The Football Association of the Slovak Republic (SFZ) was founded in 1993 following the peaceful dissolution of Czechoslovakia, with the national team playing its first independent match that same year. Based in Bratislava, Slovakia inherited some of the footballing infrastructure of the former Czechoslovak state, though the two new nations — Slovakia and the Czech Republic — each began building their own footballing identities from scratch on the international stage.
Slovakia's defining moment on the world stage came at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, their first-ever World Cup appearance. After qualifying from a group containing Italy, the team — featuring players such as Marek Hamšík, Robert Vittek, and goalkeeper Ján Mucha — defeated Italy 3–2 in the group stage in one of the tournament's great upsets. They were eventually eliminated in the round of sixteen by the Netherlands.
The team has also made several appearances at the UEFA European Championship, reaching the Round of 16 at UEFA Euro 2016 and qualifying for UEFA Euro 2020 (played in 2021) and UEFA Euro 2024. The squad of the 2010s and early 2020s was built around Marek Hamšík, long the country's record caps holder and top scorer, whose creative influence defined a generation of Slovak football.
Slovakia's footballing identity is one of a competitive, organised side capable of punching above its weight in major tournaments. While the nation lacks the depth of larger European footballing nations, it has established itself as a consistent qualifier for major international competitions, drawing on a proud tradition of technical midfield play and collective team spirit.