The 1996 season was the fifth full year of competitive football in the Baltic country as an independent nation. After having a poor run in 1995 (twelve defeats in twelve games) the Estonia national football team started in the qualifying tournament for the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France. The team had a new coach: Teitur Thordarson from Iceland.

Estonia vs Azerbaijan

Friendly
16 February 1996

Estonia	0 – 0	Azerbaijan

GSZ Stadium, Larnaca

Attendance: 50

Referee: Loizou (CYP)

Pos	Name	Min	Rem	Cap
GK	Mart Poom	90'	(c)	35
DF	Meelis Lindmaa	90'
DF	Marek Lemsalu	90'
DF	Urmas Kirs	90'
DF	Toomas Kallaste	90'
DF	Sergei Hohlov-Simson	90'
MF	Tarmo Linnumäe	90'
MF	Indro Olumets	90'		30
MF	Marko Kristal	72'		37
FW	Toomas Krõm	90'
FW	Indrek Zelinski	90'		7
Substitutes
FW	Lembit Rajala	72'
FW	Argo Arbeiter	90'
Manager: Teitur Thordarson

Cyprus vs Estonia

Friendly
20 February 1996

Cyprus	1 – 0	Estonia
Konstantinou 21'

Tsirion Stadium, Limassol

Attendance: 50

Referee: Kapitanis (CYP)

Pos	Name	Min	Rem	Cap
GK	Mart Poom	90'	(c)	36
DF	Marek Lemsalu	90'
DF	Urmas Kirs	80'
DF	Sergei Hohlov-Simson	90'
DF	Indro Olumets	90'		31
MF	Meelis Lindmaa	90'
MF	Tarmo Linnumäe	55'
MF	Toomas Kallaste	90'
MF	Marko Kristal	90'		38
FW	Toomas Krõm	90'
FW	Indrek Zelinski	90'		8
Substitutes
FW	Lembit Rajala	55'
FW	Argo Arbeiter	80'
Manager: Teitur Thordarson

Estonia vs Faroe Islands

Friendly
24 February 1996

Estonia	2 – 2	Faroe Islands
Kristal 13' [1] Rajala 45'		Johannesen 30' Jarnskor 45'

GSZ Stadium, Larnaca

Attendance: 2,000

Referee: Kyprianides (CYP)

Pos	Name	Min	Rem	Cap
GK	Mart Poom	90'	(c)	37
DF	Marek Lemsalu	90'
DF	Urmas Kirs	90'
DF	Sergei Hohlov-Simson	90'
DF	Indro Olumets	90'		32
MF	Meelis Lindmaa	90'
MF	Toomas Krõm	90'
MF	Toomas Kallaste	90'
MF	Marko Kristal	90'	13'	39
FW	Lembit Rajala	75'	45'
FW	Indrek Zelinski	90'		9
Substitutes
FW	Tarmo Linnumäe	75'
Manager: Teitur Thordarson

Estonia vs Iceland

Friendly
24 April 1996

Estonia	0 – 3	Iceland
		B. Gunnlaugsson 6', 20', 30'

Kadrioru Stadium, Tallinn

Attendance: 500

Referee: Lajuks (LAT)

Pos	Name	Min	Rem	Cap
GK	Mart Poom	90'	(c)	38
DF	Marek Lemsalu	90'
DF	Urmas Kirs	90'
DF	Sergei Hohlov-Simson	90'
DF	Indro Olumets	90'		33
MF	Meelis Lindmaa	90'
MF	Tarmo Linnumäe	58'
MF	Martin Reim	90'		35
MF	Marko Kristal	90'	13'	40
FW	Lembit Rajala	90'	45'
FW	Indrek Zelinski	79'		10
Substitutes
MF	Toomas Kallaste	58'
FW	Toomas Krõm	79'
Manager: Teitur Thordarson

Estonia vs Turkey

Friendly
29 May 1996

Estonia	0 – 0	Turkey

Kadrioru Stadium, Tallinn

Attendance: 1,700

Referee: Keltanen (FIN)

Pos	Name	Min	Rem	Cap
GK	Mart Poom	90'	(c)	39
DF	Marek Lemsalu	90'
DF	Urmas Kirs	90'
DF	Sergei Hohlov-Simson	90'
DF	Risto Kallaste	90'
MF	Meelis Lindmaa	90'
MF	Viktor Alonen	85'
MF	Toomas Kallaste	90'
MF	Martin Reim	90'		36
MF	Marko Kristal	90'		41
FW	Andres Oper	90'
Substitutes
MF	Liivo Leetma	85'
FW	Lembit Rajala	90'
Manager: Teitur Thordarson

Estonia vs Latvia

Baltic Cup
7 July 1996

Estonia	1 – 1	Latvia
U. Rooba 36'		Bulders 16'

Kreenholmi Stadium, Narva

Attendance: 350

Referee: Dilda (LTU)

Pos	Name	Min	Rem	Cap
GK	Mart Poom	90'	(c)	40
DF	Marek Lemsalu	90'	74'
DF	Urmas Kirs	90'
DF	Sergei Hohlov-Simson	90'
DF	Urmas Rooba	90'	36'
MF	Meelis Lindmaa	90'
MF	Viktor Alonen	90'
MF	Toomas Kallaste	90'
MF	Meelis Rooba	90'		1
FW	Indrek Zelinski	85'		11
FW	Andres Oper	79'
Substitutes
MF	Marko Kristal	79'		42
MF	Martin Reim	85'		37
Manager: Teitur Thordarson

Estonia vs Lithuania

Baltic Cup
9 July 1996

Estonia	1 – 1	Lithuania
Reim 21' (pk)		Žvingilas 18'

Kreenholmi Stadium, Narva

Attendance: 1,000

Referee: Braga (LAT)

Pos	Name	Min	Rem	Cap
GK	Mart Poom	90'	(c)	41
DF	Marek Lemsalu	90'
DF	Urmas Kirs	90'
DF	Sergei Hohlov-Simson	90'
DF	Urmas Rooba	90'	15'
DF	Janek Meet	74'
MF	Viktor Alonen	24'
MF	Toomas Kallaste	88'
MF	Meelis Rooba	90'		2
MF	Martin Reim	90'	21' (pk)	38
FW	Indrek Zelinski	46'		12
Substitutes
FW	Andres Oper	24'
MF	Marko Kristal	46'		43
MF	Meelis Lindmaa	74'
FW	Lembit Rajala	88'
Manager: Teitur Thordarson

Belarus vs Estonia

WCQ 98 ^[2]
31 August 1996

Belarus	1 – 0	Estonia
Makowski 35'

Dinamo Stadium, Minsk

Attendance: 7,500

Referee: Khusainov (RUS)

Pos	Name	Min	Rem	Cap
GK	Mart Poom	3'	(c)	42
DF	Meelis Lindmaa	90'
DF	Sergei Hohlov-Simson	90'
DF	Marek Lemsalu	90'
DF	Urmas Rooba	90'
MF	Meelis Rooba	90'		3
MF	Viktor Alonen	56'
MF	Marko Kristal	90'		44
MF	Martin Reim	90'	11'	39
FW	Indrek Zelinski	90'		13
FW	Andres Oper	68'
Substitutes
GK	Sergei Pareiko	3'		1
DF	Urmas Kirs	56'
FW	Argo Arbeiter	68'
Manager: Teitur Thordarson

Estonia vs Belarus

WCQ 98
5 October 1996

Estonia	1 – 0 [3]	Belarus
Hohlov-Simson 51'

Kadrioru Stadium, Tallinn

Attendance: 1,500

Referee: O'Hanlon (IRL)

Pos	Name	Min	Rem	Cap
GK	Mart Poom	90'	(c)	43
DF	Urmas Rooba	90'
DF	Sergei Hohlov-Simson	90'	51'
DF	Marek Lemsalu	90'
DF	Meelis Rooba	58'		4
MF	Meelis Lindmaa	90'	75'
MF	Viktor Alonen	90'	87'
MF	Marko Kristal	89'		45
MF	Martin Reim	90'		40
FW	Indrek Zelinski	90'		14
FW	Andres Oper	26'
Substitutes
DF	Urmas Kirs	26'
MF	Toomas Kallaste	58'
FW	Argo Arbeiter	89'
Manager: Teitur Thordarson

Estonia vs Scotland

Finland vs Estonia

Friendly
30 October 1996

Finland	2 – 2	Estonia
Grönlund 74' Pohja 88'		M. Rooba 65' Kirs 80'

Arto Tolsa Areena, Kotka

Attendance: 925

Referee: Lajuks (LAT)

Pos	Name	Min	Rem	Cap
GK	Mart Poom	90'	(c)	44
DF	Urmas Rooba	90'
DF	Sergei Hohlov-Simson	90'
DF	Raivo Nõmmik	90'
DF	Meelis Rooba	90'	65'	5
MF	Urmas Kirs	90'	80'
MF	Viktor Alonen	76'
MF	Marko Kristal	69'		46
MF	Martin Reim	90'		41
MF	Janek Meet	90'
FW	Argo Arbeiter	90'
Substitutes
MF	Liivo Leetma	69'
MF	Toomas Kallaste	76'
Manager: Teitur Thordarson

Andorra vs Estonia

Friendly
13 November 1996

Andorra	1 – 6	Estonia
Pol 61'		Zelinski 36' Arbeiter 64' 74' 76' 84' Kristal 87'

Estadi Comunal, Andorra la Vella

Attendance: 1,500

Referee: Gracía Redondo (ESP)

Pos	Name	Min	Rem	Cap
GK	Mart Poom	90'	(c)	45
DF	Urmas Rooba	63'
DF	Marek Lemsalu	90'
DF	Urmas Kirs	90'
DF	Raivo Nõmmik	90'
MF	Meelis Rooba	76'		6
MF	Marko Kristal	90'	87'	47
MF	Martin Reim	82'		42
MF	Mati Pari	69'
FW	Indrek Zelinski	90'	36'	15
FW	Argo Arbeiter	85'	64' 74' 76' 84'
Substitutes
DF	Gert Olesk	63'
MF	Janek Meet	69'
MF	Viktor Alonen	76'
MF	Vahur Vahtramäe	82'
MF	Liivo Leetma	85'
Manager: Teitur Thordarson

Estonia vs Indonesia

Friendly
16 November 1996

Estonia	3 – 0	Indonesia
Zelinski 6', 45', 71'

Stadio Luigi Ferraris, Genoa

Attendance: 1,500

Referee: Pieri (ITA)

Pos	Name	Min	Rem	Cap
GK	Mart Poom	90'	(c)	46
DF	Urmas Rooba	90'
DF	Urmas Kirs	90'
DF	Gert Olesk	90'
DF	Raivo Nõmmik	90'
MF	Meelis Rooba	63'		7
MF	Viktor Alonen	87'
MF	Marko Kristal	90'		48
MF	Martin Reim	90'		43
MF	Janek Meet	87'
FW	Indrek Zelinski	90'	6' 45' 71'	16
Substitutes
MF	Mati Pari	63'
MF	Liivo Leetma	87'
MF	Vahur Vahtramäe	87'
Manager: Teitur Thordarson

Basque Country vs Estonia

Estonia played the non-FIFA Basque Country team on 26 December 1996; this did not contribute to ranking points or individual cap totals.