Bulgaria women's national football team
 | |||
| Nickname(s) | Лъвиците (The Lionesses) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Bulgarian Football Union | ||
| Confederation | UEFA (Europe) | ||
| Head coach | Silvia Radoyska | ||
| Captain | Nikoleta Boycheva | ||
| Top scorer | Liliana Kostova (7) | ||
| Home stadium | Various | ||
| FIFA code | BUL | ||
| |||
| FIFA ranking | |||
| Current | 97  1 (6 March 2025)[1] | ||
| Highest | 42 (December 2008) | ||
| Lowest | 99 (June 2024) | ||
| First international | |||
 Bulgaria 1–1 Spain  (Sofia, Bulgaria; 11 October 1987) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
 Estonia 0–5 Bulgaria  (Otopeni, Romania; 18 November 2006) Bulgaria 5–0 Luxembourg  (Ta' Qali, Malta; 5 June 2009) Bulgaria 5–0 Georgia  (Lovech, Bulgaria; 21 November 2009) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
 France 14–0 Bulgaria (Le Mans, France; 28 November 2013) | |||
The Bulgaria women's national football team (Bulgarian: Български женски национален отбор по футбол) represents Bulgaria in international women's football, and is controlled by the Bulgarian Football Union. The team's major success came in 2008 when they won the Balkan Championship and the Albena Cup in the same year. These major tournament victories brought them up to their all-time highest FIFA world ranking of 33rd.
History
[edit]![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (May 2021) |
Team image
[edit]Nicknames
[edit]The Bulgaria women's national football team have been nicknamed as "Лъвиците (The Lionesses)".
Home stadium
[edit]Bulgaria plays their home matches on the Lovech Stadium.
Results and fixtures
[edit]The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
- Legend
Win Draw Lose Fixture
2024
[edit]| 5 April 2024 UEFA Euro 2025 qualifying League C | Kazakhstan  | 0–1 | Bulgaria | Almaty, Kazakhstan |
| 13:00 UTC+2 | Report | Petkova  45+5' |
Stadium: FC Kairat Academy Attendance: 213 Referee: Melis Özçiğdem (Turkey) |
| 9 April 2024 UEFA Euro 2025 qualifying League C | Bulgaria | 2–3 |  Armenia | Sofia, Bulgaria |
| 17:00 UTC+2 |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Stadion Aleksandar Shalamanov Attendance: 237 Referee: Emilie Torkelsen (Norway) |
| 31 May 2024 UEFA Euro 2025 qualifying League C | Romania  | 1–0 | Bulgaria | Bucharest, Romania |
| 18:00 UTC+2 | Vătafu 76' |
Report | Stadium: Stadionul Arcul de Triumf Attendance: 1,709 Referee: Kathrin Huber (Austria) |
| 4 June 2024 UEFA Euro 2025 qualifying League C | Bulgaria | 0–3 | Romania | Sofia, Bulgaria |
| 18:00 UTC+2 | Report | Stadium: Stadion Aleksandar Shalamanov Attendance: 176 Referee: Jurgita Mačikunytė (Lithuania) |
| 12 July 2024 UEFA Euro 2025 qualifying League C | Armenia | 1–3 | Bulgaria | Yerevan, Armenia |
| 17:45 UTC+2 | Safaryan 75' |
Report |
|
Stadium: Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium Attendance: 419 Referee: Zoe Stavrou (Cyprus) |
| 16 July 2024 UEFA Euro 2025 qualifying League C | Bulgaria | 0–0 | Kazakhstan | Sofia, Bulgaria |
| 19:00 UTC+2 | Report | Stadium: Stadion Aleksandar Shalamanov Attendance: 228 Referee: Kristina Kozoroh (Ukraine) |
2025
[edit]| 21 February 2025 2025 UEFA Nations League C | Bulgaria | 1–3 |  Israel | Sofia, Bulgaria |
| 14:30 UTC+2 | Petrova 36' |
Report | Stadium: Stadion Aleksandar Shalamanov Attendance: 177 Referee: Milica Milovanović (Serbia) |
| 4 April 2025 2025 UEFA Nations League C | Estonia | v | Bulgaria | Tallinn, Estonia |
| 18:00 UTC+2 | Report | Stadium: Lilleküla Stadium Referee: Stacey Pearson (England) |
| 8 April 2025 2025 UEFA Nations League C | Israel | v | Bulgaria | Budaörs, Hungary |
| 13:00 UTC+2 | Report | Stadium: BSC Stadium |
Coaching staff
[edit]Current coaching staff
[edit]- As of 28 November 2022
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Silvia Radoyska
|
| Assistant coaches | Velizar Hristov
|
| Trifon Panev
| |
| Goalkeeping coach | Emil Varadinov
|
| Team manager | Doychin Bahov
|
Manager history
[edit] | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2022) |
| Name | Period | Matches | Wins | Draws | Losses | Winning % | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emil Atanasov
|
18 November 2006 – 25 August 2010 | 21 | 11 | 4 | 6 | 52.38% | ||
| Valentin Chakarov
|
24 November 2010 – 19 September 2012 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 0% | ||
| Emil Kartselski
|
20 August 2013 – 21 August 2014 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 18.18% | ||
| Silviya Radoyska
|
17 September 2014–present | 29 | 5 | 2 | 22 | 22.73% |
Players
[edit]Current squad
[edit]The following players were called up for the 2025 UEFA Women's Nations League matches against Estonia and Israel on 4 and 8 April 2025 respectively.[2]
Recent call-ups
[edit]- The following players have been called up to a Bulgaria squad in the past 12 months.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Roksana Shahanska | 23 April 1992 | 29 | 0 | Lokomotiv
|
v. Israel, 21 February 2025
|
| DF | Bianka Demirova | 8 July 2006 | NSA Sofia
|
v. Israel, 21 February 2025
| ||
| DF | Yana Dineva | 8 November 2002 | 9 | 0 | Lokomotiv
|
v. Israel, 21 February 2025
|
| DF | Elena Kamenova |
|
v. Israel, 21 February 2025
| |||
| DF | Nora Dimitrova (captain) | 26 July 1996 | 14 | 1 | Lokomotiv
|
v. Armenia, 9 April 2024
|
| DF | Ivet Vasileva | 12 July 1998 | 0 | 0 | LP Super Sport
|
v. Armenia, 9 April 2024
|
| DF | Ivet Vasileva | 12 July 1998 | 0 | 0 | LP Super Sport
|
v. Armenia, 9 April 2024
|
| DF | Mariela Nedeva | 12 July 2000 | 4 | 0 | Lokomotiv
|
v.  Ukraine, 27 February 2024
|
| DF | Nora Dimitrova (captain) | 26 July 1996 | 14 | 1 | Lokomotiv
|
v. Kazakhstan,16 July 2024
|
| DF | Yoanna Tomova | 16 July 2003 | v. Kazakhstan,16 July 2024
| |||
| DF | Zhasmina Atanasova | 25 June 1996 | 6 | 0 | Lokomotiv
|
v. Kazakhstan,16 July 2024
|
| MF | Anita Churusinova | 10 May 2004 | NSA Sofia
|
v. Armenia, 9 April 2024
| ||
| MF | Veni Sarbinska | 28 December 1995 | Sportika
|
v.  North Macedonia, 5 December 2023
| ||
| MF | Antonia Angelova | 15 September 2005 | Sevlievo Ladies
|
v. Kazakhstan,16 July 2024
| ||
| MF | Preslava Yordanova | 14 September 2005 | NSA Sofia
|
v. Kazakhstan,16 July 2024
| ||
| FW | Yana Yordanova | 20 February 2003 |  Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders
|
v. Romania, 4 June 2024
| ||
| FW | Catherine Karadjov | 19 June 1998 | 1 | 0 | Orvault
|
v. Ukraine, 27 February 2024
|
| FW | Simona Petkova | 3 September 1993 | 13 | 0 | Unattached | v. Kazakhstan,16 July 2024
|
| FW | Evdokiya Popadinova | 26 October 1996 | 8 | 3 |  Lazio
|
v. Kazakhstan,16 July 2024
|
| FW | Nadezhda Ivanova | 17 December 2004 | 0 | 0 |  Beylerbeyi
|
v. Kazakhstan,16 July 2024
|
| FW | Aleksandra Sergeeva | 3 November 2005 | 2 | 0 |  VfL Wolfsburg II
|
v. Kazakhstan,16 July 2024
|
| FW | Viky Yavorova | 12 May 2003 | 2 | 0 | Jacksonville State Gamecocks
|
v. Kazakhstan,16 July 2024
|
Captains
[edit] | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (May 2021) |
- Radoslava Slavcheva (????–)
Records
[edit]- As of 23 May 2021
- Active players in bold, statistics correct as of 2021.
Most capped players[edit]
|
Top goalscorers[edit]
|
Competitive record
[edit]FIFA Women's World Cup
[edit]| FIFA Women's World Cup record | Qualification record | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Result | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | |
 1991
|
Did not qualify | UEFA Euro 1991 | ||||||||||||
 1995
|
UEFA Euro 1995 | |||||||||||||
| 1999
|
6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 12 | ||||||||
| 2003
|
Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||||||||
| 2007
| ||||||||||||||
| 2011
|
Did not qualify | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 25 | |||||||
 2015
|
10 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 62 | ||||||||
| 2019
|
Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||||||||
  2023
|
Did not qualify | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 37 | |||||||
 2027
|
To be determined | To be determined | ||||||||||||
| Total | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 34 | 4 | 4 | 26 | 24 | 136 | |
- *Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
UEFA Women's Championship
[edit]| UEFA Women's Championship record | Qualifying record | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Result | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | P/R | Rnk | |
  1984
|
Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||||||||||
| 1987
| ||||||||||||||||
| 1989
|
Did not qualify | 8 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 18 | – | ||||||||
 1991
|
6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 18 | ||||||||||
| 1993
|
4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 9 | ||||||||||
| 1995
|
4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 11 | ||||||||||
| 1997
|
6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 6 | ||||||||||
| 2001
|
Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||||||||||
| 2005
| ||||||||||||||||
 2009
|
Did not qualify | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 1 | – | ||||||||
| 2013
|
10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 54 | ||||||||||
 2017
|
Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||||||||||
| 2022
| ||||||||||||||||
 2025
|
Did not qualify | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 8 |  [a] |
41st | |||||||
| 2029 | To be determined | To be determined | ||||||||||||||
| Total | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 41 | 7 | 3 | 31 | 30 | 117 | 41st | ||
- *Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
UEFA Women's Nations League
[edit]| UEFA Women's Nations League record | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | League | Group | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | P/R | Rnk | |
| 2023–24 | C | 5 | 2nd | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 14 | * |
40th | |
| 2025 | C | 5 | To be determined | |||||||||
| Total | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 14 | 40th | |||||
|
Promoted at end of season |
|---|---|
|
|
No movement at end of season |
|
Relegated at end of season |
| * | Participated in promotion/relegation play-offs |
Honours
[edit]- Champions : 2008
- Champions : 2008
See also
[edit]- Sport in Bulgaria
- Football in Bulgaria
- Women's football in Bulgaria
- Football in Bulgaria
- Bulgaria men's national football team
Notes
[edit]- ^ From Euro 2025 onwards a new qualifying format was introduced, linked to the Women's Nations League where teams are divided into leagues with promotion/relegation between the leagues at the end of each cycle.
References
[edit]- ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Women's World Ranking". FIFA. 6 March 2025. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
- ^ "Силвия Радойска обяви състава на "лъвиците" за предстоящите мачове в Лига на нациите" [Silvia Radoyska announced the squad of the "Lionesses" for the upcoming matches in the Nations League.]. topsport.bg (in Bulgarian). 29 March 2025. Retrieved 2 April 2025.
External links
[edit]- Official website (in Bulgarian)
- FIFA profile
| League competitions | |
|---|---|
| Cup competitions | |
| Defunct competitions |
|
| National teams | |
| Regional Amateur Football Groups | |
| Lists | |
| Awards | |
| |