Bulgaria national under-21 football team
National association football team
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The Bulgaria national under-21 football team (Bulgarian: Mладежки национален отбор на България по футбол)[1] is considered to be the feeder team for the Bulgaria national football team. This team is for Bulgarian players aged under 21 at the start of the calendar year in which a two-year UEFA European Under-21 Championship campaign begins, so some players can remain with the squad until the age of 23.
Nickname(s)Лъвчетата / Lavchetata
(The Young Lions)
(The Young Lions)
AssociationBulgarian Football Union (BFU)
Head coachTodor Yanchev
| Nickname(s) | Лъвчетата / Lavchetata (The Young Lions) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Bulgarian Football Union (BFU) | ||
| Confederation | UEFA (Europe) | ||
| Head coach | Todor Yanchev | ||
| Captain | Nikola Iliev | ||
| Most caps | Petar Mihtarski (51) | ||
| Top scorer | Atanas Mihaylov (31) | ||
| Home stadium | Various | ||
| FIFA code | BUL | ||
| |||
Competition results
Champions Runners-Up Semi-Finals Other Top Results
Balkan Youth Championship
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
 1968 | Champions |
 1970 | Champions |
 1973 | Champions |
UEFA U-21 European Championship
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
 1972 | Semi-Finals |
| 1974 | Quarter-Finals |
| 1976 | Quarter-Finals |
| 1978 | Semi-Finals |
| 1990 | Quarter-Finals |
UEFA Euro 2027 Qualifier
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |  |
 |
 |
|
 |
 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portugal |
7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 28 | 0 | +28 | 19 | Final tournament | — | 6 Oct | 3–0 | 3–0 | 5–0 | 30 Sep | |
| 2 | Czech Republic |
7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 3 | +12 | 14 | Final tournament or play-offs | 0–0 | — | 2–0 | 30 Sep | 5–0 | 5–0 | |
| 3 | Scotland |
8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 18 | 10 | +8 | 11 | 0–2 | 0–0 | — | 1–0 | 30 Sep | 12–0 | ||
| 4 | Bulgaria |
7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 6 | +1 | 11 | 25 Sep | 2–1 | 6 Oct | — | 0–0 | 3–0 | ||
| 5 | Azerbaijan (Y) |
7 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 18 | −13 | 6 | 0–4 | 25 Sep | 3–3 | 1–1 | — | 6 Oct | ||
| 6 | Gibraltar (E) |
8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 37 | −36 | 0 | 0–11 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 0–1 | — |
Updated to match(es) played on 31 March 2026. Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
(E) Eliminated; (Y) Cannot qualify directly; may still reach the play-offs
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
(E) Eliminated; (Y) Cannot qualify directly; may still reach the play-offs
Recent fixtures
Win Draw Loss
| 15 November 2024 Friendly | Bulgaria | 1–0 |  Turkey | Bistritsa, Bulgaria |
| 17:00 EET |
|
Report | Stadium: Bistritsa Referee: Georgi Ginchev (Bulgaria) |
| 19 November 2024 Friendly | Bosnia  | 1–0 | Bulgaria | Sarajevo, Bosnia |
| 17:00 EET |
|
Report | Stadium: Grbavica Attendance: 400 Referee: Nihad Ljajic (Bosnia) |
| 20 March 2025 Friendly | Cyprus  | 0–0 | Bulgaria | Larnaca, Cyprus |
| 17:00 EET | Report | Stadium: Antonis Papadopoulos |
| 25 March 2025 Friendly | Bulgaria | 1–1 | Greece | Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria |
| 18:00 EET |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Hristo Botev |
| 31 May 2025 Friendly | Serbia  | 1–2 | Bulgaria | Leskovac, Serbia |
| 19:00 EEST |
|
Report | Stadium: Dubočica |
| 5 June 2025 Friendly | Bulgaria | 0–3 |  Israel | Pazardzhik, Bulgaria |
| 19:00 EEST | Report | Stadium: Georgi Benkovski |
| 5 September 2025 2027 UEFA EC Q | Bulgaria | 3–0 | Gibraltar | Pazardzhik, Bulgaria |
| 19:30 EEST | Report | Stadium: Georgi Benkovski Attendance: 2,500 Referee: Artem Gasparyan (Armenia) |
Coaching staff
Current coaching staff
Last updated: 20 December 2018 |
Manager history
|
Players
Current squad
Players born in or after 2004 are eligible for the 2027 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.
The following players were called up for the 2027 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification Group B matches against Scotland on 18 November 2025.
Caps and goals correct as of 18 November 2025, after the match against Scotland.
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Plamen Andreev | 15 December 2004 | 11 | 0 |  Debreceni |
| 12 | GK | Aleksandar Andreev | 25 March 2006 | 0 | 0 |  Girona B |
| 2 | DF | Ivaylo Videv | 17 January 2006 | 1 | 0 | Botev Plovdiv |
| 3 | DF | Simeon Vasilev | 24 October 2005 | 5 | 0 | Septemvri Sofia |
| 4 | DF | Todor Pavlov | 31 July 2004 | 5 | 0 | Lokomotiv Plovdiv |
| 5 | DF | Mihail Polendakov | 5 June 2007 | 9 | 0 |  Sheffield United |
| 14 | DF | Teodor Ivanov | 13 March 2004 | 10 | 0 | CSKA Sofia |
| 15 | DF | Dimitar Papazov | 15 July 2006 | 12 | 0 |  Bologna |
| 6 | MF | Ivan Pankov | 12 November 2005 | 0 | 0 | Krasava Ypsonas |
| 8 | MF | Antoan Stoyanov | 17 January 2005 | 9 | 0 | Botev Vratsa |
| 10 | MF | Nikola Iliev | 6 June 2004 | 20 | 8 | Botev Plovdiv |
| 16 | MF | Tsvetoslav Marinov | 4 August 2005 | 5 | 0 | Spartak Varna |
| 20 | MF | Damyan Yordanov | 30 May 2005 | 2 | 0 | Spartak Varna |
| 21 | MF | Petko Panayotov | 20 July 2005 | 7 | 1 | CSKA Sofia |
| 22 | MF | Asen Mitkov | 17 February 2005 | 12 | 1 | Levski Sofia |
| 7 | FW | Roberto Raychev | 7 May 2005 | 23 | 1 | Slavia Sofia |
| 9 | FW | Borislav Rupanov | 30 November 2004 | 13 | 2 | União de Leiria |
| 17 | FW | Boris Dimitrov | 29 March 2004 | 9 | 1 | Montana |
| 18 | FW | Kristiyan Balov | 26 July 2006 | 7 | 0 | Red Star Belgrade |
| 19 | FW | Nikolay Zlatev | 12 December 2004 | 18 | 0 | Cherno More |
Recent call ups
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 Iliev | 20 July 2005 | 2 | 0 | Audace Cerignola |
v. Czech Republic, 14 October 2025 |
| GK | Aleks Bozhev | 19 July 2005 | 5 | 0 | Slavia Prague B |
v. Azerbaijan, 9 September 2025 |
| DF | Martin Georgiev | 24 September 2005 | 15 | 0 | AEK Athens |
v. Czech Republic, 14 October 2025 |
| DF | Anton Ivanov | 10 November 2004 | 0 | 0 | Dobrudzha Dobrich |
v. Czech Republic, 14 October 2025 |
| DF | Viktorio Valkov | 26 May 2006 | 0 | 0 | Beroe |
v. Czech Republic, 14 October 2025 |
| DF | Zahari Atanasov | 31 January 2005 | 0 | 0 | Septemvri Sofia |
v. Azerbaijan, 9 September 2025 |
| DF | Simeon Shishkov | 18 May 2006 | 0 | 0 | Ludogorets Razgrad |
v. Azerbaijan, 9 September 2025 |
| DF | Gabriel Zlatanov | 24 March 2005 | 3 | 0 | Botev Plovdiv |
v. Israel, 5 June 2025 |
| DF | Kaloyan Kostov | 4 May 2004 | 6 | 0 | Lokomotiv Plovdiv |
v. Israel, 5 June 2025 |
| MF | Petar Andreev | 2 June 2004 | 6 | 0 | Montana |
v. Azerbaijan, 9 September 2025 |
| MF | Georgi Chorbadzhiyski | 28 August 2004 | 3 | 0 | Lokomotiv Plovdiv |
v. Israel, 5 June 2025 |
| MF | Marto Boychev | 15 March 2008 | 4 | 0 | CSKA 1948 |
v. Israel, 5 June 2025 |
| FW | Georgi Lazarov | 5 October 2004 | 2 | 2 | Cherno More |
v. Czech Republic, 14 October 2025 |
| FW | Yoan Bornosuzov | 9 January 2004 | 2 | 0 | Botev Vratsa |
v. Israel, 5 June 2025 |
| FW | Adrian Raychev | 19 April 2006 | 2 | 0 | Levski Sofia |
v. Israel, 5 June 2025 |
| FW | Preslav Bachev | 14 March 2006 | 1 | 0 | Dunav Ruse |
v. Greece, 25 March 2025 |