Latvia national team head coach Paolo Nicolato has announced a 27-man squad for the upcoming March training camp, where the team will face Gibraltar in a crucial Nations League playoff to determine their place in League C.
The biggest talking point in the squad is the first-ever call-up for Denniss Cirkins, currently playing for English Premier League side Sunderland. The 23-year-old left-back, who has previously represented England at youth level, joins the national team setup for the first time after years of discussions with the Latvian Football Federation.
“Denniss has been on our radar for a long time,” said LFF president Vadims Ļašenko. “We started conversations with him and his agent about five years ago. I always felt his interest, and I’m very happy that after long and patient talks he has decided to join our training camp.”
Although Cirkins has accepted the invitation, he will not yet be eligible to play in official matches due to ongoing paperwork related to his football nationality switch. However, he will still take part in the training process and integrate into the squad.
“Dennis is an excellent footballer and a really good person,” Nicolato said. “Even if he cannot play yet, his presence in the camp will be important. He will get to know the team, our expectations and the way we work.”
Cirkins, who was born in Dublin to Latvian parents from Daugavpils before moving to London at a young age, came through the Tottenham Hotspur academy before joining Sunderland in 2021. Since then, he has become a key player for the club across League One and the Championship, and this season also made his debut at the Premier League level.
Alongside the newcomer, the squad also sees the return of several familiar names. Midfielder Eduards Emsis is back in the national team setup after a two-year absence, while striker Roberts Uldriķis returns after recovering from a long-term injury that kept him out for over a year.
However, Latvia will be without two important players. Captain Kristers Tobers is unavailable due to health reasons, while forward Raimonds Krollis will also miss the camp for the same reason.
Latvia’s focus now turns to the decisive two-legged tie against Gibraltar. The first match will take place away on March 26, with the return leg scheduled five days later at Skonto Stadium in Riga.
The stakes are high. The winner of the tie will secure a place in UEFA Nations League C, where Latvia would face opponents such as Armenia, Cyprus or Montenegro. Defeat, however, would see the team relegated to League D, with potential opponents including Andorra and either Luxembourg or Malta.
Latvia National Team – March 2026
Goalkeepers
- Rihards Matrevics (18 Mar 1999) – Dukla Praha (Czech Republic) – Caps: 15, Goals: 0
- Krišjānis Zviedris (25 Jan 1997) – Riga FC – Caps: 7, Goals: 0
- Frenks Dāvids Orols (28 Jun 2000) – Riga FC – Caps: 0, Goals: 0
Defenders
4. Roberts Savaļnieks (4 Feb 1993) – FC RFS – Caps: 72, Goals: 2
5. Andrejs Cigaņiks (12 Apr 1997) – FC Luzern (Switzerland) – Caps: 68, Goals: 4
6. Raivis Andris Jurkovskis (9 Dec 1996) – Riga FC – Caps: 58, Goals: 0
7. Antonijs Černomordijs (26 Sep 1996) – Riga FC – Caps: 45, Goals: 2
8. Vitālijs Jagodinskis (28 Feb 1992) – Visakha FC (Cambodia) – Caps: 39, Goals: 0
9. Daniels Balodis (10 Jun 1998) – Tatran Prešov (Slovakia) – Caps: 24, Goals: 1
10. Deniss Meļņiks (7 Sep 2002) – FK Auda – Caps: 10, Goals: 0
11. Roberts Veips (22 Feb 2000) – FC RFS – Caps: 4, Goals: 0
12. Emīls Birka (25 Apr 2000) – Riga FC – Caps: 1, Goals: 0
13. Niks Sliede (8 Mar 2004) – FC RFS – Caps: 1, Goals: 0
14. Denniss Cirkins (6 Apr 2002) – Sunderland AFC (England) – Caps: –, Goals: –
Midfielders
15. Jānis Ikaunieks (16 Feb 1995) – FC RFS – Caps: 72, Goals: 12
16. Aleksejs Saveļjevs (30 Jan 1999) – FK Asia Talas (Kyrgyzstan) – Caps: 35, Goals: 1
17. Eduards Emsis (23 Feb 1996) – SK Super Nova – Caps: 33, Goals: 2
18. Dmitrijs Zelenkovs (15 May 2000) – FC RFS – Caps: 22, Goals: 1
19. Renārs Varslavāns (23 Aug 2001) – Riga FC – Caps: 20, Goals: 1
20. Lūkass Vapne (31 Aug 2003) – Sogndal IL (Norway) – Caps: 16, Goals: 0
21. Bruno Melnis (21 Jan 2004) – FK Liepāja – Caps: 4, Goals: 0
22. Kristers Penkevics (28 Jan 2003) – FC Zlín (Czech Republic) – Caps: 2, Goals: 0
23. Kristaps Grabovskis (14 Jun 2005) – B93 (Denmark) – Caps: 1, Goals: 0
Forwards
24. Vladislavs Gutkovskis (2 Apr 1995) – Arka Gdynia (Poland) – Caps: 59, Goals: 13
25. Roberts Uldriķis (3 Apr 1998) – Arminia Bielefeld (Germany) – Caps: 55, Goals: 8
26. Marko Regža (20 Jan 1999) – FC Hradec Králové (Czech Republic) – Caps: 16, Goals: 0
27. Dario Šits (4 Feb 2004) – Atlético Madrileño (Spain) – Caps: 8, Goals: 2
Source: https://lff.lv/zinas/18838/latvijas-izlases-sastavs-marta-spelem-ar-gibraltaru/
