| Football in Slovakia | |
|---|---|
| Country | Slovakia |
| Governing body | Slovak Football Association |
| National team(s) | Slovakia |
| First played | 1863 |
National competitions | |
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Club competitions | |
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International competitions | |
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Slovakia has participated in international football as an independent nation ever since 1993 when Czechoslovakia was divided into two new states.[1][2][3] Slovakia qualified to the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 2010, where the side upset perennial power Italy and lost in the Round of 16.[4] Since independence, they qualified for the UEFA European Championship for their first time in 2016. Football is the most popular sport in the Slovak Republic.
The Slovak Football Association was a member of FIFA from April 1939 to 1945 and resumed in 1994.[5]
The Slovak club's football tournament is held every season in the Slovak First Football League. The first Slovak football league was formed in its current form in 1993, when the Czechoslovak league was discontinued after the end of the federation with the Czech Republic. In 2007-08 there was an average of approximately 3000 spectators per game. The clubs sell their players to financially stronger clubs from western Europe. Examples of players that have succeeded in notable leagues are Marek Hamšík, former captain of Italian club SSC Napoli, Peter Pekarík who captains Bundesliga side Hertha BSC and Martin Škrtel, a well-known former Liverpool centre-back. Moreover, over the last few years more and more youngsters have been given the chance to perform regularly in the league before being transferred abroad. For example Leon Bailey, Milan Škriniar, Stanislav Lobotka and Samuel Kalu all played in the Slovak league.
The record champion is ŠK Slovan Bratislava with 13 titles, followed by MŠK Žilina with 7 titles.
The second-tier football league in Slovakia is called 2. Liga and 16 teams compete in it. The third tier league (known as 3. Liga) consists of four divisions of which three (division East, division Middle & division Bratislava) are of 16 teams and the other one (division West) consists of 18 teams.
In2010, MŠK Žilina became the third Slovak club to participate in the Champions League, where they were eliminated in the group stage.
As of the 2023–24 season:[6]
| Level Clubs |
League(s) / Division(s) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 12 |
I. Liga 12 clubs | |||
| 2 16 |
II. Liga 16 clubs | |||
| 3 31 |
III. Liga West 16 clubs |
III. Liga East 15 clubs | ||
| 4 62 |
IV. Liga (BFZ) 16 clubs |
IV. Liga (ZsFZ) 16 clubs |
IV. Liga (SsFZ) 14 clubs |
IV. Liga (VsFZ) 16 clubs |
| 5 103 |
V. Liga (BFZ) 16 clubs |
V. Liga (ZsFZ) North-West - 15 clubs South-East - 16 clubs |
V. Liga (SsFZ) North - 14 clubs South - 14 clubs |
V. Liga (VsFZ) North - 14 clubs South - 14 clubs |
| 6 225 |
VI. Liga (BFZ) Bratislava-city - 14 clubs Bratislava-country - 14 clubs |
VI. Liga (ZsFZ) North - 16 clubs West - 14 clubs South - 11 clubs East - 16 clubs Centre - 16 clubs |
VI. Liga (SsFZ) Group A - 14 clubs Group B - 14 clubs Group C - 14 clubs Group D - 14 clubs |
VI. Liga (VsFZ) Podtatranská - 14 clubs Šarišská - 14 clubs Zemplínska - 14 clubs Košicko-Gemerská - 14 clubs Vihorlatsko-Dukelská - 12 clubs |
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7 |
VII. Liga (BFZ) Bratislava-city - 11 clubs Bratislava-country - 7 clubs |
Sub-regional football unions
Dunajská Streda |
Sub-regional football unions
Banská Bystrica |
Sub-regional football unions
Bardejov |
The Slovak Cup is the football cup competition for Slovak club teams. It is organized annually by the Slovak Football Association (Slovenský futbalový zväz, SFZ). The cup has been held since the 1969/70 season, the first winner was Slovan Bratislava, who is also the record holder, with 17 titles.
The men's national team qualified as group winners for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. At the final tournament, the Slovak team surprisingly won against the world champions Italy 3–2, the Slovaks also qualified for the knockout stages, where they were eliminated after a 2–1 defeat against the eventual finalists Netherlands.[7]
The Slovak national team also qualified for UEFA Euro 2016, reaching the round of 16, and UEFA Euro 2020, where they were eliminated in the group stage.[8]
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| Sovereign states |
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| States with limited recognition |
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