Latvia national football team Nations League campaign

Ahead of the UEFA Nations League C opener against Armenia, Latvia national football team head coach Paolo Nicolato emphasized the necessity of improving attacking performance and physical competitiveness. Nicolato noted that both squads faced selection challenges and expressed a desire to increase football’s popularity in Latvia, which he observed faces competition from hockey and basketball.

Latvia began its campaign with an away match against Armenia at the Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium in Yerevan. The match resulted in a 0-2 defeat for Latvia, placing Armenia at the top of the League C Group 2 standings. Georgii Harutyunyan opened the scoring in the 31st minute with a header from a corner, and Artur Gharibyan secured the victory in the 75th minute by scoring on a counter-attack during his international debut.

The Latvian lineup featured several notable debuts, including Deniss Cirkins at left center-back and Markuss Strods in the right wing position, alongside goalkeeper Rihards Matrevics and defender Andrejs Cigaņiks. Additionally, Oskars Viesties, Danils Patiļčuks, and Alberts Aleksanjans made their debuts as substitutes. During the match, Latvian captain Antonijs Černomordijs marked his 50th appearance for the national team.

Despite a late push in the second half, the Latvian side struggled to create clear scoring opportunities and remained unable to find an equalizer. Following the match, Nicolato stated that while the team attempted to remain compact and follow tactical plans by sitting lower to control free zones, technical errors and poor passing options hindered their performance. The coach attributed the use of new players to the need to integrate future talent and a lack of alternatives caused by injuries to Renārs Varslavāns, Jānis Ikaunieks, and Kristaps Grabovskis. Nicolato specifically praised the versatility of debutant Cirkins, jokingly suggesting the player is so high-quality he “could even play as a goalkeeper” for the team.