The Azerbaijan national football team represents a country that declared independence from the Soviet Union on 30 August 1991, and the football association — the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan (AFFA) — was established in the early 1990s to govern the sport at the national level. The team competes under UEFA, the European football confederation, and plays its home matches primarily at the Tofiq Bahramov Stadium in Baku, the national capital.
Azerbaijan entered international football as an independent nation following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, joining FIFA and UEFA in 1994. The side has competed in qualifying campaigns for every UEFA European Championship and FIFA World Cup since the mid-1990s, though as of the available records the team has not yet qualified for the final tournament of either competition. Progress through qualifying has been gradual, with the squad drawing on a player pool that includes both home-based professionals from the Azerbaijan Premier League — a competition that has been running since 1992 — and Azerbaijanis playing across European leagues.
Football is the most popular sport in Azerbaijan, and the national team carries the aspirations of a passionate fanbase. Domestic clubs such as Qarabağ FK and Neftçi Baku have represented the country in UEFA club competitions, raising the profile of Azerbaijani football on the continental stage. The national team's identity is closely tied to the country's broader sporting ambitions; Azerbaijan has invested significantly in hosting major international events and developing football infrastructure. The journey toward a first major tournament qualification remains the defining objective for the national side.