 Bulgaria performs well in sports such as wrestling , weight @-@ lifting , boxing , gymnastics , volleyball , football and tennis . The country fields one of the leading men 's volleyball teams , ranked sixth in the world according to the 2013 FIVB rankings . Football is by far the most popular sport . Some famous players are AS Monaco forward Dimitar Berbatov and Hristo Stoichkov , winner of the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball and the most successful Bulgarian player of all time . Prominent domestic clubs include PFC CSKA Sofia and PFC Levski Sofia . The best performance of the national team at FIFA World Cup finals came in 1994 , when it advanced to the semi @-@ finals by defeating consecutively Greece , Argentina , Mexico and Germany , finishing fourth . Bulgaria has participated in most Olympic competitions since its first appearance at the 1896 games , when it was represented by Charles Champaud . The country has won a total of 218 medals : 52 gold , 86 silver , and 80 bronze , which puts it in 24th place in the all @-@ time ranking . 
