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Soviet Union national football team

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This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, seeSoviet Union women's national football team.

Soviet Union
1924–1991
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)Red Army
AssociationFootball Federation of the Soviet Union
MostcapsOleg Blokhin(112)
Top scorerOleg Blokhin(42)
Home stadiumCentral Lenin Stadium
FIFA codeURS
Firstcolours
Secondcolours
First international
Soviet Union3–0Turkey
(Moscow,Russian SFSR,Soviet Union; 16 November 1924)
Last international
Cyprus0–3Soviet Union
(Larnaca,Cyprus;13 November 1991)
Biggest win
Soviet Union11–1India
(Moscow,Russian SFSR,Soviet Union; 16 September 1955)
Finland0–10Soviet Union
(Helsinki,Finland;15 August 1957)
Biggest defeat
England5–0Soviet Union
(London,England;22 October 1958)
World Cup
Appearances7 (first in1958)
Best resultFourth place,1966
European Championship
Appearances6 (first in1960)
Best resultChampions,1960
Medal record
Men'sfootball
UEFA European Championship
Gold medal – first place 1960 France Team
Silver medal – second place 1964 Spain Team
Silver medal – second place 1972 Belgium Team
Silver medal – second place 1988 West Germany Team
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1956 Melbourne Team
Gold medal – first place 1988 Seoul Team
Bronze medal – third place 1972 Munich Team
Bronze medal – third place 1976 Montreal Team
Bronze medal – third place 1980 Moscow Team

TheSoviet Union national football team(Russian:сбо́рная СССР по футбо́лу,romanized:sbórnaya SSSR po futbólu) is the nationalfootballteam who represented theSoviet Unionfrom 1922 to 1992.

After thebreakup of the Unionthe team was transformed into theCIS national football team.FIFAandUEFAconsiders the CIS national football team (and ultimately, theRussia national football team) as the Soviet successor team allocating its former records to them (except for the Olympic records which are not combined due to the IOC policy); nevertheless, a large percentage of the team's former players came from outside theRussian SFSR,mainly from theUkrainian SSR,and following the breakup of the Soviet Union, some such asAndrei Kanchelskisfrom the former Ukrainian SSR, continued to play in the new Russia national football team.[1]

The Soviet Union failed to qualify for theWorld Cuponly twice, in 1974 and 1978, and attended seven finals tournaments in total. Their best finish was fourth in1966,when they lost toWest Germanyin the semifinals, 2–1. The Soviet Union qualified for fiveEuropean Championships,winning the inaugural competition in1960when they beatYugoslaviain the final, 2–1. They finished second three times (1964,1972,1988), and fourth once (1968), when, having drawn withItalyin the semi-final, they were sent to the third-place playoff match by the loss of acoin toss.The Soviet Union national team also participated in a number of Olympic tournaments earning the gold medal in1956and1988.The Soviet team continued to field its national team players in Olympic tournaments despite the prohibition of FIFA in 1958 to field any national team players in Olympics (players in the Olympics were required to be amateurs at the time, the Soviets effectively bent the rules by listing their best players in the military).[2][3]

History[edit]

Main article:Russian Empire national football team

First games[edit]

Soviet Union team of 1927

Because of the circumstances, surroundingOctober Revolutionand later the 1917–1922Russian Civil War,Soviet Russiawas internationally diplomatically isolated, making it unable to participate in the international competitions. In 1922, Soviet Russia, along with its occupation administrations in neighbouring countries, founded the Bolshevik state of theSoviet Union.After the civil war, the Soviet Union managed to establish international communication with politically similar factions in Europe and around the globe. The Soviet Union joined theRed Sport Internationalproclaiming any sports events outside of the RSI to be "part of the bourgeoisie".[4]

The first international match played by a Soviet team (as theRussian SFSR) came in September 1922, when theFinnish Workers' Sports Federation football teamtoured Russia (Russia formed theSoviet Unionat the end of December 1922,Treaty on the Creation of the USSR). The Soviet Russia XI scored a 4–1 victory over the Finns inPetrograd.This was also the first international contact for Soviet sports after the 1917October Revolution.In May 1923, the Soviet team visitedFinlandand beat the Finnish squad 5–0.[5][6]The first match against national team was played in August 1923, nine months after the establishment of the Soviet Union, when aRussian SFSRteam beatSweden2–1 inStockholm.[7]

The first match as the actual Soviet Union football team took place a year later, a 3–0 win overTurkey.This and a return match inAnkarawere the only officially recognised international matches played by the Soviet Union prior to the1952 Summer Olympics,though several unofficial friendlies against Turkey took place in the 1930s. The 1952 Olympics was the first competitive tournament entered by the Soviet Union. In the preliminary round,Bulgariawere defeated 2–1, earning a first-round tie againstYugoslavia.Before the match, bothTitoandStalinsent telegrams to their national teams, which showed just how important it was for the two heads of state.[8]Yugoslavia led 5–1, but a Soviet comeback in the last 15 minutes resulted in a 5–5 draw. The match was replayed, Yugoslavia winning 3–1.[9]The defeat to the archrivals hit Soviet football hard, and after just three games played in the season,CSKA Moscow,who had made up most of the USSR squad, was forced to withdraw from theleagueand later disbanded. Furthermore,Boris Arkadiev,who coached both USSR and CSKA, was stripped of hisMerited Master of Sportsof the USSR title.[8]

Sweden trials and the triumph[edit]

The Soviet Union, coached by Gavriil Khachalin, entered theWorld Cupfor the first time at the1958 tournament,following a qualification playoff againstPoland.[10]Drawn in a group with Brazil, England, and Austria, they collected three points in total, one from England and two from Austria. The Soviet Union and England went to a playoff game, in whichAnatoli Ilyinscored in the 67th minute to knock England out. The Soviet Union was then eliminated by the hosts of the tournament, Sweden, in the quarter-finals.[11]

The inauguralEuropean Championshipsin 1960 marked the pinnacle of Soviet footballing achievement. Easily progressing to the quarter-finals, the team were scheduled to faceSpain,but due to the tensions of theCold War,Spain refused to travel to the Soviet Union, resulting in awalkover.In the semi-final, the Soviet team defeated Czechoslovakia 3–0 and reached the final, where they faced Yugoslavia.[12]

In the final, Yugoslavia scored first, but the Soviet Union, led by legendary goalkeeperLev Yashin,equalized in the 49th minute. After 90 minutes the score was 1–1, andViktor Ponedelnikscored with seven minutes left in extra time to give the Soviets the inaugural European Championship.[13]

The end of Kachalin's dream-team[edit]

Lev Yashin trying to stop the shot by Argentine striker José Sanfilippo, during the match played at Buenos Aires in 1961. The Soviet Union won 2–1

In the1962 World Cup,the Soviet team was in Group 1 with Yugoslavia, Colombia, andUruguay.The match between the Soviet Union and Colombia ended 4–4; Colombia scored a series of goals (68', 72', 86').[14]Star goalkeeper Lev Yashin was in poor form both against Colombia and Chile. His form was considered one of the main reasons why the Soviet Union team did not gain more success in the tournament.[15]

In 1964, the Soviet Union attempted to defend their European Championship title, defeating Italy in the last 16 (2–0, 1–1) and to reach the quarter-finals. After two matches against Sweden, the Soviet side won on aggregate (1–1, 3–1).[16]The Soviet Union team went to Spain where the finals were held. In the semi-finals, the Soviet Union defeated Denmark 3–0 inBarcelonabut their dreams of winning the title again were dashed in the final when Spain, the host, scored a late goal, winning 2–1.[17][18]

The late 1960s: Semi-finals at World Cup and European Championships[edit]

The1966 FIFA World Cupwas the tournament in which the Soviet Union team reached their best result by finishing in fourth place. The Soviet Union was in Group 4 withNorth Korea,ItalyandChile.[19][20][21]In all three matches, the Soviet Union team managed to defeat their rivals. The Soviet team then defeated Hungary in the quarter-finals thanks to the effective performance of their star, Lev Yashin but their success was ended by two defeats on 25 and 28 July, against West Germany in the semi-finals and Portugal in the third-place playoff match, respectively. The 1966 squad was the second-best scoring Soviet team in World Cup history, with 10 goals.[22][23][24]

For theEuro 1968,the qualification competition was played in two stages; a group stage (taking place from 1966 until 1968) and the quarter-finals (played in 1968). Again, only four teams could reach the finals which were held in Italy. The semi-final match between the Soviet Union and Italy ended 0–0. It was decided to toss a coin to see who reached the final, rather than play a replay.[25]Italy won, and went on to become European champions. On 8 June 1968, the Soviets were defeated by England in the third-place match.[26]

Kachalin's second attempt[edit]

The1970 World Cupstarted with the match betweenMexicoand the Soviet Union.[27]The Soviet team became the first team to make a substitution in World Cup history in this match.[28]Other opponents in their group were Belgium and El Salvador. The Soviet team easily qualified to the quarter-final where they lost against Uruguay in extra time. This was the last time the Soviet Union reached the quarter-finals.[29]

The final tournament of the1972 European Championshipstook place between 14 and 18 June 1972. Again, only four teams were in the finals. The Soviets defeated Hungary 1–0, with a second-half goal.[30]The final was between West Germany and the Soviet Union. The match ended with a victory of the German side thanks to the effective football ofGerd Müller.This tournament was one of the two tournaments in which the Soviet Union finished as runner-up.[31]

Failures to qualify in the 1970s[edit]

The Soviet Union playingArgentinaatEl Monumental,Buenos Aires, November 1976

After being runners up at Euro 1972, the rest of the 1970s were bleak for the Soviets, who were disqualified from the1974 World Cupas a result of a refusal to playChilein the aftermath of the1973 Chilean coup d'étatand failed to qualify for the1978 World Cupor the 1976 and 1980 European Championships.[32]

Beskov recovers the team[edit]

Soviet Union vBelgiumat the1986 World Cup

The1982 World Cupwas the Soviet Union's first major tournament appearance for a decade. The Soviet Union was in Group 6 with Brazil, Scotland, and New Zealand. Goals bySócratesandÉder Aleixomarked the defeat of the Soviet side against Brazil in the first group match and they were eventually eliminated in the second round by finishing the group in second place when they defeated Belgium only 1–0 and drew against Poland with an 0–0 results.[33][34][35]In 1984, the Soviets again failed to qualify for the European Championships, but succeeded in qualifying for the1986 World Cup.The Soviet Union was in Group C with Hungary, France, and Canada. The Soviets usedIrapuato, Guanajuatoas their training ground in the World Cup.[36]

The Soviet team enjoyed a successful group stage by scoring nine goals and finishing the group in first place. Ultimately, however, they lost to Belgium 3–4 after extra time in the round of 16. Despite their poor performance in the cup, this team was the best scoring Soviet team in World Cup history, with 12 goals.[37]

Lobanovsky era and demise of Soviet Union[edit]

After failing to qualify for three consecutive European Cups (1976, 1980, 1984), the Soviets managed to qualify for the 1988 competition, the last time the Soviet Union national football team took part in the European Football Championship. The finals were held in West Germany, with eight teams participating. Soviet Union finished Group B as leaders above the Netherlands and defeated Italy 2–0 in the semi-final.[38]In the final against the Netherlands, another team from Group B, the Netherlands avenged their group stage defeat, winning by a score of 2–0 to be crowned European champions.[39]

The final major championship contested by the Soviet team was the1990 FIFA World Cup,where they were drawn in Group B withArgentina,RomaniaandCameroon.The only success for the Soviets came when they defeated group leaders Cameroon 4–0.[40]The Soviets lost their other matches and failed to qualify from the group. The Soviet Union qualified forEuro 1992,but the breakup of the Soviet Union meant that their place was instead taken by theCIS national football team,composed of newly independent Soviet republics. After the tournament, the former Soviet republics competed as separate independent nations, with FIFA allocating the Soviet team's record toRussia.[41]

Kit evolution[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toSoviet Union national football team kits.
The Soviet team in 1925

The Soviet Union traditionally wore red jerseys with white shorts and red socks.[42]

Home stadium[edit]

From the Soviet Union's first fixture (16 November 1924 vs.Turkey) they played their home games at variousstadiums.

Venue City Played Won Drawn Lost GF GA Points per game
Central Lenin Stadium Moscow 1956–1992 78 50 18 10 151 50 2.15
Central Stadium Kiev 1969–1990 12 10 1 1 27 6 2.58
Lenin Dynamo Stadium Tbilisi 1967–1987 10 6 1 3 19 9 1.9
Dynamo Stadium Moscow 1954–1971 9 7 2 0 41 8 2.56
Lokomotiv Stadium Simferopol 1979–1989 4 4 0 0 11 1 3
Kirov Stadium Leningrad 1967–1984 3 3 0 0 8 1 3
Hrazdan Stadium Yerevan 1978 2 2 0 0 12 2 3
Central Lokomotiv Stadium Moscow 1979–1988 2 2 0 0 5 1 3
Central Stadium Volgograd 1977 1 1 0 0 4 1 3
Pakhtakor Central Stadium Tashkent 1975 1 1 0 0 2 1 3
Vorovsky Stadium Moscow 1924 1 1 0 0 3 0 0
Black Sea Shipping Stadium Odessa 1974 1 0 0 1 0 1 0
Totals 1924–1992 123 86 22 15 281 80 2.28
Statistics include official FIFA-recognised matches only.

Note:

Coaching history[edit]

Manager Nation Years Played Won Drawn Lost GF GA Win % Qualifying cycle Final tour
Boris Arkadiev Soviet Union 1952 3 1 1 1 8 9 33.33 1952(o)
Vasily Sokolov Soviet Union 1954 2 1 1 0 8 1 50
Gavriil Kachalin Soviet Union 1955–1958 34 22 6 6 88 35 64.71 1956(o),1958,1960 1956(o),1958
Georgiy Glazkov Soviet Union 1959 1 1 0 0 3 1 100
Mikhail Yakushin Soviet Union 1959 2 2 0 0 2 0 100 1960
Gavriil Kachalin Soviet Union 1960–1962 22 16 2 4 49 20 72.73 1962 1960,1962
Nikita Simonyan Soviet Union 1963 1 0 0 1 0 1 0
Konstantin Beskov Soviet Union 1963–1964 9 4 4 1 14 7 44.44 1964 1964
Nikita Simonyan Soviet Union 1964 1 0 1 0 2 2 0
Nikolai Morozov Soviet Union 1964–1966 31 15 9 7 51 33 48.39 1966 1966
Mikhail Yakushin Soviet Union 1967–1968 28 16 7 5 51 31 57.14 1968,1968(o) 1968
Gavriil Kachalin Soviet Union 1969–1970 18 9 7 2 29 11 50 1970 1970
Valentin Nikolayev Soviet Union 1970–1971 13 8 5 0 24 5 61.54 1972
Nikolay Gulyayev Soviet Union 1972 4 2 1 1 6 4 50 1972
Aleksandr Ponomarev Soviet Union 1972 15 8 4 3 27 17 53.33 1972(o),1972
German Zonin Soviet Union 1972 3 1 0 2 1 2 33.33
Yevgeny Goryansky Soviet Union 1973 10 3 2 5 6 6 30 1974*
Konstantin Beskov Soviet Union 1974 3 1 0 2 1 4 33.33 1976
Valeriy Lobanovsky Soviet Union 1975–1976 19 11 4 4 33 18 57.89 1976 1976(o)
Valentin Nikolayev Soviet Union 1976 2 0 1 1 0 2 0
Nikita Simonyan Soviet Union 1977–1979 27 18 4 5 60 22 66.67 1978,1980
Konstantin Beskov Soviet Union 1979–1982 28 17 8 3 54 19 60.71 1980,1982 1982
Oleg Bazilevich Soviet Union 1979 1 1 0 0 3 1 100
Valeriy Lobanovsky Soviet Union 1982–1983 10 6 3 1 18 6 60 1984
Eduard Malofeyev Soviet Union 1984–1986 25 14 3 8 37 23 56 1986
Valeriy Lobanovsky Soviet Union 1986–1987 17 9 6 2 31 11 52.94 1988 1986
Nikita Simonyan Soviet Union 1988 1 1 0 0 4 0 100
MorozovandMosyagin Soviet Union 1988 4 1 2 1 5 5 25
1st Coaching Staff Soviet Union 1988–1990 31 16 6 9 42 29 51.61 1990 1988,1990
2nd Coaching Staff Soviet Union 1990–1992 28 12 11 5 39 24 42.86 1992 1992

Notes:

Player records[edit]

Oleg Blokhin is Soviet Union's top goalscorer and their most capped player.
Most appearances[43]
Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Oleg Blokhin 112 42 1972–1988
2 Rinat Dasayev 91 0 1979–1990
3 Albert Shesternev 90 0 1961–1971
4 Anatoliy Demyanenko 80 6 1981–1990
5 Volodymyr Bezsonov 79 4 1977–1990
6 Lev Yashin 78 0 1954–1967
7 Sergei Aleinikov[a] 77 6 1984–1991
8 Murtaz Khurtsilava 69 6 1965–1973
9 Oleg Protasov[b] 68 28 1984–1991
10 Valeriy Voronin 66 5 1960–1968
Top goalscorers[43]
Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Oleg Blokhin 42 112 0.38 1972–1988
2 Oleg Protasov[b] 29 68 0.43 1984–1991
3 Valentin Ivanov 26 59 0.44 1956–1965
4 Eduard Streltsov 25 38 0.66 1955–1968
5 Viktor Kolotov 22 55 0.4 1970–1978
6 Viktor Ponedelnik 20 29 0.69 1960–1966
Igor Chislenko 20 53 0.38 1959–1968
8 Anatoliy Banishevskiy 19 50 0.38 1965–1972
9 Anatoliy Ilyin 16 31 0.52 1952–1959
10 Anatoliy Byshovets 15 39 0.38 1966–1972
  1. ^Sergei Aleinikov also made four appearances forBelarus.
  2. ^abOleg Protasov also made one appearance forUkraine.

Competitive record[edit]

FIFA World Cup record[edit]

Main article:Soviet Union at the FIFA World Cup

ChampionsRunners-upThird placeFourth place

FIFA World Cup record QualificationRecord
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Squads Pld W D L GF GA
Uruguay1930 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member
Italy1934
France1938
Brazil1950 did not enter did not enter
Switzerland1954
Sweden1958 Quarter-final 7th 5 2 1 2 5 6 Squad 5 4 0 1 18 3
Chile1962 Quarter-final 6th 4 2 1 1 9 7 Squad 4 4 0 0 11 3
England1966 Fourth place 4th 6 4 0 2 10 6 Squad 6 5 0 1 19 6
Mexico1970 Quarter-final 5th 4 2 1 1 6 2 Squad 4 3 1 0 8 1
West Germany1974 did not qualify 6 3 1 2 5 4
Argentina1978 4 2 0 2 5 3
Spain1982 Second Group stage 7th 5 2 2 1 7 4 Squad 8 6 2 0 20 2
Mexico1986 Round of 16 10th 4 2 1 1 12 5 Squad 8 4 2 2 13 8
Italy1990 Group stage 17th 3 1 0 2 4 4 Squad 8 4 3 1 11 4
Total Fourth place 7/14 31 15 6 10 53 34 — 53 35 9 9 110 34

UEFA European Championship record[edit]

ChampionsRunners-upThird PlaceFourth Place

UEFA European Championship record QualificationRecord
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Squads Pld W D L GF GA
France1960 Champions 1st 2 2 0 0 5 1 Squad 2 2 0 0 4 1
Spain1964 Runners-up 2nd 2 1 0 1 4 2 Squad 4 2 2 0 7 3
Italy1968 Fourth place 4th 2 0 1 1 0 2 Squad 8 6 0 2 19 8
Belgium1972 Runners-up 2nd 2 1 0 1 1 3 Squad 8 5 3 0 16 4
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia1976 did not qualify 8 4 1 3 12 10
Italy1980 6 1 3 2 7 8
France1984 6 4 1 1 11 2
West Germany1988 Runners-up 2nd 5 3 1 1 7 4 Squad 8 5 3 0 14 3
Sweden1992 Qualified, but dissolved and replaced byCIS national football team 8 5 3 0 13 2
Total 1 title 5/8 13 7 2 4 17 12 — 58 34 16 8 103 41

Summer Olympics record[edit]

Olympic record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Squads
1896–1912 Preceded withRussian Empire
1920–1948 did not enter
Finland1952 Round 1 14th 3 1 1 1 8 9 Squad
Australia1956 Gold medalists 1st 5 4 1 0 9 2 Squad
Italy1960 did not qualify
Japan1964
Mexico1968
West Germany1972 Bronze medalists 3rd 7 5 2 0 17 6 Squad
Canada1976 Bronze medalists 3rd 5 4 0 1 10 4 Squad
Since 1976 Succeeded withOlympic team
Total Gold medalists 4/20 20 14 4 2 44 21 —

Honours[edit]

This is a list of honours for the senior Soviet Union national football team

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^"Playing for the enemy: The Ukrainian footballers who sign for Russian clubs".12 January 2020.Retrieved30 March2024.
  2. ^"How the Russians break the Olympic rules".Christian Science Monitor.Retrieved30 March2024.
  3. ^Washburn, J. N. (21 July 1974)."Soviet Amateur Athlete: A Real Pro".The New York Times.Retrieved30 March2024.
  4. ^"The Soviet Union and the Olympics".Retrieved4 January2023.
  5. ^Hentilä, Seppo (1982).Suomen työläisurheilun historia I. Työväen Urheiluliitto 1919–1944.Hämeenlinna: Karisto. pp. 146–148.ISBN951-23216-0-2.
  6. ^Hentilä, Seppo (2014).Bewegung, Kultur und Alltag im Arbeitersport(in German). Helsinki: The Finnish Society for Labour History. p. 48.ISBN978-952-59762-6-7.Archivedfrom the original on 3 May 2018.Retrieved10 June2017.
  7. ^"Soviet Union – International Results 1911-1935".RSSSF.Archivedfrom the original on 30 December 2017.Retrieved13 January2007.
  8. ^ab"USSR – Yugoslavia, the Story of Two Different Football Conceptions".russianfootballnews.Archivedfrom the original on 24 April 2017.Retrieved27 November2017.
  9. ^"Yugoslavia National Team List of Results 1950-1959".RSSSF.Archivedfrom the original on 24 November 2011.Retrieved13 January2007.
  10. ^"1958 – Qualifying competition".Planet World Cup.Archivedfrom the original on 19 January 2007.Retrieved13 January2007.
  11. ^"Sweden 2-0 Soviet Union".Retrieved28 March2024.
  12. ^"European Championship 1960 (Details)".Retrieved28 March2024.
  13. ^Cox, Michael."How the Soviet Union won Euro 1960: A 'WM' formation, Franco's Spain withdrawal and Lev Yashin".The New York Times.Retrieved28 March2024.
  14. ^McVeigh, Niall (12 June 2018)."Golden Goal: Marcos Coll scores from a corner for Colombia v USSR(1962)".The Guardian.Retrieved29 March2024.
  15. ^"Soviet Union and the World Cup: Always promising but underachievers".Retrieved11 February2023.
  16. ^"European Championship 1964".Retrieved30 March2024.
  17. ^"European Championship 1964 - Details Final Tournament".Retrieved30 March2024.
  18. ^"Marcelino heads Spain to EURO 1964 final win against USSR".2 October 2003.Retrieved30 March2024.
  19. ^"USSR 3-0 DPRK".Retrieved28 March2024.
  20. ^"Soviet Union 1-0 Italy".Retrieved30 March2024.
  21. ^"Soviet Union 2-1 Chile".Retrieved30 March2024.
  22. ^"Soviet Union 2-1 Hungary".Retrieved30 March2024.
  23. ^"Germany FR 2-1 Soviet Union".Retrieved30 March2024.
  24. ^"Portugal 2-1 Soviet Union".Retrieved30 March2024.
  25. ^"Coin toss takes Italy to EURO 1968 final after USSR stalemate".Retrieved29 March2024.
  26. ^"England beat Soviet Union to win EURO 1968 third-place play-off".2 October 2003.Retrieved30 March2024.
  27. ^"Mexico 70: Sunday, 31st May 1970 and the tournament gets underway with the hosts in action".Retrieved28 March2024.
  28. ^"Football World Cup Firsts".Retrieved29 March2024.
  29. ^"Uruguay 1-0 Soviet Union".Retrieved30 March2024.
  30. ^"USSR make it past Hungary to reach EURO 1972 final".3 October 2003.Retrieved30 March2024.
  31. ^"West Germany 3-0 USSR".Retrieved28 March2024.
  32. ^"Soviet Union refuses to play Chile in World Cup Soccer".Retrieved28 March2024.
  33. ^"Brazil 2-1 Soviet Union".Retrieved30 March2024.
  34. ^"Soviet union 1-0 Belgium".Retrieved30 March2024.
  35. ^"How Poland booted the USSR from the World Cup in 1982 and Russia in 2022".Retrieved30 March2024.
  36. ^"WORLD CUP; SOVIET UNION, ARGENTINA WIN OPENERS".The New York Times.3 June 1986.Retrieved28 March2024.
  37. ^"Belgium 4-3 Soviet Union".Retrieved28 March2024.
  38. ^"Stylish USSR overcome youthful Italy in EURO 1988 semi-final".5 October 2003.Retrieved30 March2024.
  39. ^"Van Basten volley crowns Netherlands' EURO 1988 final win against USSR".5 October 2003.Retrieved30 March2024.
  40. ^"Soviet Union 4-0 Cameroon".Retrieved30 March2024.
  41. ^"History. About FUR. General information. FUR".en.rfs.ru.Archived fromthe originalon 9 September 2016.
  42. ^"History of the USSR national football team, pure Soviet football".Retrieved28 March2024.
  43. ^abMamrud, Roberto."Soviet Union/CIS – Record International Players".RSSSF.Archivedfrom the original on 6 October 2009.Retrieved10 September2004.
  44. ^Roy, Abhishek (14 August 2007)."Revisiting some of the memorable moments of the Nehru Cup".TwoCircles.net.IANS. Archived fromthe originalon 3 March 2022.Retrieved22 March2022.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toSoviet Union national association football team.
Preceded by
Inaugural champions
 European champions
1960(first title) 		Succeeded by
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