After gaining its independence from the USSR in 1992, Moldova became a member of FIFA in 1994. Football is the most popular sport in Moldova.
In qualification for Euro 2004, Moldova beat Austria 1-0 and Belarus 2-1, but lost to the Netherlands 1-2.
In qualification for the World Cup in 2006, the best results were winning against Belarus 2-0 and two home draws against Scotland and Norway. They drew 2-2 against Bosnia and Herzegovina at home but surprisingly won 1-0 in the away game in the qualification for Euro 2008. In the same qualification, they beat Hungary 3-0 and also made a 1-1 draw against Turkey. In World Cup qualification for 2014, Moldova beat Montenegro on the latter's home ground by 5-2; a game that is regarded by many Moldovan supporters as the greatest football game played by the Moldovan national team.