Bulgaria women's national football team
 | |||
| Nickname | Лъвиците (The Lionesses) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Bulgarian Football Union | ||
| Confederation | UEFA (Europe) | ||
| Head coach | Kaloyan Petkov | ||
| Captain | Nikoleta Boycheva | ||
| Top scorer | Liliana Kostova (8) | ||
| Home stadium | Various | ||
| FIFA code | BUL | ||
| |||
| FIFA ranking | |||
| Current | 109  2 (16 June 2026)[1] | ||
| Highest | 42 (December 2008) | ||
| Lowest | 99 (June 2024) | ||
| First international | |||
 Bulgaria 1–1 Spain  (Sofia, Bulgaria; 11 October 1987) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
 Estonia 0–5 Bulgaria  (Otopeni, Romania; 18 November 2006) Bulgaria 5–0 Luxembourg  (Ta' Qali, Malta; 5 June 2009) Bulgaria 5–0 Georgia  (Lovech, Bulgaria; 21 November 2009)  Gibraltar 0–5 Bulgaria (Europa Point, Gibraltar; 7 March 2026) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
 France 14–0 Bulgaria (Le Mans, France; 28 November 2013) | |||
The Bulgaria women's national football team (Bulgarian: Български женски национален отбор по футбол,romanized:Bǎlgarski zhenski natsionalen otbor po futbol) represents Bulgaria in international women's football, and is controlled by the Bulgarian Football Union,a member association of UEFA.
The team's major success came in 2008 when they won the Balkan Championship and the Albena Cup in the same year. These major tournament victories brought them up to their all-time highest FIFA world ranking of 33rd.
History
[edit]![[icon]](https://classinph.pages.dev/bl-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding missing information. (May 2021) |
Team image
[edit]Nicknames
[edit]The Bulgaria women's national football team have been nicknamed as "Лъвиците (The Lionesses)".
Home stadium
[edit]Bulgaria plays their home matches on the Lovech Stadium.
Results and fixtures
[edit]The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
- Legend
Win Draw Lose Fixture
2026
[edit]| 3 March 2026 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification | Bulgaria | 0–1 |  Croatia | Sofia, Bulgaria |
| 11:00 | Report (FIFA) Report (UEFA) |
|
Stadium: Stadion Aleksandar Shalamanov Attendance: 310 Referee: Araksya Saribekyan (Armenia) |
| 7 March 2026 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification | Bulgaria | 0–5 | Gibraltar | Europa Point, Gibraltar |
| 19:00 | Report (FIFA) Report (UEFA) |
|
Stadium: Europa Point Stadium Attendance: 361 Referee: Laura Mauricio (Switzerland) |
| 14 April 2026 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification | Bulgaria | 1–3 |  Kosovo | Sofia, Bulgaria |
| 16:00 |
|
Report (FIFA) Report (UEFA) |
Stadium: Stadion Aleksandar Shalamanov Attendance: 250 Referee: Zoe Stavrou (Cyprus) |
| 18 April 2026 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification | Kosovo | 2–1 | Bulgaria | Pristina |
| 18:00 | Report (FIFA) Report (UEFA) |
|
Stadium: Fadil Vokrri Stadium Attendance: 260 Referee: Jana Van Laere (Belgium) |
| 5 June 2026 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification | Bulgaria | v | Gibraltar | Sofia |
| Report (FIFA) Report (UEFA) |
Stadium: Stadion Aleksandar Shalamanov |
| 9 June 2026 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification | Croatia | v | Bulgaria | Pula |
| Report (FIFA) Report (UEFA) |
Stadium: Stadion Aldo Drosina |
Coaching staff
[edit]Current coaching staff
[edit]- As of 28 November 2022
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Kaloyan Petkov |
| Assistant coaches | Velizar Hristov |
| Trifon Panev | |
| Goalkeeping coach | Emil Varadinov |
| Team manager | Doychin Bahov |
Manager history
[edit] | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding missing information. (November 2022) |
| Name | Period | Matches | Wins | Draws | Losses | Winning % | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emil Atanasov |
18 November 2006 – 25 August 2010 | 21 | 11 | 4 | 6 | 52.38% | ||
| Valentin Chakarov |
24 November 2010 – 19 September 2012 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 0% | ||
| Emil Kartselski |
20 August 2013 – 21 August 2014 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 18.18% | ||
| Silvia Radoyska |
17 September 2014–present | 29 | 5 | 2 | 22 | 22.73% |
Players
[edit]Current squad
[edit]The following players were called up for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup qualifying matches against Croatia and Gibraltar on 3 and 7 March, respectively.
- Caps and goals correct as of 7 March 2026, after the match against Gibraltar.
Recent call-ups
[edit]The following players have also been called up to the squad within the past 12 months.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Darena Radeva | 15 September 2009 | 0 | 0 | FC Paldin |
v. Estonia, 3 June 2025 |
| DF | Gergana Halyanova | 12 March 2008 | 5 | 0 | FC Sportika |
v. Estonia, 3 June 2025 |
| DF | Ivana Chalakova | 9 May 2008 | 1 | 0 | FC Sportika |
v.  Israel, 8 April 2025 |
| DF | Yoana Stankova | 20 August 2005 | 24 | 1 |  Freedom FC |
v. Estonia, 4 April 2025 |
| MF | Silviya Kefalova | 6 June 2001 | 12 | 0 | FC NSA |
v. Estonia, 3 June 2025 |
| MF | Leonora Zheleva | 13 May 1999 | 18 | 1 |  AO Trikala 2011 |
v. Estonia, 3 June 2025 |
| MF | Veronika Gotseva | 29 May 1993 | 12 | 0 | FC NSA |
v. Estonia, 3 June 2025 |
| MF | Yana Yordanova | 20 February 2003 | 7 | 0 |  Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders |
v. Estonia, 3 June 2025 |
| MF | Eva Atanasova | 5 June 2005 | 3 | 0 |  SV Zulte Waregem |
v. Estonia, 3 June 2025 |
| MF | Ivelina Pavlova | 18 August 2003 | 3 | 0 | FC NSA |
v. Israel, 8 April 2025 |
| FW | Antonina Shopska | 17 January 2001 | 5 | 0 |  ŽFK Kamenica Sasa |
v. Estonia, 3 June 2025 |
| FW | Nikol Dimanova | 25 July 2007 | 7 | 0 |  Soroksár SC |
v. Estonia, 3 June 2025 |
| FW | Nadezhda Ivanova | 17 December 2004 | 1 | 0 |  FAC-USC Landhaus |
v. Estonia, 3 June 2025 |
| FW | Katerina-Maria Ravnachka | 23 March 2008 | 2 | 0 | Freedom FC |
v. Israel, 8 April 2025 |
Records
[edit]- As of 23 May 2021
- Active players in bold, statistics correct as of 2021.
Most capped players[edit]
|
Top goalscorers[edit]
|
Competitive record
[edit]FIFA Women's World Cup
[edit]| FIFA Women's World Cup record | Qualification record | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Result | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | |
 1991 |
Did not qualify | UEFA Euro 1991 | ||||||||||||
 1995 |
UEFA Euro 1995 | |||||||||||||
| 1999 |
6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 12 | ||||||||
| 2003 |
Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||||||||
| 2007 | ||||||||||||||
 2011 |
Did not qualify | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 25 | |||||||
 2015 |
10 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 62 | ||||||||
 2019 |
Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||||||||
  2023 |
Did not qualify | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 37 | |||||||
 2027 |
6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 11 | ||||||||
   2031 |
To be determined | To be determined | ||||||||||||
 2035 |
To be determined | To be determined | ||||||||||||
| Total | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 40 | 6 | 4 | 30 | 34 | 147 | |
- *Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
UEFA Women's Championship
[edit]| UEFA Women's Championship record | Qualifying record | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Result | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | P/R | Rnk | |
  1984 |
Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||||||||||
| 1987 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1989 |
Did not qualify | 8 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 18 | – | ||||||||
 1991 |
6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 18 | ||||||||||
| 1993 |
4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 9 | ||||||||||
| 1995 |
4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 11 | ||||||||||
| 1997 |
6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 6 | ||||||||||
| 2001 |
Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||||||||||
| 2005 | ||||||||||||||||
 2009 |
Did not qualify | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 1 | – | ||||||||
| 2013 |
10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 54 | ||||||||||
 2017 |
Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||||||||||
| 2022 | ||||||||||||||||
 2025 |
Did not qualify | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 8 |  [a] | 41st | |||||||
| 2029 | To be determined | To be determined | ||||||||||||||
| Total | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 41 | 7 | 3 | 31 | 30 | 117 | 41st | ||
- *Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
UEFA Women's Nations League
[edit]| UEFA Women's Nations League record | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | League | Group | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | P/R | Rnk | |
| 2023–24 | C | 5 | 2nd | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 14 | * | 40th | |
| 2025 | C | 5 | To be determined | |||||||||
| Total | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 14 | 40th | |||||
 |
Promoted at end of season |
|---|---|
|
No movement at end of season |
 |
Relegated at end of season |
| * | Participated in promotion/relegation play-offs |
Honours
[edit]Regional
[edit]- Balkan Cup
- Champions (1) 2008
Friendly
[edit]- Albena Cup
- Champions (1) 2008
See also
[edit]- Sport in Bulgaria
- Football in Bulgaria
- Women's football in Bulgaria
- Football in Bulgaria
- Bulgaria men's national football team
Notes
[edit]- ↑ From Euro 2025 onwards a new qualifying format was introduced, linked to the Women's Nations League where teams are divided into leagues with promotion/relegation between the leagues at the end of each cycle.
References
[edit]- ↑ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Women's World Ranking". 16 June 2026. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
External links
[edit]- Official website (in Bulgarian)
- FIFA profile
| League competitions | |
|---|---|
| Cup competitions | |
| Defunct competitions |
|
| National teams | |
| Regional Amateur Football Groups | |
| Lists | |
| Awards | |
| |
