| Nickname(s) | Лъвчетата / Lavchetata (The Young Lions) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Bulgarian Football Union (BFU) | ||
| Confederation | UEFA (Europe) | ||
| Head coach | Todor Yanchev | ||
| Captain | Nikola Iliev | ||
| Mostcaps | Petar Mihtarski (51) | ||
| Top scorer | Atanas Mihaylov (31) | ||
| Home stadium | Various | ||
| FIFA code | BUL | ||
| |||
TheBulgaria national under-21 football team (Bulgarian:Mладежки национален отбор на България по футбол)[1] is considered to be the feeder team for theBulgaria national football team. This team is for Bulgarian players aged under 21 at the start of the calendar year in which a two-yearUEFA European Under-21 Championship campaign begins, so some players can remain with the squad until the age of 23.
Champions Runners-Up Semi-Finals Other Top Results
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
 1968 | Champions |
 1970 | Champions |
 1973 | Champions |
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
 1972 | Semi-Finals |
| 1974 | Quarter-Finals |
| 1976 | Quarter-Finals |
| 1978 | Semi-Finals |
| 1990 | Quarter-Finals |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |  |  |  | |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portugal | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 0 | +21 | 13 | Final tournament | — | 31 Mar '26 | 6 Oct '26 | 3–0 | 5–0 | 30 Sep '26 | |
| 2 | Scotland | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 18 | 7 | +11 | 10 | Play-offs | 0–2 | — | 27 Mar '26 | 1–0 | 30 Sep '26 | 12–0 | |
| 3 | Czech Republic | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 3 | +7 | 10 | 0–0 | 2–0 | — | 30 Sep '26 | 5–0 | 31 Mar '26 | ||
| 4 | Bulgaria | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 25 Sep '26 | 6 Oct '26 | 2–1 | — | 31 Mar '26 | 3–0 | ||
| 5 | Azerbaijan | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 14 | −9 | 5 | 27 Mar '26 | 3–3 | 25 Sep '26 | 1–1 | — | 6 Oct '26 | ||
| 6 | Gibraltar | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 31 | −30 | 0 | 0–11 | 25 Sep '26 | 1–2 | 26 Mar '26 | 0–1 | — |
Win Draw Loss
v
Turkey| 15 November 2024 (2024-11-15)Friendly | Bulgaria | 1–0 | Turkey | Bistritsa,Bulgaria |
| 17:00 EET |
| Report | Stadium:Bistritsa Referee: Georgi Ginchev (Bulgaria) |
v Bulgaria| 19 November 2024 (2024-11-19)Friendly | Bosnia | 1–0 | Bulgaria | Sarajevo,Bosnia |
| 17:00 EET |
| Report | Stadium:Grbavica Attendance: 400 Referee: Nihad Ljajic (Bosnia) |
v Bulgaria| 20 March 2025 (2025-03-20)Friendly | Cyprus | 0–0 | Bulgaria | Larnaca,Cyprus |
| 17:00 EET | Report | Stadium:Antonis Papadopoulos |
v Greece| 25 March 2025 (2025-03-25)Friendly | Bulgaria | 1–1 | Greece | Blagoevgrad,Bulgaria |
| 18:00 EET |
| Report |
| Stadium:Hristo Botev |
v Bulgaria| 31 May 2025 (2025-05-31)Friendly | Serbia | 1–2 | Bulgaria | Leskovac,Serbia |
| 19:00 EEST |
| Report | Stadium:Dubočica |
v
Israel| 5 June 2025 (2025-06-05)Friendly | Bulgaria | 0–3 | Israel | Pazardzhik,Bulgaria |
| 19:00 EEST | Report | Stadium:Georgi Benkovski |
v Gibraltar| 5 September 2025 (2025-09-05)2027 UEFA EC Q | Bulgaria | 3–0 | Gibraltar | Pazardzhik,Bulgaria |
| 19:30 EEST | Report | Stadium:Georgi Benkovski Attendance: 2,500 Referee: Artem Gasparyan (Armenia) |
Current coaching staff[edit]
Last updated: 20 December 2018 | Manager history[edit]
|
Players born in or after 2004 are eligible for the2027 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.
The following players were called up for the2027 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification Group B matches againstScotland on 18 November 2025.
Caps and goals correct as of 18 November 2025, after the match againstScotland.
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1GK | Plamen Andreev | (2004-12-15)15 December 2004 (age 20) | 11 | 0 |  Racing Santander |
| 12 | 1GK | Aleksandar Andreev | (2006-03-25)25 March 2006 (age 19) | 0 | 0 | Girona |
| 2 | 2DF | Ivaylo Videv | (2006-01-17)17 January 2006 (age 19) | 1 | 0 | Botev Plovdiv |
| 3 | 2DF | Simeon Vasilev | (2005-10-24)24 October 2005 (age 20) | 5 | 0 | Septemvri Sofia |
| 4 | 2DF | Todor Pavlov | (2004-07-31)31 July 2004 (age 21) | 5 | 0 | Lokomotiv Plovdiv |
| 5 | 2DF | Mihail Polendakov | (2007-06-05)5 June 2007 (age 18) | 9 | 0 |  Sheffield United |
| 14 | 2DF | Teodor Ivanov | (2004-03-13)13 March 2004 (age 21) | 10 | 0 | CSKA Sofia |
| 15 | 2DF | Dimitar Papazov | (2006-07-15)15 July 2006 (age 19) | 12 | 0 |  Bologna |
| 6 | 3MF | Ivan Pankov | (2005-11-12)12 November 2005 (age 20) | 0 | 0 | Krasava Ypsonas |
| 8 | 3MF | Antoan Stoyanov | (2005-01-17)17 January 2005 (age 20) | 9 | 0 | Botev Vratsa |
| 10 | 3MF | Nikola Iliev | (2004-06-06)6 June 2004 (age 21) | 20 | 8 | Botev Plovdiv |
| 16 | 3MF | Tsvetoslav Marinov | (2005-08-04)4 August 2005 (age 20) | 5 | 0 | Spartak Varna |
| 20 | 3MF | Damyan Yordanov | (2005-05-30)30 May 2005 (age 20) | 2 | 0 | Spartak Varna |
| 21 | 3MF | Petko Panayotov | (2005-07-20)20 July 2005 (age 20) | 7 | 1 | CSKA Sofia |
| 22 | 3MF | Asen Mitkov | (2005-02-17)17 February 2005 (age 20) | 12 | 1 | Levski Sofia |
| 7 | 4FW | Roberto Raychev | (2005-05-07)7 May 2005 (age 20) | 23 | 1 | Slavia Sofia |
| 9 | 4FW | Borislav Rupanov | (2004-11-30)30 November 2004 (age 20) | 13 | 2 | Levski Sofia |
| 17 | 4FW | Boris Dimitrov | (2004-03-29)29 March 2004 (age 21) | 9 | 1 | Montana |
| 18 | 4FW | Kristiyan Balov | (2006-07-26)26 July 2006 (age 19) | 7 | 0 | Slavia Sofia |
| 19 | 4FW | Nikolay Zlatev | (2004-12-12)12 December 2004 (age 20) | 18 | 0 | Cherno More |
The following players have previously been called up to the Bulgaria under-21 squad in the last 12 months and remain eligible for selection.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Velizar-Iliya Iliev | (2005-07-20)20 July 2005 (age 20) | 2 | 0 | Audace Cerignola | v. Czech Republic, 14 October 2025 |
| GK | Aleks Bozhev | (2005-07-19)19 July 2005 (age 20) | 5 | 0 | Slavia Prague B | v. Azerbaijan, 9 September 2025 |
| DF | Martin Georgiev | (2005-09-24)24 September 2005 (age 20) | 15 | 0 | Slavia Sofia | v. Czech Republic, 14 October 2025 |
| DF | Kubrat Onasci | (2006-07-06)6 July 2006 (age 19) | 4 | 0 | Septemvri Sofia | v. Czech Republic, 14 October 2025 |
| DF | Anton Ivanov | (2004-11-10)10 November 2004 (age 21) | 0 | 0 | Dobrudzha Dobrich | v. Czech Republic, 14 October 2025 |
| DF | Viktorio Valkov | (2006-05-26)26 May 2006 (age 19) | 0 | 0 | Beroe | v. Czech Republic, 14 October 2025 |
| DF | Zahari Atanasov | (2005-01-31)31 January 2005 (age 20) | 0 | 0 | Septemvri Sofia | v. Azerbaijan, 9 September 2025 |
| DF | Simeon Shishkov | (2006-05-18)18 May 2006 (age 19) | 0 | 0 | Ludogorets Razgrad | v. Azerbaijan, 9 September 2025 |
| DF | Gabriel Zlatanov | (2005-03-24)24 March 2005 (age 20) | 3 | 0 | Botev Plovdiv | v. Israel, 5 June 2025 |
| DF | Kaloyan Kostov | (2004-05-04)4 May 2004 (age 21) | 6 | 0 | Lokomotiv Plovdiv | v. Israel, 5 June 2025 |
| MF | Petar Andreev | (2004-06-02)2 June 2004 (age 21) | 6 | 0 | Lokomotiv Plovdiv | v. Azerbaijan, 9 September 2025 |
| MF | Berk Beyhan | (2004-10-29)29 October 2004 (age 21) | 6 | 0 | Cherno More | v. Azerbaijan, 9 September 2025 |
| MF | Georgi Chorbadzhiyski | (2004-08-28)28 August 2004 (age 21) | 3 | 0 | CSKA Sofia | v. Israel, 5 June 2025 |
| MF | Marto Boychev | (2008-03-15)15 March 2008 (age 17) | 4 | 0 | CSKA 1948 | v. Israel, 5 June 2025 |
| FW | Georgi Lazarov | (2004-10-05)5 October 2004 (age 21) | 2 | 2 | Cherno More | v. Czech Republic, 14 October 2025 |
| FW | Yoan Bornosuzov | (2004-01-09)9 January 2004 (age 21) | 2 | 0 | CSKA Sofia | v. Israel, 5 June 2025 |
| FW | Mert Durmush | (2005-10-25)25 October 2005 (age 20) | 4 | 0 | Ternana | v. Israel, 5 June 2025 |
| FW | Adrian Raychev | (2006-04-19)19 April 2006 (age 19) | 2 | 0 | Frosinone | v. Israel, 5 June 2025 |
| FW | Preslav Bachev | (2006-03-14)14 March 2006 (age 19) | 1 | 0 | Dunav Ruse | v. Greece, 25 March 2025 |
| League competitions | |
|---|---|
| Cup competitions | |
| Defunct competitions |
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| National teams | |
| Regional Amateur Football Groups | |
| Lists | |
| Awards | |
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