The geography of the Armenian national team's opponents: who they beat and who they always lost to

Since 1992, and until the end of 2025, the Armenian national football team has faced 68 countries around the world. Sportaran has prepared a map marking the nations Armenia has defeated at least once, as well as those against whom Armenia has either never won or only lost.

This is more than just statistics — it is a story filled with memorable victories, painful defeats, rare trips to other continents, and matches that became the only appearance for certain players.

Frequent Opponents and Basic Statistics

Armenia has most often faced opponents who regularly appeared in the same qualifying groups during European competitions.

Its most frequent rival is North Macedonia: the teams have played 15 matches against each other. Armenia won 4 of them, 3 ended in draws, and the remaining 8 were victories for Macedonia.

The second most frequent opponent is Ukraine. Armenia has played 10 matches against the Ukrainians and has never beaten them. However, Armenia did manage to draw 3 times; the rest ended in defeat.

Against Georgia, Armenia played 9 matches: 2 Armenian victories, 2 draws, and the rest defeats. Yet Georgia remains one of Armenia’s most familiar and historically close rivals.

Armenia has also played 8 matches each against Portugal, Denmark, Kazakhstan, and Andorra.

Teams Armenia Has Never Played

Even though Armenia has participated in European qualifiers for 37 years, there are still national teams it has never faced — neither in official competitions nor in friendlies.

Armenia has never played against:

• England
• Switzerland
• Austria
• San Marino
• Azerbaijan (for political reasons)

Among the former Soviet republics, these teams have also never crossed paths with Armenia:

• Kyrgyzstan
• Tajikistan
• Azerbaijan

Other Confederations: Few Matches, But Meaningful Stories

Since Armenia has never played in the World Cup, it has had no official matches against teams from other confederations. All games against Asian, African, and American teams were friendlies — but far from meaningless. Many of them became important milestones.

Asia: From Iran to the UAE

Aside from post-Soviet opponents such as Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, Armenia has also played against several Asian national teams:

• Iran
• Kuwait
• Lebanon
• UAE
• Jordan

These matches were mostly friendlies and training-camp fixtures, but some of them became notable for coaching experiments and player debuts.

Africa: Two Heavy Defeats and a Swiss Connection

Armenia has played African teams only twice, and both matches ended painfully.
In 1996, Armenia lost to Morocco 0:6, and in 2014 suffered a 1:3 defeat to Algeria.

The pair of matches against the UAE and Algeria is especially interesting: both were played in Switzerland and were Armenia’s first games under Swiss head coach Bernard Challandes. Armenia beat the UAE 4:3 but then lost to Algeria. These matches are remembered for the debuts — and only appearances — of Brazilian defender Alex and Uruguayan-Armenian forward Mauro Guevgeozián. Alex was later called up again but never played; Guevgeozián was never summoned back.

South America: Tough Trips and a Famous Win Over Paraguay

Armenia faced South American teams only in the mid-1990s — in 1996 and 1997. All matches were away, posing a real challenge for the young national team.

The results were harsh:

• Chile 7:0 Armenia
• Peru 4:0 Armenia
• Ecuador 3:0 Armenia

But two matches against Paraguay stand out. Armenia played Paraguay twice, winning once 2:1, and losing the other match 0:2. Considering the opponent’s level and the fact that the game was away, the victory over Paraguay remains one of Armenia’s most significant achievements outside Europe.

North & Central America: A Record Win and a Match Against the USA

Armenia has rarely played teams from North and Central America, but the matches produced some unique chapters in team history.

In 2016, in Los Angeles, Armenia — led by Varuzhan Sukiasyan — beat Guatemala 7:1, the largest victory in national team history.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan was unstoppable: he scored his only hat-trick for the national team and also made three assists, participating in nearly all goals.

A year later, under new coach Artur Petrosyan, Armenia beat Saint Kitts and Nevis 5:0 in Yerevan. Mkhitaryan scored twice, once again proving his leadership.

Armenia’s only match so far against the United States took place in 1994 in Los Angeles, when the Americans were preparing for the 1994 World Cup. The USA won 1:0. For Armenia, this was only the second match in its independent history, coached by the legendary Eduard Markarov.

In 2012, Armenia defeated Canada 3:1. The match marked the debut of Aras Özbiliz, who immediately scored from the penalty spot.

In 2007, Armenia also played a friendly in Panama, ending in a 1:1 draw.

Teams Armenia Beats Most Often

Looking at the statistics, Armenia has several “favorable” opponents.

The most victories have come against Andorra: in eight matches, Armenia won seven times, with one draw.

Armenia also has a strong record against Kazakhstan — five wins and two losses.

Malta and North Macedonia are among Armenia’s favorable opponents too, each defeated four times.
Armenia also has three wins against Liechtenstein and Latvia.

A unique official-match record stands with Slovakia: Armenia has a 100% success rate — two matches, two victories, with a combined score of 7:1. Both wins came in the Euro 2012 qualifiers, which was one of the brightest periods in Armenian football history.

In friendlies, Armenia also has a perfect record against Uzbekistan (two wins), and single wins against Canada, Lebanon, UAE, El Salvador, Turkmenistan, and Saint Kitts and Nevis.

Teams Armenia Has Never Taken Points From

On the opposite side are national teams that Armenia has never managed to take even a single point from:

• Spain — 6 defeats
• Germany — 5 defeats
• France — 5 defeats
• Hungary — 3 defeats
• Netherlands — 2 defeats
• Scotland — 2 defeats
• Kuwait — 1 defeat
• USA — 1 defeat
• Sweden — 1 defeat
• Morocco — 1 defeat
• Iran — 1 defeat
• Peru — 1 defeat
• Slovenia — 1 defeat
• Algeria — 1 defeat
• Chile — 1 defeat
• Israel — 1 defeat
• Ecuador — 1 defeat

Memorable Draws and Big Matches: Italy, Turkey, Norway

One of Armenia’s most famous draws came in 2013 in Naples, where Armenia held Italy to 2:2 in a World Cup qualifier. Armenia led twice, scoring through Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Yura Movsisyan. Italy equalized with goals by Mario Balotelli and Alessandro Florenzi. The other three matches against Italy all ended in defeat — one heavy 1:9 loss and two 1:3 losses.

A highly emotional draw came against Turkey in 2023 in Eskişehir. Artak Dashyan put Armenia ahead early in the second half, but Turkey equalized in the 88th minute. Before that, all three matches between the teams ended in Turkey’s favor: 2:1 and twice 2:0.

The story with Norway is sharply contrasting. In 2000, Armenia earned a respectable 0:0 draw away. But 22 years later, in a friendly, Norway crushed Armenia 9:0 — the heaviest defeat in team history. Erling Haaland was already a star and scored twice, while Arman Hovhannisyan was sent off for a foul on him.

Russia, the Euro That Never Happened, and the Crucial Match vs Ireland

Armenia has played Russia many times, losing four matches. But in 2011, during Euro 2012 qualifying, Armenia earned a crucial 0:0 draw, keeping hopes alive.

That qualifying campaign became legendary: Armenia beat Slovakia twice, beat North Macedonia twice, and came very close to reaching EURO 2012.

But the decisive match against Ireland turned into heartbreak. Spanish referee Iturralde González mistakenly sent off goalkeeper Roman Berezovsky, deeply affecting the outcome. Armenia lost 1:2 and missed the historic chance to qualify.

Portugal, Cristiano Ronaldo, and a 9:1 Defeat

Armenia has its own history with Portugal. In official matches, Armenia managed two draws — 0:0 in 1996 and 1:1 in 2007, where Robert Arzumanyan scored for Armenia and Cristiano Ronaldo scored for Portugal.

But Portugal won all other six matches.
The most recent meeting, on 16 November 2025, ended in a devastating 1:9 defeat for Armenia.

Poland, Belgium, and Hamlet Mkhitaryan’s Goal

In 2007, shortly before drawing with Portugal, Armenia earned its only victory over Poland — a 1:0 win in Yerevan thanks to a goal by Hamlet Mkhitaryan (not related to Henrikh’s father). The team was led by Scottish coach Ian Porterfield, one of the most respected managers in Armenian football. Interestingly, current head coach Yeghishe Melikyan was a player on that team.

In the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, under Vardan Minasyan, Armenia also earned a historic 2:1 victory over Belgium. It was Armenia’s only win in the group, and Ovanes Goaryan scored his only goal for the national team.

4:0 in Copenhagen — A Match Forever Remembered

Armenia played Denmark eight times: six losses, one draw, and just one win — but that win became legendary.

In 2013, Armenia stunned Denmark in Copenhagen with a 4:0 victory.
Yura Movsisyan scored twice, Aras Özbiliz and Henrikh Mkhitaryan added one each. Danish fans applauded the Armenian players — a rare display of respect on away soil.

During the same 2014 World Cup qualifying cycle, Armenia also earned its first and only victories over Czechia and Bulgaria, making that period one of the most memorable in team history.

Recent Major Victories

Among Armenia’s more recent achievements are its only victories so far over Wales, Greece, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Romania.

Armenia beat Greece and Bosnia in 2019 under Armen Gyulbudaghyants, during a brief resurgence marked by free-flowing attacking football. Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Tigran Barseghyan, and Hovhannes Hambardzumyan all shined.
Armenia defeated Bosnia 4:2 and Greece 3:2 — two symbolic wins of that bright, short-lived era.

The win over Romania in 2021 also became one of the most emotional matches of recent years. Current captain Eduard Spertsyan debuted in that match, scoring immediately. Romania then took the lead 2:1, but Armenia made a dramatic comeback: Varazdat Haroyan equalized, and in the 90th minute Tigran Barseghyan converted a penalty earned by Spertsyan.
All three goals were scored by Armenia’s last three captains.

The 2023 away win over Wales (4:2) stands as another unforgettable night. Lucas Zelarayán and Grant-Leon Ranos each scored twice, tearing apart the Welsh defense and shocking European football.

And finally, the 2:1 victory over Ireland in September 2025 — the first and so far only win under Yeghishe Melikyan — carried enormous symbolic weight, marking a hopeful beginning of a new cycle for the rebuilding national team.

Conclusion: A Map, Numbers, and a Living History

Looking at the map of Armenia’s opponents, one sees how the team’s football geography has expanded over three decades — from neighboring countries to trips across South and North America, matches against European giants, and rare encounters with African and Asian teams.

From 1992 to 2025, Armenia:

• Faced 68 different national teams

• Still has never played several well-known teams, including England, Switzerland, and Austria

• Earned memorable victories over Slovakia, Denmark, Poland, Belgium, Paraguay, Canada, Greece, and Bosnia

• Experienced both a record win (7:1 vs Guatemala) and a record defeat (0:9 vs Norway)

This is not just football history — it is the story of a national team growing, learning, suffering, celebrating, and expanding its horizons year after year.

Green - countries against which there was at least one victory.
Gray - countries against which there were no victories, but some draws.
Red - countries against which there were only defeats.

Armenia will learn its opponents for the 2026 edition of the 2026/27 Nations League, which starts in September, as early as early 2026. The Armenian national team will be drawn in Pot 2, and its potential opponents have already been determined.