The Finland national football team have never qualified for a FIFA world cup or European championship. They have always been strong and consistent competitors on the international stage. They have never dropped out of the top 100 of the FIFA Rankings since they were created in 1993.
The Finland Football Association were founded in 1907, and the team became a member of FIFA in 1908. This is despite the fact that Finland was part of the Russian Empire until 1917. The team’s first international match was against neighbours Sweden in 1911. They lost the match 5-2 in Helsinki.
The side has come close to qualifying for world cups in the past. The Finland national football team always seem to be best of the rest since the 1980’s. They came close in 1986, 1998 and 2002, and have boasted some of the most high profile names in the sport.