Latvia national under-21 football team

The Latvia national under-21 football team represents the under-21s of Latvia and is controlled by the Latvian Football Federation, the governing body of football in Latvia. The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years. The team is coached by Aleksandrs Basovs and is currently captained by defender Daniels Balodis.

Latvia Under-21

Nickname(s)	Sarkanbaltsarkanie (The red-white-reds)
Association	Latvian Football Federation
Confederation	UEFA (Europe)
Head coach	Aleksandrs Basovs
Captain	Daniels Balodis
Most caps	Endijs Šlampe, Reinis Flaksis (31)
Top scorer	Edgars Gauračs (10)
First colours Second colours
First international
Latvia 0 - 0 Lithuania (Vilnius, Lithuania; 28 October 1992)
Biggest win
Latvia 4 - 0 Estonia (Carnikava, Latvia; 28 April 1994) Latvia 4 - 0 Andorra (Riga, Latvia; 6 June 2009) Latvia 5 - 1 Romania (Riga, Latvia; 9 October 2009) Turkmenistan 0 - 4 Latvia (Saint Petersburg, Russia; 26 January 2013) Latvia 4 - 0 Liechtenstein (Jūrmala, Latvia; 11 June 2013)
Biggest defeat
Latvia 0 - 6 Greece (Athens, Greece; 9 June 1999) Latvia 0 - 6 Slovakia (Jelgava, Latvia; 11 October 2011) Latvia 1 - 7 Switzerland (Lugano, Switzerland; 8 September 2014)

Following the realignment of UEFA's youth competitions in 1976, under-21 football teams in Europe were formed, while Latvian team was formed only in 1991, after regaining independence from USSR. The team is exclusively for football players that are aged 21 or under at the start of the two-year campaign of the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship meaning a player can represent the national team until the age of 23. Many U-21 players later represent the senior side.

Latvia U-21 have never yet qualified for the European U-21 championships, but has produced many players, who have become regular internationals for the senior side. Oskars Kļava, Deniss Ivanovs, Edgars Gauračs and Artjoms Rudņevs have all played for the U-21 side and are now first eleven players for Latvia internationally.

Latvia U-21 team plays its home matches at the Skonto stadions, which is also the home stadium of Latvia senior side. Before the opening of the Skonto stadions the team played its home matches in many different venues all around the country, including Ozolnieki, Daugavpils and Liepāja.