolour of blue, yellow, and red with the country's coat of arms. | [3] |
Armenia | Հավաքական | The Collective Team | From the Armenia national football team. | [4][5] |
Austria | Wunderteam | Wonder Team | In the 1930s led by Manager Hugo Meisl, the team earned the Nickname after a 14 matches undefeated run. | [6] |
Azerbaijan | Odlar Yurdu Komandasi | The Land of Fire Team | The Land of Fire is the adopted motto of the Azerbaijan Republic. | [4] |
Belarus | Белыя Крылы | The White Wings | In August 2016, the Football Federation of Belarus announced that the team's nickname would be the "White Wings". The name was influenced by the book The Land Beneath White Wings (1977) by famous Belarusian writer Uladzimir Karatkievich. | [4] |
Belgium | De Rode Duivels Les Diables Rouges Die Roten Teufel |
The Red Devils | In 1906, the Belgium national team players received the nickname Red Devils because of their red jersey. | [4] |
Belgium (Women) | The Red Flames | [7] | ||
Bosnia and Herzegovina | Zmajevi | The Dragons | Popularized by football TV commentator Marjan Mijajlović during Belgium vs. Bosnia 2010 World Cup qualification game on 28 March 2009. A historical allusion to general Husein Gradaščević, who fought for independence, and was known as the "Dragon of Bosnia". | [4] |
Zlatni Ljiljani | The Golden Lilies | Sometimes referred to as the Golden Lilies, which was an original nickname given to all the country's teams and sportsmen or Women by fans after independence in reference to official state insignia at the time (flag and coat of arms). | [8] | |
Bulgaria | Лъвовете | The Lions | The coat of arms of Bulgaria consists of a crowned golden lion rampant over a dark red shield. The Lion is the national animal of Bulgaria. | [4] |
Croatia | Vatreni | The Fiery Ones | Vatra means Fire in Croatian. | [9][10] |
Kockasti | The Chequered Ones | The Croatian checkerboard is the national symbol of Croatia. | [11] | |
Cyprus | Η γαλανόλευκη | The White and Blues | The Naval Jack of Cyprus is blue with a white cross. | [4] |
Czech Republic | Nároďák | The National Team | Narod translates to the people in English | [9] |
Lokomotiva | The Locomotive | The Czech Republic is one of the world biggest Locomotive builders led by Škoda. | [9] | |
Denmark | The Danish Dynamite | Mainly relating to the Danish team of the 1980s. | [12] | |
England | The Three Lions | The history of the three lions symbol goes back to the 12th Century when a red crest with three gold lions would be carried into battle to inspire English troops. | [9] | |
England (Women) | The Lionesses | [13] | ||
Estonia | Sinisärgid | The Blue shirts | From their home kit which traditionally consists of a blue shirt. | [14] |
Faroe Islands | Landsliðið | The National Team | Landsliðið means squad in Icelandic. | [4] |
Finland | Huuhkajat | The Eagle Owls | Huuhkajat means Owls in English. | [15] |
Finland (Women) | Helmarit | The Pearl Owls | [16] | |
France | Les Bleus | The Blues | Because of the traditional color of their uniforms which is blue. | [9] |
Georgia | ჯვაროსნები | The Crusaders | Legend tells of Crusaders who left France 800 years ago and became detached from the main army, marched through Turkey and Armenia and settled in the Greater Caucasus mountains in Georgia. | [4] |
Germany | Die Mannschaft* | The Team | *"Die Mannschaft" is mainly used outside of Germany. Locally, it generically means "the (male) team". | [17][18] |
Gibraltar | Team 54 | Gibraltar was the 54th nation to join UEFA. | [19] | |
Greece | Η Εθνική | The National Team | Η ΕθνικήI Ethnikí means the National team in English. | [20] |
Το Πειρατικό | The Pirate Ship | Unofficial nickname given after the Euro 2004 win. | [21] | |
Hungary | Nemzeti Tizenegy | National Eleven | From the teams starting 11 players. | [22] |
Iceland | Strákarnir Okkar | Our Boys | Strákarnir Okkar means our boys in Icelandic. | [4] |
Israel | הכחולים-לבנים | The Skyblue and Whites (HaTkhulim-Levanim) | From the Hebrew words for the original colors of the Flag of Israel (as well as the colors of the capital city of Israel's emblem as depicted in the Coat of Arms of Jerusalem), which is two skyblue horizontal stripes framing a skyblue Star of David on top of white background. | [23] |
הנבחרת | The Chosen Team (HaNivcheret) | From the shortened Modern Hebrew term used primarily for the selected national sportspeople, combined with the biblical Hebrew term of the Chosen people that alludes to the Jews and the Israelites. | [24] | |
Italy | Gli Azzurri | The Blues | The colour blue originates from the House of Savoy coat of arms, which had a blue background. | [25] |
La Nazionale | The National Team | From the Italian National Team. | [26] | |
Italy (Women) | Le Azzurre | The Blues (female) | The colour blue originates from the House of Savoy coat of arms, which had a blue background. | [27] |
Kazakhstan | Казахстанские барсы | The Snow Leopards | The snow leopard is one of the rarest mammals in Kazakhstan. | [4] |
Kosovo | Dardanët | The Dardanians | The Dardani or Dardanians were an Indo-European tribe which settled in the region of present-day Kosovo. | [28] |
Latvia | 11 vilki | 11 wolves | From the teams starting 11 players. | [4] |
Liechtenstein | Nati | Short for "National". | From "Nationalmannschaft", the German for "National team". | [4] |
Lithuania | Rinktine | The National Team | Rinktine means national team in Lithuanian. | [4] |
Luxembourg | d'Roud Léiwen | The Red Lions | d'Roud Léiwen means red lions in Luxembourgish. | [29] |
Malta | Knights of St. John | The Order of the Knights of St John was a Catholic Military Order established in 603 | [4] | |
Moldova | Selectionata | The Selection | From the chosen ones or the chosen | [4] |
Montenegro | Hrabri Sokoli | The Brave Falcons | From the Falco vespertinus which are native to Montenegro. | [30] |
Netherlands | Oranje | Orange | Orange is the colour of the Dutch royal family. | [9] |
Clockwork Orange | Nickname of the 1970s the Dutch team, famous for its precision passing. | [31] | ||
The Flying Dutchmen | wordplay associated with the legendary ship the Flying Dutchman | [32] | ||
Netherlands (Women) | Oranjeleeuwinnen | Orange Lionesses | The Lion is one of the national symbols of the Netherlands, orange is its national color. | [33][34] |
North Macedonia | Црвени Рисови | The Red Lynx | [4][35] | |
Црвено-Жолти | The Red-Yellow | From the Macedonian flag which is red and yellow. | [4] | |
Northern Ireland | Norn Iron | Slang term for "Northern Ireland". | [36] | |
Norway | Drillos | Used during the tenure of Egil "Drillo" Olsen. | [37] | |
Poland | Biało-czerwoni | The White and Reds | From the polish flag which is white and Red. | [4] |
Orły | The Eagles | From the polish coat of arms which depicts white crowned eagle on red field. | [9] | |
Portugal | Seleção das Quinas | Team of the Five | From the 5 shields present in the Coat of arms of Portugal, known in Portuguese as "Quinas". | [9] |
Republic of Ireland | Na Buachaillí i nGlas | The Boys in Green | The green in Ireland's tricolor flag is meant to represent Ireland's Catholic heritage and nationalism. | [4] |
Romania | Tricolorii | The Tricolours | from the Romanian flag that has 3 colors. | [38][39] |
Russia | Наши парни Сборная |
Our Guys The National Team |
Сборная means national team in Russian. | [4] |
San Marino | La Serenissima | The Most Serene | the Republic of San Marino is also known as the Most Serene Republic of San Marino. | [40] |
Scotland | The Tartan Terriers | From the Scottish Terrier, popularly called the Scottie, which is a breed of dog popular in Scotland. | [41] | |
Serbia | Бели Орлови | White Eagles | From the Serbian double-headed heraldic eagle, a common symbol in the nation's heraldry and vexillology | [4] |
Slovakia | Repre | Short for "Národná reprezentácia" (The National Team) | From the Slovak national team meaning. | [4] |
Národný tím | National Team | [4] | ||
Bojovní Jondovci | The Fighting Jondas | From the Slovak word meaning warrior. | [4] | |
Slovenia | Zmajčeki | The Dragons | A dragon is a large, serpent-like legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures around the world. | [42] |
Spain | La Roja | The Red One | "La Furia Roja", means the Red Fury in Spanish. | [43][44] |
Sweden | Blågult | The Blue-Yellow | From the Swedish flag which is Blue and Yellow | [4] |
Switzerland | Nati | Short for "Nationalmannschaft" (The National Team) | From Nationalmannschaft which means National team in German. | [4] |
Turkey | Ay Yıldızlılar | The Crescent-Stars | The crescent and the star, present on the flag, are the national symbols of Turkey. | [4] |
Ukraine | Синьо-жовті | The Blue and Yellows | From the flag of Ukraine. | [9][45] |
Wales | Y Dreigiau | The Dragons | The Welsh Dragon is the national symbol of Wales. | [4] |
See also
[edit]- Glossary of association football terms
- List of men's national association football teams
- List of women's national association football teams
References
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