The 2026 Baltic Cup reaches its conclusion on Tuesday with both the final and third-place match taking place almost simultaneously, as Lithuania seek to end a 16-year wait for the trophy while defending champions Estonia look to retain their crown.
The final will be played at Tallinn’s A. Le Coq Arena, where Estonia and Lithuania meet in a repeat of the 2024 Baltic Cup final. Two years ago the sides drew 1-1 in Kaunas before Estonia prevailed in a penalty shootout to lift the trophy. Earlier on Tuesday, Latvia will host the Faroe Islands at LNK Sporta Parks in Rīga in the third-place match.
Both finalists emerged from closely contested semi-finals on Saturday. Estonia defeated the Faroe Islands 1-0 in Pärnu thanks to a second-half goal from debutant Tony Varjund, while Lithuania overcame Latvia on penalties after a 1-1 draw in Kaunas.
The Baltic Cup remains the oldest continuously running international football tournament in Europe, having first been contested in 1928. Latvia remain the competition’s most successful nation with 14 titles, while Lithuania have won the trophy ten times and Estonia five.
For Lithuania, Tuesday represents an opportunity to finally end a drought stretching back to 2010. Since lifting the trophy sixteen years ago, the Lithuanians have watched both Latvia and Estonia enjoy success while repeatedly falling short themselves.
“That is a terrible statistic,” Lithuania head coach Edgaras Jankauskas admitted ahead of the final. “We want to end that run as quickly as possible and I believe we have a very good chance. Sixteen years without winning the trophy and formally being considered the weakest team in the region should hurt every player and every supporter.”
The former UEFA Champions League winner has repeatedly stressed that Lithuania must remain calm rather than become obsessed with the occasion. “First of all, I want our team to win. We have everything a good team needs, but we must stay relaxed. Pressure can sometimes paralyse players, especially when trophies are at stake. The penalty shootout against Latvia showed we are learning how to control stress.”
The memories of the 2024 final remain fresh for Lithuania. On that occasion Mark Anders Lepik put Estonia ahead before Giedrius Matulevičius equalised, only for the Estonians to prevail from the spot. Jankauskas believes one of the biggest lessons from that defeat was Lithuania’s inability to control possession.
“If you allow Estonia to play and don’t put them under pressure, it becomes very difficult. Two years ago we did not control the game with the ball and that disappointed me as much as the result itself.”
Estonia, meanwhile, are aiming to become the first Baltic nation to successfully defend the trophy since Latvia won back-to-back editions in 2016 and 2018.
Head coach Jürgen Henn confirmed he will make changes to his starting line-up after the physically demanding semi-final, though injuries have reduced his attacking options. Mark Anders Lepik suffered a serious knee injury against the Faroe Islands, while Rauno Sappinen also remains unavailable.
“We want to bring freshness and positive energy into the team,” Henn said. “We will definitely make some changes.”
Despite those absences, Estonia remain confident after their victory over the Faroe Islands. Henn expects a difficult challenge from Lithuania, describing them as an aggressive side that likes to press high and compete physically.
Lithuania’s coaching staff have identified midfielders Kevor Palumets and Rocco Robert Shein as Estonia’s key players. Jankauskas described them as the two players who control Estonia’s rhythm and tempo, adding that the battle in midfield could decide the outcome of the final.
Historically, there has been very little between the two nations. Estonia and Lithuania have met 52 times, with Estonia holding a narrow advantage of 22 victories to Lithuania’s 21, while nine matches have ended in draws.
While the trophy is at stake in Tallinn, Latvia will attempt to salvage third place when they face the Faroe Islands in Riga. Paolo Nicolato’s side were eliminated by Lithuania on penalties after Maksims Toņiševs scored his first international goal and debutant goalkeeper Frenks Dāvids Orols saved one penalty in the shootout.
The teams met twice in the 2024 UEFA Nations League campaign, with Latvia winning 1-0 at home before drawing 1-1 away. They also met in the Baltic Cup third-place match two years ago, when Andrejs Cigaņiks scored the only goal in a Latvian victory.
Will Lithuania end a 16-Year drought, or will Estonia go back-to-back?
