Back in 2015, Georgia was ranked 154th in the world FIFA rankings. Fast forward nine years, and they’ve made a stunning leap to become one of the top sixteen teams in the European Championship.
Join us today as we dive into why Georgia’s journey has been one of the best stories of the tournament.
This European Championship has been nothing short of electrifying. We’ve witnessed long-range screamers, last-minute winners, emerging young superstars, and passionate fans lighting up the stadiums. However, what it lacked was a true underdog story, a team everyone could rally behind. With Group E’s chaos and Austria’s surprise dominance in Group D, the final standings were mostly predictable. Enter Georgia, who ranked 74th and the lowest in the tournament, and came in with a feisty, full-throttle approach that turned heads. This diverse squad, drawn from 18 different domestic leagues and led by Willy Sagnol—a Champions League winner with Bayern Munich and World Cup finalist with France—seized their moment. Victory over the already-qualified Portugal would have secured them a last-16 spot. Sagnol kept it real: “I mean, it’s Portugal. They’re fantastic with a lot of top players, but if there’s even a small chance to qualify, my players will give it their all.” And they did just that. Within the first minute, Antonio Silva’s mistake handed the ball to Georges Mikautadze, who set up Khvicha Kvaratskhelia for a clinical finish into the bottom corner. The Georgia fans erupted in pure joy—a sweet relief after enduring goalless draws between England and Slovenia, and Belgium and Ukraine. Portugal pushed hard for an equalizer, but keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili stood firm until Silva’s unlucky penalty concession. Mikautadze converted emphatically, sealing the game and sending Georgia through to face Spain, a team who had beaten them 7-1 in qualifying.