World Cup
- 1930 - 1954 no participation
- 1958 - Application rejected by FIFA
- 1962 - not qualified
- 1966 - withdrawn
- 1970 - 1986 - not qualified
- 1990 - withdrawn
- 1994 - not qualified
- 1998 - withdrawn
- 2002 - not qualified
- 2006 - not qualified
- 2010 - disqualified
- 2014 - not qualified
In the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, Ethiopia first faced Somalia in a first and second leg. After a 0-0 draw in the away leg, they won the second leg 5-0. This put Ethiopia in the group stage to face Botswana, South Africa and the Central African Republic. Ethiopia initially qualified early for the next round by beating South Africa 2-1 on 16 June 2013. Ethiopia's original 2-1 win over Botswana on 8 June 2013 was changed by FIFA to a 3-0 win for Botswana on 1 July 2013, as Ethiopia fielded Minyahile Teshome Beyene, a player who was suspended after receiving two yellow cards. This left qualification for the next round open again. However, Ethiopia managed to win in Central African Republic on the last matchday to advance to the playoff round of group winners. There, the team lost both matches against Nigeria by 1:2 and 0:2, respectively, and thus missed the chance to be the first East African country to participate in the final round of a World Cup.
African Championship
- 1957 - Second place
- 1959 - Third place
- 1962 - Master
- 1963 - Fourth place
- 1965 - Preliminary Round
- 1968 - Fourth place
- 1970 - Preliminary round
- 1972 - not qualified
- 1974 - not qualified
- 1976 - Preliminary round
- 1978 - not qualified
- 1980 - not qualified
| | - 1982 - Preliminary round
- 1984 - not qualified
- 1986 - withdrawn
- 1988 - Withdrawn during qualification
- 1990 - not qualified
- 1992 - Withdrawn during qualification
- 1994 to 1998 - not qualified
- 2000 - withdrawn
- 2002 to 2008 - not qualified
- 2010 - disqualified
- 2012 - not qualified
- 2013 - Preliminary round
| | - 2015: not qualified
- 2017: not qualified
- 2019: not qualified
- 2022 - qualified
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African Nations Championship
- 2009: not participated
- 2011: withdrawn in the qualification
- 2014: Preliminary round
- 2016: Preliminary round
- 2018: not qualified
- 2021: not qualified
Eastern / Central African Championship
- 1973 - 1982 - not participated
- 1983 - Preliminary round
- 1984 - not participated
- 1985 - not participated
- 1987 - East/Central Africa Champion
- 1988 - Preliminary round
- 1989 - not participated
- 1990 - not participated
- 1991 - not participated
- 1992 - Preliminary round
- 1994 - not participated
- 1995 - Fourth
- 1996 - not participated
- 1999 - quarter-finals
- 2000 - Third
- 2001 - East/Central Africa Champion
- 2002 - Preliminary round
- 2003 - Participation withdrawn
- 2004 - East/Central Africa Champion
- 2005 - East/Central Africa Champion
- 2006 - quarter-finals
- 2007 - Preliminary round
- 2008 - not participated
- 2009 - Preliminary round
- 2010 - Fourth
- 2011 - Preliminary round
- 2012 - Quarter Finals
- 2013 - Quarter Finals
- 2015 - 3rd place
- 2017 - Preliminary round
- 2019 - withdrawn