Ivanov made his debut for Bulgaria in 1988, earning 76 caps and scoring 6 goals over a ten-year international career.
[1] He made his first team debut during the 1983–84 A Group season, and established himself as a regular player two years later.
He made his debut in a 5–1 home league win over Botev Vratsa on 13 August 1988.
Ivanov's international distinctions included being a member of the Bulgaria national football team that reached the fourth place in the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States.
Ivanov's goal against Russia on 10 September 1997, in the qualifiers for the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, was the one that clinched Bulgarian qualification.