Ruben Nazaretyan Awarded the Movses Khorenatsi Medal for the Historic Success of Armenian Futsal

The President of the Republic of Armenia, Vahagn Khachaturyan, awarded the Movses Khorenatsi Medal to Ruben Nazaretyan, head coach of the Armenian national futsal team, during an official reception. The high state honor was bestowed for his outstanding contribution to the development of sport, many years of dedicated service, and sincere devotion to the Motherland.

This recognition became a logical continuation of the historic success of Armenian futsal. Under Nazaretyan’s leadership, the Armenian national team qualified for the final stage of the European Championship for the first time in its history. The national team will compete at EURO 2026, which will take place from January 21 to February 7 in Latvia, Lithuania, and Slovenia.

The achievement of the futsal national team holds special significance for Armenian sport as a whole. It is this team that became the first in Armenia’s history, across all team sports, to reach the final stage of a major international tournament, thereby opening a new chapter in the country’s sporting chronicle.

Ruben Nazaretyan has been leading the Armenian futsal national team since 2003. Over more than two decades, he has effectively built the futsal system in the country from scratch — from forming the team and developing specialists to reaching the European level. His work laid the foundation for today’s successes and serves as an example of how consistency, belief, and professionalism can lead to historic results.

The awarding of the Movses Khorenatsi Medal highlights not only the coach’s sporting achievements but also his contribution to strengthening national spirit and enhancing Armenia’s international image.