Latvian football team before matches with Azerbaijan and Albania four debutants / day
The Latvian team will first play a test match with Azerbaijan at Skonto Stadium on June 7, and on June 10, the 2026 World Cup qualifier will host Albania.
Head coach Paolo Nikolato has invited 25 players to the team, four of whom were called for the first time – Krister Grabovsky, Bruno Melnis, Gleb Žaleiko and Kristers Penkevics.
« As I said at my first press conference in Latvia, I want the team to have a rotating door principle. The door to the team is open to footballers who have not yet been here and the team is not guaranteed for those who have been here for a long time. It applies to all players. And I know they would be proud to put on the Latvian national team shirt, « Nicholato said.
In the previous team break, the Latvian team started the World Cup qualifiers and beat Andorra in the first match with a 1: 0 match, but in the second game with 0: 3 defeated England. In Group K, England has six points, three points for Albania and Latvia, but Andorra and Serbia, who have not yet played qualifying games, are without points.
The winners of the UEFA League Groups of the 2024/2025 season, which will be out of the top two in the qualifying groups.
The World Cup finals will take place in Canada, Mexico and the US in June and July 2026.
Latvian men’s football team candidates:
goalkeepers – Rihards Matrevics (« Auda »), Krišjānis Zviedris (« Riga »), Frank Davis Orols (« Super Nova »);
Guards – Roberts Savaļnieks (RFS), Andrejs Ciganik (« Luzern », Switzerland), Raivis Andris Jurkovskis, Antonijs Chernomordijs, Maxim Tonešev (all – « Riga »), Kristers Tobers (« Aberdeen », Scotland), Vitaly Jagodinsky Daniel Balodis (« St. Johnstone », Scotland), Dennis Melnik (« Auda »);
midfielders – Alvis Jaunzems (Melecas « Stal », Poland), Alexei Savelyev (Buzeu « Gloria », Romania), Eduards Dashķevičs (« Riga »), Renars Varslavans (« Auda »), Dmitry Zelenkov, Gleb. Norway), Kristaps Grabovsky (« Metta »), Kristers Penkevics (« Jelgava »);
Attackers – Jānis Ikaunieks (RFS), Vladislav Gutkovsky (Citizen of Tejona, South Korea), Marko Regga (« Riga »), Bruno Melnis (« Liepaja »).
