In soccer, it is common for countries to be recognized by a team nickname, which is more widely used than their official name. This nickname serves as an identifier for the team and is often rooted in cultural or historical significance.
These nicknames are not always official, and some national teams may have more than one nickname.
While not always official, they are often embraced by fans and become an important part of a team’s identity.
Contents
Why Do Soccer Teams Have Nicknames?
Tradition
National teams have a long history, some spanning decades or even centuries. As time passes, the nicknames of these clubs are passed down from one generation to another.
These nicknames are often steeped in history and have significant cultural or geographical connotations. They may be based on the team’s location, history, or cultural heritage
Marketing
Nicknames can help soccer teams build their brand and appeal to fans.
A catchy nickname can be used on merchandise and marketing materials and can help create a sense of identity and unity among fans.
Fan culture
Soccer fans are passionate and often develop their own nicknames for their favorite teams and players.
These nicknames can be based on a player’s playing style, personality, or physical attributes, or can be inspired by pop culture or current events.
Intimidation
Teams are known to use nicknames as a sneaky tactic to scare the socks off their opponents
These nicknames can make the visiting team quiver in their boots, as they reflect the team’s playing style, past triumphs, or sheer physical might!
Football National Teams Nicknames
| Team | Nickname | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | Team Melli | meaning “the National Team” (in Persian) |
| Albania | Kuqezijte | “The Red and Blacks” (in Albanian) |
| Algeria | Les Fennecs | The Desert Foxes (in French) |
| American Samoa | Au Filli | “the National Team” (in Samoan) |
| Andorra | la Selection Tricolor | “the Tricolor Selection” (in Catalan) |
| Angola | Os Palancas Negras | The Black Antelopes (in Portuguese) |
| Anguilla | “The Rainbow Warriors” or “The Soccer Dolphins” | N/A |
| Antigua and Barbuda | the Wadadi Boyz | Wadadi is a local dance |
| Argentina | la Albiceleste | “the White and Sky Blues” (in Spanish) |
| Armenia | Azgayin Havaqakan | “the National Team” in Armenia |
| Aruba | La Selección | “the Selection” |
| Australia | the Socceroos | a hybrid word from Soccer and Kangaroo (a native animal to Australia) |
| Austria | Wunderteam | meaning the Wonder Team (also das Team, die Rot-Weiss-Roten – “the Red, White and Reds” in German) |
| Azerbaijan | Odlar Yurdu Komandasi | “the Team from the Land of Fire” in Azeri |
| Bahamas | the Rake and Scrape Boys | named after a local dance |
| Bahrain | Al Theeb Al Ahmar | meaning “the Red Wolves” in Arabic |
| Bangladesh | Jatyia Dol | “the National Team” in Bengali |
| Barbados | Bajan Pride | Bajan is a popular team for citizens of Barbados |
| Belarus | Belyia kryly | which means “White wings”. Previously it was “Nacionalnaya Sbornaya” meaning “the National Team” in Belorussian. |
| Belgium | les Diables Rouges / Rode Duivels | meaning ‘the Red Devils’ (in French and Dutch) |
| Belize | The Jaguars | |
| Benin | Les Ecureuils | The Squirrels (in French) |
| Bermuda | the Gombey Warriors | after a traditional dance |
| Bhutan | the Yellow Dragons | also Druk XI (“the Dragons XI” in Dzongkha) |
| Bolivia | La Verde | La Verde means ‘The Green’ or to some ‘The Green Pasture’ because of one of the colors of the national flag. |
| Bosnia-Herzegovina | Zmajevi (“The Dragons”) |
“Zmajevi” means “The Dragons”. Other names that have been used include BH Representacija – “the National Team” (in Bosnian), and Zuto-Plavi (“the Blue and Yellows” in Bosnian). |
| Botswana | Dipitse (“The Zebras”) | meaning “The Zebras” in the Tswana lanuage |
| Brazil | Canarinho, or Seleção | Canarinho means ‘little canary’, and Seleção means The Selection/Team (in Portuguese). Other names that are sometimes used are Verde-Amarela (Green and Yellow) Pentacampeões (Five Time Champions), and Os Tupis – The “tupis” (a brazilian indigenous group) |
| British Virgin Islands | the Nature Boyz | |
| Brunei Darussalam | Tebuan | meaning “The Wasps” or “the Hornets” in Malay. |
| Bulgaria | Lavovete | “The Lions” in Bulgarian |
| Burkina Faso | les Etalons | the Stallions” in French |
| Burundi | les Hirondelles – Intamba Mu Rugamba | “The Swallows” in French and Kirundi |
| Cambodia | Krom Chumreswcheit | “the National Team” in Khmer |
| Cameroon | Lions indomitables | meaning Indomitable Lions (in French) |
| Canada | the Canucks | Canucks is a slang term for Canadians. They are also called Les Rouges, meaning ‘The Reds’, Maple Leafs, and Les Voyageurs |
| Cape Verde | Tubaroes Azuis | “The Blue Sharks” (in Portuguese). Also Crioulos (“the Creoles” in Portuguese) |
| Cayman Islands | Cayman Islands Team | maybe “The Turtles” |
| Central African Republic | les Faons d’Ubangui | “The Fwans of Ubangui”, a tributary of the Congo River, in French |
| Chad | les Sao | After the Sao civilization that once inhabited part of Chad |
| Chile | La Roja | The Reds (in Spanish) |
| China | Team China – Zhong Guo Dui, | also Team Dragon – Long Zhi Dui |
| Chinese Taipei | Zhong Hua Dui | “China Team” in Chinese |
| Colombia | Los Cafeteros | meaning The Coffee Growers in Spanish. Also “the Tricolors” |
| Comoros | les Coelecantes | “The Coelacanths” in French, a prehistoric fish once believed to be extinct but which has reappeared off the coast of Comoros |
| Congo | les Diables Rouges | “the Red Devils” in French |
| Congo DR | Les Léopards / The Leopards | Between 1960 and 1965, they were called the Lions. From 1965 to 1997 they were the Leopards, before reverting back to the Simbas (“the Lions” in Swahili) from 1997 till 2006. However this Swahili name was unpopular to non-Swahili speakers, so they again became the Leopards. |
| Cook Islands | Soka Kuki Airani | “the National Team” in Maori, the Green, and Whites |
| Costa Rica | Los Ticos | Spanish slang for natives of Costa Rica. Also la Tricolor (“the Tricolors” in Spanish), La Roja (“the Reds”), la Sele (“The Selection” |
| Cote d’Ivoire | Les Éléphants | The Elephants (in French), due to their part in the 19th-century Ivory trade |
| Croatia | Vatreni | meaning Fiery boys. Also sometimes Kockasti (The Chequered) |
| Cuba | la Tricolor | meaning “the Tricolors” (in Spanish). Also los Leones del Caribe (“the Lions of the Caribbean”) |
| Curaçao | ? | |
| Cyprus | I Galanolefki | “the White and Blues” in Greek |
| Czechia | Lokomotiva | The Locomotive. Also Cesti Lvi ( “the Czech Lions” in Czech), Narodny Tym (“the National Team” in Czech) |
| Denmark | Danish Dynamite | |
| Djibouti | les Riverains de la Mer Rouge | the Young Red Sea in French |
| Dominica | Dominica Team | maybe “los Pericos” |
| Dominican Republic | los Quisqueyanos | a slang term for Dominicans in Spanish |
| Ecuador | la Tri, or la Tricolor | the Tricolor (in Spanish) |
| Egypt | the Pharaohs | |
| El Salvador | Los Guanacos or La Selecta | “Guanaco” is Spanish slang for citizens of El Salvador |
| England | the Three Lions | |
| Equatorial Guinea | la Nzalang Nacional | “The National Lighting” (in Fang). Also Veve Nacional (“the National Sparkle” in Fang). |
| Eritrea | Red Sea Camels | the team is also sometimes referred to as the Red Sea Boys |
| Estonia | Sinisargid | “The Blues” in Estonian |
| Eswatini | Sihlangu Semnikati | “The Shield of His Majesty” in Swazi |
| Ethiopia | Walyas | a species of wild goat |
| Faroe Islands | Landslidid | “the National Team” in Faroese |
| Fiji | Bula Boys | Bula is a Fijian greeting. Also sometimes “Timi ni viti”, meaning “the National Team” in Fijian |
| Finland | Huuhkajat | Huuhkajat means “The Eagle-Owls” in Finnish. Also commonly used is the term Sinivalkoiset, meaning “the White and Blues” in Finnish. |
| France | les Bleus | meaning ‘the blues’ in French |
| Gabon | Les Panthères | meaning “the Panthers” in French |
| Gambia | the Scorpions | |
| Georgia | Jvarosnebi | meaning “the Crusaders” in Georgian. Also Erovnuli Nakrevi (“the National Team” in Georgian) |
| Germany | Die Nationalmannschaft, or Die Nationalelf | meaning ‘The National Team’, ‘The National Eleven’ (in German). Outside of Germany, simply ‘Die Mannschaft’ (The Team) is commonly used. |
| Ghana | the Black Stars | a reference to the sole black star on Ghana’s flag |
| Greece | I Galanolefki | translates as “the Sky Blue and White team” in Greek. They are also sometimes referred to as Ethniki Ellados (“the Greek Team” in Greek) and ”To Peiratikó” (“Pirates” in Greek) though the pirates are not an official nickname, it just came about after they won Euro 2004. |
| Grenada | the Spice Boyz | |
| Guam | Matao | “Matao” refers to the people in the upper class of the ancient Guam society. Previously the team was known as “the Men in Blue and White”. |
| Guatemala | el Equipo Chapin | “Chapin” is Spanish slang for a citizen of Guatemala. also la Azul y Blanco (“the Blue and Whites” in Spanish) and la Bicolor (“the Bicolors”) |
| Guinea | Syli Nationale | the National Elephants. Syli is a word in Sousou, a Guinean language, which means Elephant. |
| Guinea-Bissau | os Djurtus | Creole for a species of fox |
| Guyana | The Golden Jaguars, the Guy Stars | |
| Haiti | les Bicolores | Les Bicolores means “the Bicolors” in French. There are also several other names that they are known by, including: Les Grenadiers Le Rouge et Bleu La Sélection Nationale Onze national (“the National Eleven” in French) Toup Pou Yo |
| Honduras | Los Catrachos | Catracho is Spanish slang for a citizen of Honduras, therefore meaning ‘the Hondurans’. Also la Bicolor (“the Bicolors” in Spanish) |
| Hong Kong | Hong Kong Team | |
| Hungary | Valogatott | “the National Team” in Hungarian). Also the Magical Magyars (particularly in relation to the Hungary team of the 1950s) |
| Iceland | Strakamir Okkar | “Our Boys” in Icelandic |
| India | Blue Tigers | The Indian National team is also sometimes referred to as the “Bhangra Boys” (Bhangra is a dance originating from the Punjab region) |
| Indonesia | Merah Putih | meaning “the Red and Whites”. Another nickname for the Indonesian Football Team is “Garuda” (see comments below) |
| Iran | Team Melli | meaning the National Team (in Persian). Also Shirants Perse / Shiran-e Pars (“the Persian Lions” in Persian). |
| Iraq | Osod Al Rafideen | “the Lions of the Two Rivers” in Arabic, also the Babylon Lions |
| Israel | Nivheret Hatchelet | “The Sky Blue Team” in Hebrew |
| Italy | Azzurri | Azzurri is the plural of Azurro (Blue), terefore Azurri means “The Blues”. The team is also sometimes referred to as la Nazionale (“the National Team”). |
| Jamaica | Reggae Boyz | |
| Japan | Samurai Blues | also Nihon Daihyo (“Japanese Representatives” in Japanese) |
| Jordan | Al Nashama | “The Brave” in Arabic |
| Kazakhstan | Kazakhstanskie barsy | “The Snow Leopards” in Russian |
| Kenya | the Harambee Stars | “Harambee” means “We will work together” in Swahili and is also the country’s motto. |
| North Korea (Korea DPR) | Chollima | A Korean mythical horse translates as “thousand-mile horse” and is portrayed as a mythical winged horse. |
| South Korea (Korea Republic) | Asian Tigers or Taeguk Warriors | also the Red Devils. The Taeguk symbol of two hands clasping is in the middle of the Korean flag. |
| Kuwait | Al Azraq | “The Blues” in Arabic |
| Kyrgyzstan | Krasnaya Sbornaya | “The Red Team” in Russian |
| Laos | Thim Xad | “the National Team” in Laos |
| Latvia | Izlase | “the National Team” in Latvian |
| Lebanon | Al Aarz | “The Team of Cedars” in Arabic |
| Lesotho | the Likuena | “the Crocodile” in Sesotho |
| Liberia | the Lone Star | |
| Libya | Al Akhdar | “The Greens” in Arabic |
| Liechtenstein | Nati | short for “Nationalmannschaft”, meaning “National Team” in German |
| Lithuania | Rinktine | “the National Team” in Lithuanian |
| Luxembourg | D’Leiwen | “The Lions” in Luxembourgish |
| Macau | a Equipa Verde | “The Green Team” in Portuguese |
| Macedonia (Republic of North) | Црвени Рисови / Crveni Risovi |
“The Red Lynx”. Also known as Црвено-Жолти / Crveno-Žolti, meaning Red-Yellow. |
| Madagascar | Bareas | a species of zebu, which appears of the country’s coat of arms |
| Malawi | the Flames | the word “Malawi” itself means “flames” in Chichewa |
| Malaysia | Harimau Malaysia | “Malaysian Tigers” |
| Maldives | Red Snappers | The Red snapper is a type of fish abundant in the waters around the Maldives. The team has also been known as Guamee Team – “the National Team” in Dhivehi. |
| Mali | Les Aigles | The Eagles (in French) |
| Malta | Knights of St John | |
| Mauritania | les Mourabitounes | after an ancient dynasty that ruled Mauritania |
| Mauritius | Club M | Also “les Dodos” after the dodo bird |
| Mexico | el Tri / el Tricolor / Tricolores | also less commonly uses the alternative nickname of “Los Aztecas”. |
| Moldova | Selectionata | “The Selection” in Moldovan |
| Mongolia | Blue Wolves ( Хөх чононууд ) |
Blue Wolf is a symbol of Turkic and Mongolian people. Named after the Mongolian Blue Wolf legend. The team has also been known in the past as “Shegshee”, which means “the National Team” in Mongolian. |
| Montenegro | Hrabri sokoli | “The Brave Falcons” in Serbian |
| Montserrat | the Emerald Boys | |
| Morocco | les Lions de l’Atlas, Atlas Lions | “The Lions of Atlas” (in French), named after the Atlas Mountains |
| Mozambique | the Mambas | the most poisonous snake in Africa |
| Myanmar | White Angels | also Latywesinahthin, “the National Team” in Myanmar |
| Namibia | the Brave Warriors | |
| Nepal | Gorkhalis | Gorkhalis means the inhabitants of Gorkha. Nepal was frequently called the Gorkhali Kingdom. Sometimes they are also called “Rastriya Toli”, meaning “the National Team” in Nepalese. |
| Netherlands / Holland | Oranje | meaning ‘orange’ (in Dutch) |
| Netherlands Antilles | e Selekshon | “The Selection” in Papiamento |
| New Caledonia | les Cagous | French for the kagu bird that is native to New Caledonia. Also known as Les Rouges et Gris (“the Red and Greys” in French). |
| New Zealand | the All Whites | The name All Whites are word play on the historical National Rugby Union team nickname the All Blacks. Most of the NZ national sports teams use the color, black, silver or white in combination with a native emblem or item related to the represented sport. Silver Ferns = Netball. Black Sox = Softball, Blackcaps = Cricket. |
| Nicaragua | la Azul y Blanco | meaning “the Blues and Whites”. Also known as el Equipo Pinolero (“Pinolero” is slang for a citizen of Nicaragua) |
| Niger | the Mena | a species of antelope |
| Nigeria | the Super Eagles | a reference to the Eagle in the country’s Coat of Arms. The name was changed from Green Eagles to the Super Eagles. |
| Northern Mariana Islands | Blue Ayuyus | In the local Chamorro dialect, the “y” is pronounced like a “z.” So it is pronounced ah-zu-us. An ayuyu is a large land crab that is prized as a delicacy. Both the men’s and women’s teams use this nickname. |
| Northern Ireland | the Green and White Army | |
| Norway | Landslaget | “the National Team” in Norwegian |
| Oman | Al Ahmar | “the Reds” in Arabic |
| Pakistan | the Green and White Team | |
| Palestine | Al Muntakhab | “the National Team” in Arabic |
| Panama | Marea Roja | “The Red Tide”. Also known as el Equipo Canalero (“the Canal Team”) |
| Papua New Guinea | PNG Team – Nesenol Tim | “the National Team” in Tok Pisin |
| Paraguay | Guaraníes | also La Albirroja (White and red in Spanish) |
| Peru | la Blanquirroja | “the White and Reds” in Spanish |
| Philippines | Azkals | Azkals is a stylized form of asked which is shortened from ‘asong kalye’, which literally means ‘street dog’ in Philipino (not ‘stray dog’). Street dogs in the Philippines are wily, robust, and scrappy survivors. The team is also known as the “Tri-Stars” (From the three stars on their flag). |
| Poland | Bialo-Czerwoni | White-Reds (in Polish). Also Polskie Orly (“the Polish Eagles” in Polish) |
| Portugal | Selecção das Quinas | in Portuguese the word “QUINAS” is a 5-sided Polyhedron, representing the “Forts” (Castles) Conquered from the Moors, in the “Foundation” of Portugal in 1143. |
| Puerto Rico | El Huracán Azul | Spanish for “The Blue Hurricane” |
| Qatar | Al Ennabi | “the Crimsons” in Arabic |
| Republic of Ireland | the Boys in Green | |
| Romania | Tricolorii | Three Colored Ones (in Romanian) |
| Russia | Sbornaya | The nickname Sbornaya for Russia is foreign. In Russian it’s not a nickname but just a noun (originally an adjective) meaning ‘national team’ or ‘selected team’, i.e. the word is applied to any national/selected team in any sport. |
| Rwanda | Amavubi | “the Wasps” in Kinyarwanda |
| Samoa | Manumea | after a native bird |
| San Marino | la Serenissima | “the Most Serene” in Italian |
| Sao Tome e Principe | os Verde-Amarelos | “the Green and Yellows” in Portuguese |
| Saudi Arabia | Al Sogour Al Akhdar | “the Green Hawks/Falcons” (in Arabic). Also Ouilad Al Sahraa (“the Sons of the Desert” in Arabic) |
| Scotland | The Tartan Terriers | “The Tartan Beasts” is also used in some parts of the country. The “Tartan Army” is also used, particularly in reference of Scotland’s fans. |
| Senegal | Les Lions de la Teranga | The Lions of Teranga / the Lions of Hospitality (in French). “Teranga” originates from the Wolof language. |
| Serbia | Plavi | the blue, or Orlovi (“the eagles” in Serbian) |
| Seychelles | the Pirates | |
| Sierra Leone | the Leones Stars | |
| Singapore | the Lions | |
| Slovakia | Repre | In Slovakia, the team is typically referred to as the Repre (Representation) or Národný tím (National team). However, in foreign media, they are often incorrectly described as Bojovní Jondovci (The Fighting Jondas). |
| Slovenia | Fantje | Fantje translates as ‘the boys’. However, the team’s Wikipedia page says that Slovenia does not have a nickname. They are sometimes incorrectly called The (Green) Dragons, a symbol of the Slovenian capital Ljubljana. There are also some references that the Slovenian team nickname is Reprezentanca, meaning “the Representatives” in Slovenian. |
| Solomon Islands | the Bonitos | Bonito is a species of fish similar to tuna |
| Somalia | the Ocean Stars | |
| South Africa | Bafana Bafana | “the boys, the boys” in isiZulu.The name was coined by journalist Sibusiso Mseleku in 1992 |
| Spain | La Furia Roja | meaning ‘The Red Fury’. Also la Seleccion (“the Selection” in Spanish). |
| Sri Lanka | Brave Reds | also sometimes known as Papandu Kandyama, which means “the National Team” in Sinhalese. |
| St Kitts and Nevis | The Sugar Boyz | |
| St Lucia | The Piton | |
| St Vincent and the Grenadines | the Vincy Heat | |
| Sudan | Sokoor Al-Jediane | Desert Hawks. Also the Nile Crocodiles |
| Suriname | Natio | Natio stands for the abbreviation of national, and national refers to national team. Other names that are used are A-Selektie, which means “the A Selection” in Dutch, and Suriboys. |
| Sweden | Blågult | the Blue and Yellows (in Swedish). Also Kronos (“the Crowns” in Swedish). |
| Switzerland | Schweizer Nati, or just Nati | meaning ‘The Nats’ – short for Nationals |
| Syria | Al Ahmar | the Reds” in Arabic |
| Tahiti | Toa Aito | in Tahitian means “The Iron Warriors”. In French, it is Les guerriers de fer. It was previously believed to be “L’Equipe du Fenua”, the Island team – “fenua” means “island” in Tahitian. |
| Tajikistan | Dastai Muntakhabi | “the National Team” in Tajik |
| Tanzania | the Taifa Stars | “Taifa” is Swahili for country. Also known as the Kilimanjaro Stars |
| Thailand | ‘War Elephants’ | also known as Team Chart Tai, “the National Team” in Thai |
| Timor-Leste | O Sol Nascente | Meaning ‘The Rising Sun’ in Portuguese. Also known as The Little Samba Nation and El Lafaek. |
| Togo | les Eperviers | the Hawks or Sparrowhawks (in French) |
| Tonga | Timi Fakafomua | “the National Team” in Tongan |
| Trinidad & Tobago | The Soca Warriors | named after a local musical genre |
| Tunisia | Les Aigles de Carthage | The Eagles of Carthage (in French) |
| Türkiye / Turkey | Ay Yıldızlılar (or Ay Yildiz | meaning Crescent Stars |
| Turkmenistan | Akhal-Teke | meaning the Dark Horses |
| Turks and Caicos Islands | TCI Team | maybe also “the Ripsaw Boys” |
| Uganda | the Cranes | the bird which appears on their crest |
| Ukraine | Zbirna or Sbirna | National team (in Ukrainian) |
| United Arab Emirates | Al Sukoor | “the Eagles” in Arabic |
| Uruguay | Charrúas | The Charrúas are the indigenous people of present-day Uruguay. Another nickname sometimes used is La Celeste Olímpica (The Olympic Sky Blue) |
| US Virgin Islands | The Dashing Eagle | The Dashing Eagle is the American symbol of power and grace, transformed to embody the unique optimism, flair, and self-determination of the islands. |
| USA | The Stars and Stripes | Other names that are used are Team USA and The Yanks. There does not appear to be an official name. |
| Uzbekistan | White Wolves (Oq boสปrilar/Oา ะฑั pะธะปap) | also sometimes known as Terma Jamoasi, meaning “the National Team” in Uzbek. |
| Vanuatu | the Men in Black and Gold | |
| Venezuela | la Vinotinto | meaning “the Burgundies” in Spanish – because of the burgundy color of their shirts. They are also known by the names Los Llaneros (The Plainsmen) and La Remolacha Mecanica (The Clockwork Beet). |
| Vietnam | Doi Tuyen Quoc Gia | “the National Team” in Vietnamese. Other names used are: Những chiến binh đỏ (The Red Warriors) and Ngôi sao vàng (The Golden Star). |
| Wales | the Dragons | |
| Yemen | Al Yemen al Saeed | “Happy Yemen” in Arabic |
| Zaire | Leopards | |
| Zambia | Chipolopolo | The Copper Bullets (in Bemba). The word comes from the copper mines in Kitwe. The team was formerly known as the KK 11, after the founding president Kenneth Kaunda, but changed the nickname in 1993. |
| Zanzibar | Zanzibari Heroes | |
| Zimbabwe | The Warriors |
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