Moldova national under-21 football team

The Moldova national under-21 football team represents Moldova in international football at this age level and is controlled by the Moldovan Football Federation, the governing body for football in Moldova. The team is considered to be the feeder team for the senior Moldovan national football team. The team competes to qualify for the UEFA European Under-21 Championship, held every two years. Since the establishment of the Moldovan under-21 team, the under-21 side has never reached a final tournament of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship, but has produced many players, who have become regular internationals for the senior side. The team is coached by Ștefan Stoica.[1][2]

Moldova Under-21
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)Tricolorii Mici (The Small Tricolours)
AssociationMoldovan Football Federation
ConfederationUEFA (Europe)
Head coachȘtefan Stoica
CaptainIon Borș
FIFA codeMDA
First colours
Second colours
First international
 Moldova 0–1 Belarus 
(Chișinău, Moldova; 30 August 1992)
Biggest win
 Moldova 5–1 Georgia 
(Valletta, Malta; 27 February 2006)
 Gibraltar 0–4 Moldova 
(Gibraltar; 29 March 2022)
Biggest defeat
 Greece 8–0 Moldova 
(Sparta, Greece; 23 October 1996)
European Championship
Appearances0

This team is for Moldovan players aged 21 or under at the start of a two-year European Under-21 Championship campaign, so players can be, and often are, up to 23 years old. Players born on or after 1 January 2002 are eligible for the 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification.

Moldova U21s began their first competitive campaign in 1994, in which they tried to qualify for the 1996 finals. They eventually finished fourth in a five-team group, with two wins out of eight games. The U-21 team plays its home matches in many different venues all around the country, including Chișinău, Orhei and Tiraspol.

Players

Current squad

The following players were selected for the 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification match against Netherlands on 8 September 2023.

Caps and goals correct as of 8 September 2023, after the match against Netherlands.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Silviu Șmalenea (2002-12-09) 9 December 2002 7 0 Moldova Petrocub Hîncești
12 1GK Roman Dumenco (2004-07-30) 30 July 2004 1 0 Moldova Sheriff Tiraspol
12 1GK Victor Dodon (2004-03-01) 1 March 2004 0 0 Moldova Dacia Buiucani

4 2DF Iurie Iovu (2002-07-06) 6 July 2002 10 1 Croatia Istra 1961
6 2DF Ion Borș (2002-07-25) 25 July 2002 10 1 Moldova Petrocub Hîncești
2DF Andrei Motoc (2002-04-13) 13 April 2002 7 0 Italy Legnano
5 2DF Doru Calestru (2002-11-15) 15 November 2002 4 0 Cyprus Akritas Chlorakas
14 2DF Cornelius Staver (2003-03-08) 8 March 2003 2 0 Italy Pescara
2 2DF Cătălin Cucoș (2003-09-29) 29 September 2003 4 0 Ukraine Kolos Kovalivka
2DF Alexandru Gutium (2003-07-15) 15 July 2003 2 0 Moldova Dacia Buiucani

8 3MF Daniel Lisu (2002-04-02) 2 April 2002 12 0 Moldova Milsami Orhei
16 3MF Mihai Dolghi (2002-07-08) 8 July 2002 9 0 Romania CSM Reșița
20 3MF Vicu Bulmaga (2003-07-05) 5 July 2003 6 0 Belarus Isloch Minsk
10 3MF Vlad Răileanu (2003-01-09) 9 January 2003 3 2 Moldova Zimbru Chișinău
3MF Nichita Picus (2002-09-13) 13 September 2002 4 0 Moldova Florești
3MF Mihai Lupan (2004-09-08) 8 September 2004 1 0 Moldova Petrocub Hîncești

4FW Daniel Dosca (2003-02-20) 20 February 2003 2 0 Moldova Dacia Buiucani
9 4FW Serghei Mișcov (2003-04-25) 25 April 2003 5 0 Moldova Bălți
4FW Daniel Muntean (2003-11-03) 3 November 2003 3 0 Moldova Florești
4FW Ilie Botnari (2003-07-25) 25 July 2003 2 0 Moldova Dacia Buiucani

Recent call-ups

The following players have also been called up to the squad within the last twelve months and remain eligible for selection.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Roman Lazăr (2005-06-28) 28 June 2005 0 0 Italy Adriese v.  Austria, 27 March 2023

DF Cornelius Staver (2003-03-08) 8 March 2003 1 0 Italy Pescara v.  Austria, 27 March 2023

MF Mihai Dolghi (2002-07-08) 8 July 2002 7 0 Moldova Viitorul Cluj v.  Austria, 27 March 2023
MF Nicolai Covalschi (2004-04-17) 17 April 2004 1 0 Moldova Sheriff Tiraspol v.  Austria, 27 March 2023

FW Vladislav Blănuță (2002-01-12) 12 January 2002 8 3 Romania U Craiova 1948 v.  Austria, 27 March 2023
FW Nichita Picus (2002-09-13) 13 September 2002 2 0 Moldova Florești v.  Austria, 27 March 2023
FW Daniel Dosca (2003-02-20) 20 February 2003 1 0 Moldova Dacia Buiucani v.  Austria, 27 March 2023
FW Danila Forov (2004-01-07) 7 January 2004 1 0 Croatia Rijeka v.  Austria, 27 March 2023

Competition history

UEFA U-21 European Championship

UEFA U-21 European Championship UEFA U-21
Qualification record[3]
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA
Spain 1996 Did not qualify8224511
Romania 1998 8116517
Slovakia 2000 8044310
Switzerland 2002 10235613
Germany 2004 8026314
Portugal 2006 10325812
Netherlands 2007 412145
Sweden 2009 840468
Denmark 2011 10424913
Israel 2013 82151024
Czech Republic 2015 10514126
Poland 2017 10217818
Italy San Marino 2019 10217823
Hungary Slovenia 2021 8215622
Romania Georgia (country) 2023 10334712
Slovakia 2025 Future event
Total 0/15 135 35 26 74 105 218

2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship

Qualifying group stage

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Netherlands 4 4 0 0 13 0 +13 12 Final tournament
2  Sweden 4 2 1 1 9 1 +8 7 Final tournament if among three best runners-up
(play-offs otherwise)
3  Georgia 4 2 1 1 3 3 0 7
4  Moldova 5 2 0 3 5 10 5 6
5  North Macedonia 3 1 0 2 2 4 2 3
6  Gibraltar 4 0 0 4 1 15 14 0
Updated to match(es) played on 17 October 2023. Source: UEFA
Gibraltar 1–3 Moldova
Borge 2' Report Borș 27' (pen.)
Răileanu 31', 67'
Attendance: 350
Referee: Jasmin Šabotić (Luxembourg)

Netherlands 3–0 Moldova
Proper 43'
Babadi 67'
Manhoef 73'
Report
Attendance: 3,094
Referee: Miloš Gigovic (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Moldova 0–1 Georgia
Report Iobashvili 84'
Attendance: 800
Referee: Antti Munukka (Finland)

Sweden 4–0 Moldova
Vilhelmsson 8', 32'
Swedberg 19'
Bergvall 89'
Report
Attendance: 1,036
Referee: Trustin Farrugia Cann (Malta)

Moldova 2–1 North Macedonia
Răileanu 55'
Lupan 85'
Report Stankovski 60'
Attendance: 400
Referee: Robert Jenkins (Wales)

Moldova v Gibraltar
Report

Moldova v Netherlands

Georgia v Moldova

Moldova v Sweden

North Macedonia v Moldova

All-time record

Only competitive matches are included and correct as of 17 October 2023.[4]

See also

References

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