Graphic by Sofia Lopez Melgar.
By Eliška Jacob ’24
Copy Chief
On March 26, the Georgian national football team, a part of the Georgian Football Federation, secured its place in the Union of European Football Association Championship for the first time in history. The feat marks a significant milestone for the country, sparking celebrations seen and felt nationwide.
Competing against Greece, the game at Boris Paichadze National Stadium in Tbilisi, Georgia, remained tense until its conclusion. After 90 minutes, the teams were tied 0-0, leading to a penalty shootout in which Nika Kvekveskiri, a defensive midfielder, evaded Greece’s goalie, Odysseas Vlachodimos, slotting the ball into the right corner of the net, according to CNN.
With penalty shootouts totaling 4-2, cheers erupted throughout the stadium as Georgia’s 15th attempt to qualify for a major tournament proved successful. Greece’s 10th attempt, however, with their last appearance having been at the 2014 World Cup, proved unsuccessful, CNN explained. As Georgia celebrates this monumental victory, enthusiasm grows as the team joins Group F, which includes the Czech Republic, Portugal and Türkiye, at Euros 2024.
The roots of organized football in Georgia can be traced to the late 19th century when the sport was introduced by British expatriates in Poti, a region along the eastern Black Sea coast. The first official Georgian football club, FC Zestafoni, was founded in Tbilisi on February 27, 1907, laying the foundation for the development of the sport in the country.
Throughout the 20th century, Georgian football faced numerous challenges. Following the country’s forced absorption into the USSR in February 1921, the Georgian Football Federation, founded in 1936, was forced to operate under the Football Federation of the Soviet Union. Georgian footballers, from Slava Metreveli, Mikhiel Meskhi, Givi Chokheli and Zaur Kaloevi playing for the USSR during their 1960 European Championship win, to Gela Ketshvili, Georgia’s first Olympic footballing gold medalist representing the USSR in 1988, could not fully represent their country on the global stage.
One of the defining moments in Georgian football history came in 1990 when the country established the Independent Georgian Football Federation, in a move that prepared for Georgian independence and international recognition following the collapse of the USSR in 1991. The Georgian national football team had their first international match on May 27, 1990, against Lithuania at the Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena, the same stadium where Georgia qualified for Euros 2024.
As Georgia prepares to make their debut on the European stage, the entire nation is rallying behind the team, awaiting its opening match against Türkiye on June 18 at the German BVB Stadion Dortmund. With anticipation and excitement reaching fever pitch, all eyes will be on Georgia as they prepare to write the next chapter in football history at Euros 2024.