Paolo Nicolato selects 25-Man Latvia squad for Baltic Cup campaign

Latvia head coach Paolo Nicolato has announced a 25-man squad for the upcoming Baltic Cup matches against Lithuania and either Estonia or the Faroe Islands, with several returning players back in the national team setup ahead of an important summer camp.

Latvia will begin the tournament away in Kaunas against Lithuania on June 6, while Estonia host the Faroe Islands in the other semifinal. Latvia’s second match on June 9 will take place at Riga’s LNK Sporta Parks regardless of the opponent.

Nicolato described the June training camp as an important step in preparing for a demanding autumn Nations League schedule.

“Overall this camp is very important to prepare for the Nations League matches in autumn,” Nicolato explained. “The September and October windows will be very intense, with four matches in eleven days and long travel across the continent, so we need to complete much of the preparation already now.”

Compared to the March squad for the UEFA Nations League playoff matches against Gibraltar, Latvia will be without several key players. Jānis Ikaunieks, Renārs Varslavāns and Roberts Uldriķis are all unavailable due to health issues. Latvian national team captain Kristers Tobers who played just two games for Aberdeen this season also continues to rehab from his injury.

At the same time several players have returned to the national team picture. Eduards Dašķevičs, Maksims Toņiševs and Mārtiņš Ķigurs are all back in the squad, while FK Liepāja defender Iļja Korotkovs receives his first senior national team call-up since the 2024.

One of the notable absences again is Slovan Liberec striker Raimonds Krollis. The 24-year-old forward scored eight league goals in 28 matches in the Czech top flight this season, but has now been left out for again for this international window. Krollis last appeared for Latvia in March 2025.

Premier League side Sunderland defender Denniss Cirkins is also not included in the squad. Latvian Football Federation president Vadims Ļašenko commented on the situation surrounding the defender, who visited Latvia’s March training camp to familiarize himself with the team environment.

“Technically his national team status right now is the following – he is eligible to choose Latvia at international level, and he has interest in doing so, otherwise he would not have come to the national team camp in March,” Ļašenko explained. “But at the moment he still cannot officially be registered to play matches for Latvia.”

Ļašenko added that current indications suggest there is a strong possibility Cirkins could represent Latvia already during the autumn international window.

“In personal conversations he has expressed his willingness and readiness to play for Latvia in autumn, if health and club circumstances allow it. This summer he needs to resolve his club contract situation. It is an important stage in his career. Clearly in this situation there is no need for unnecessary injury risks. We support him and wish him success in signing his contract.”

Latvia National Team for the Baltic Cup

Goalkeepers

Rihards Matrevics (18.03.1999) — 17 caps / 0 goals — FK Dukla Prague (Czech Republic)
Krišjānis Zviedris (25.01.1997) — 7/0 — Riga FC
Frenks Dāvids Orols (28.06.2000) — 0/0 — Riga FC