Football in Slovakia


has participated in international football as an independent nation ever since 1993 when Czechoslovakia was divided into two new states. Slovakia qualified to the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 2010 [FIFA World Cup|2010], where the side upset perennial power football team|Italy] and lost in the Round of 16. Since independence, they qualified for the UEFA European Championship for their first time in 2016. Football is the most popular sport in the Slovak Republic. Approximately half of the Slovak people are interested in football.

Football Association

The Slovak Football Association was a member of FIFA from April 1939 to 1945 and resumed in 1994.

League football

The Slovak club's football tournament is held every season in the Slovak First Football League. The first Slovak football league was formed in its current form in 1993, when the Czechoslovak league was discontinued after the end of the federation with the Czech Republic. In 2007-08 there was an average of approximately 3000 spectators per game. The clubs sell their players to financially stronger clubs from western Europe. Examples of players that have succeeded in notable leagues are Marek Hamšík, former captain of Italian club SSC Napoli, Peter Pekarík who captains Bundesliga side Hertha BSC and Martin Škrtel, a well-known former Liverpool centre-back. Moreover, over the last few years more and more youngsters have been given the chance to perform regularly in the league before being transferred abroad. For example Leon Bailey, Milan Škriniar, Stanislav Lobotka and Samuel Kalu all played in the Slovak league.
The record champion is ŠK Slovan Bratislava with 13 titles, followed by MŠK Žilina with 7 titles.
The second-tier football league in Slovakia is called 2. Liga and 16 teams compete in it. The third tier league consists of four divisions of which three are of 16 teams and the other one consists of 18 teams.
In 2010, MŠK Žilina became the third Slovak club to participate in the Champions League, where they were eliminated in the group stage.

System

As of the 2024–25 season:

Slovak cup

The Slovak Cup is the football cup competition for Slovak club teams. It is organized annually by the Slovak Football Association. The cup has been held since the 1969/70 season, the first winner was Slovan Bratislava, who is also the record holder, with 17 titles.

National team

The men's national team qualified as group winners for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. At the final tournament, the Slovak team surprisingly won against the world champions Italy 3–2, the Slovaks also qualified for the knockout stages, where they were eliminated after a 2–1 defeat against the eventual finalists Netherlands.
The Slovak national team also qualified for UEFA Euro 2016, reaching the round of 16, and UEFA Euro 2020, where they were eliminated in the group stage.

Attendances

The average attendance per top-flight football league season and the club with the highest average attendance:
SeasonLeague averageBest clubBest club average
2024-252,512Slovan7,359
2023-242,611Slovan5,783
2022-232,333DAC6,017
2021-22———
2020-21———
2019-202,504DAC7,996
2018-192,400DAC8,445
2017-182,324DAC6,918
2016-171,973DAC4,112
2015-162,413Trnava6,934
2014-151,977DAC3,315
2013-142,194DAC3,012
2012-132,116Trnava4,142
2011-122,183Trnava5,051
2010-112,251Trnava4,123
2009-102,417Trnava4,403
2008-093,009Slovan5,547
2007-083,102Trnava7,218
2006-072,889Zilina5,231
2005-062,944Trnava9,219
2004-052,261Petržalka3,979
2003-043,167Banská Bystrica5,433
2002–033,358Trnava5,012
2001-023,456Zilina5,714
2000-013,588Ružomberok6,474
1999-20002,969Ružomberok4,892
1998-993,680Trnava8,649
1997-984,072Trnava11,557
1996-974,052Trnava14,670
1995-963,911Trnava12,304
1994-953,479Trnava6,795
1993–943,464Slovan7,543

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