# Artsakh national football team

The Artsakh national football team (Armenian: Արցախի ֆուտբոլի հավաքական), until 2017 known as the Nagorno-Karabakh national football team, was the national representative of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), which was internationally unrecognized. Consequently, it was not a member of FIFA or UEFA and was therefore not eligible to enter the FIFA World Cup or the UEFA European Championship.

## History

On 17 September 2012, they became a provisional member of the N.F.-Board and a week later played their first competitive match away against Abkhazia. The following month they played the return match at home against Abkhazia. Their first competitive competition was the ConIFA World Football Cup which took place in Östersund, Sweden. The Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan failed to stop their participating in the competition after contacting ConIFA. ConIFA refused to revoke their invitation and Artsakh finished 9th overall after losses to Ellan Vannin, Nice and wins against Darfur and Sapmi.
In 2019, Artsakh came back to CONIFA competitions by organising the 2019 CONIFA European Football Cup, where they finished in the fifth position.
In 2023, Artsakh will compete in the 2024 CONIFA World Cup Qualification. They were drawn in Group D with Abkhazia. Their match was originally to be scheduled on 10 July 2023. But the match was delayed by CONIFA to a later date. It was eventually cancelled due to rising tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan due to the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh. On 19 September 2023, Azerbaijan launched a military offensive against Artsakh, the government surrendered and announced the dissolution of all government institutions by the end of 2023. It's currently unknown if the team will regroup again. However, Artsakh remains a listed member of CONIFA and was listed as an active member at the 2024 AGM.

## International record
### At CONIFA World Football Cup

| Year | Position | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| 2014 | 9th | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 19 | 5 |
| 2016 | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate |
| 2018 | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate |
| 2024 | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate |
| Total | Total | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 19 | 5 |

### At CONIFA European Football Cup

| Year | Position | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| 2015 | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter |
| 2017 | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter |
| 2019 | 5th | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 8 |
| 2021 | cancelled | cancelled | cancelled | cancelled | cancelled | cancelled | cancelled |
| 2023 | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter |
| Total | Total | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 8 |

## Current squad

The following 23 players were called up to the squad for the 2019 CONIFA European Football Cup.
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Club |
| 1 | 1GK | Erik Khachatryan | (1998-01-05)5 January 1998 (aged 21) | |
| 2 | 4FW | Marat Karapetyan | (1991-05-17)17 May 1991 (aged 28) | |
| 3 | 2DF | Artur Abrahamyan | (1997-05-02)2 May 1997 (aged 22) | |
| 4 | 2DF | Armen Abrahamyan | (1997-08-25)25 August 1997 (aged 21) | |
| 5 | 2DF | Gevorg Poghosyan | (1986-08-26)26 August 1986 (aged 32) | Free agent |
| 6 | 2DF | Aram Kostandyan | (1989-06-20)20 June 1989 (aged 29) | |
| 7 | 3MF | Gor Poghosyan | (1988-06-11)11 June 1988 (aged 30) | FC Ararat Yerevan |
| 8 | 3MF | Mher Mkrtumyan | (1986-07-03)3 July 1986 (aged 32) | |
| 9 | 4FW | Levon Grigoryan | (1989-09-23)23 September 1989 (aged 29) | |
| 10 | 3MF | Arsen Sargsyan | (1983-03-08)8 March 1983 (aged 36) | |
| 11 | 4FW | Karen Shakhkeldyan | (1993-11-08)8 November 1993 (aged 25) | Free agent |
| 12 | 1GK | Sergey Asryan | (1993-01-02)2 January 1993 (aged 26) | |
| 13 | 3MF | Tigran Hambardzumyan | (1997-04-02)2 April 1997 (aged 22) | |
| 14 | 3MF | Khoren Veranyan | (1985-09-04)4 September 1985 (aged 33) | Shirak SC |
| 15 | 3MF | Dmitri Malyaka | (1990-01-15)15 January 1990 (aged 29) | Free agent |
| 16 | 2DF | Orbeli Hambardzumyan | (1996-03-26)26 March 1996 (aged 23) | FC Ararat Yerevan |
| 17 | 2DF | Vadim Hayriyan | (1997-04-06)6 April 1997 (aged 22) | Artsakh FC |
| 18 | 3MF | Artyom Gevorkyan | (1993-05-21)21 May 1993 (aged 26) | Shirak SC |
| 19 | 3MF | Narek Danielyan | (1990-09-23)23 September 1990 (aged 28) | |
| 20 | 4FW | Norik Mkrtchyan | (1997-03-09)9 March 1997 (aged 22) | Free agent |
| 21 | 2DF | Davit Harutyunyan | (1994-12-14)14 December 1994 (aged 24) | Free agent |
| 22 | 1GK | Stepan Ghazaryan | (1985-01-11)11 January 1985 (aged 34) | FC Banants |
| 23 | 4FW | Davit Ghandilyan | (1993-06-04)4 June 1993 (aged 25) | Shirak SC |