List of men's national association football teams

This is a list of the men's national association football teams in the world. There are more nations with football teams than for any other sport,[1] with teams representing all UN member states except the Marshall Islands, as well as several dependent territories, sub-national entities and states who are not members of the United Nations. This list divides teams into two main groups:

This list excludes other teams, which generally play outside of FIFA's recognition. Excluded teams include those who represent ethnic groups, sub-national entities and dependent territories other than those recognized by FIFA or its confederations, competitors at the Island Games, unrecognized states, separatist movements and pseudo or micro-nations.

Members of FIFA affiliated confederations

Map of the World with the six confederations:

This section lists the current:

FIFA members are eligible to enter the FIFA World Cup and matches between them are recognized as official international matches. Based on their match results over the previous four-year period, the FIFA World Rankings, published monthly by FIFA, compare the relative strengths of the national teams.

Some national teams who are members of a confederation but not FIFA members compete in confederation-level and subregional tournaments. These teams, however, are not allowed to participate in the World Cup.

The six confederations are:

FIFA runs the World Cup as a tournament for national teams to find the world champion. Each confederation also runs its own championship to find the best team from among its members:

Members of FIFA and its affiliated confederations include a majority of United Nations member states, as well as one state that is an observer at the United Nations (Palestine). They also include several constituent countries, autonomous areas, associated states, dependent territories, and one state who is not a UN member or observer (the Republic of China). The team from the Republic of China is designated as "Chinese Taipei" by both FIFA and its affiliated continental confederations.

Some national football associations are members of a continental federation, but their national teams have never participated in a tournament organized by FIFA or the corresponding confederation. These teams are noted in each subsection below.

AFC (Asia)

Due to the geographical size of Asia, the AFC is subdivided into five sub-federations:

1: National governing body was formerly a member of OFC (1966–2006)
2: National governing body is a member of UAFA
3: Official name used by FIFA and AFC for People's Republic of China
4: Official names used by FIFA and AFC for Democratic People's Republic of Korea (a) and Republic of Korea (b)
5: National governing body is an associate member of AFC but not a FIFA member
6: National governing body was formerly a member of OFC (2005-2009)
7: Official name used by FIFA and AFC for national team representing the Palestinian National Authority
8: Official name used by FIFA and AFC for Republic of China (Taiwan); national governing body was a member of OFC from 1975 to 1989

CAF (Africa)

Due to the geographical size of Africa, CAF is divided into five regional federations:

1: National governing body is a member of UAFA
2: Official names used by FIFA and CAF for the Republic of the Congo (a) and by FIFA for the Democratic Republic of Congo (b); CAF uses RD Congo
3: National governing body is an associate member of CAF, but not a FIFA member
4: Has never participated in any tournaments organized by FIFA or CAF
5: National governing body is an associate member of CAF and a member of CECAFA, but is not a FIFA member
6: Member of ConIFA

CONCACAF (North America, Central America and the Caribbean)

The CONCACAF federation is divided into three regional federations that have responsibility for part of the region's geographical area:

1: National governing body is a full member of CONCACAF but not a FIFA member

CONMEBOL (South America)

OFC (Oceania)

1: National governing body is an associate member of the OFC, but not a FIFA member
2: Has never participated in any tournaments organized by FIFA or the OFC
3: National governing body was formerly a member of AFC (1964-1966)
4: Official name used by FIFA and OFC for French Polynesia

UEFA (Europe)

1: Official name used by FIFA and UEFA for the Republic of Macedonia
2: National governing body is a full member of UEFA but not a FIFA member
3: National governing body was formerly a member of AFC (1954–1974); Joined UEFA in 1994
4: National governing body was formerly a member of AFC (1992–2002)
5: Official name used by FIFA and UEFA for Ireland

National teams not affiliated to FIFA confederations

The national football teams included in this section are not members of FIFA, or of any of its affiliated continental confederations. The teams are not eligible to enter the FIFA World Cup or any continental confederation championships. FIFA's statutes do not allow member teams to compete against these sides without FIFA's prior permission.[3]

This section lists:

Unaffiliated United Nations states

There are several United Nations member and observer states which are not members of FIFA or any of its affiliated continental confederations. Most of them, however, have fielded national teams in unofficial friendlies, Olympic-level tournaments (such as the Pacific Games or Micronesian Games), or in tournaments held outside the auspices of FIFA. These teams are listed below.

1: ConIFA member
2: The United Kingdom national team has only played unofficial friendly matches. Otherwise, the United Kingdom is represented in FIFA- and UEFA-organized football by the teams of its constituent countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales (these teams are listed in the UEFA subsection above). See also Great Britain Olympic football team

The Marshall Islands is the only United Nations member state which has no recorded national association football team.

Unaffiliated non-UN states

There are eleven states with limited international recognition, de facto sovereign states, and associated states who are not members or observers of the United Nations. Four of these are listed above: the Republic of China, which is a full member of FIFA and the AFC (as Chinese Taipei); Kosovo, which is a member of UEFA and currently has an application for FIFA membership; the Cook Islands and Niue, associated states of New Zealand, which are members of the OFC, with the Cook Islands also having FIFA membership while Niue does not.

None of the remaining seven de facto sovereign or partially recognized states are members of FIFA or any of its affiliated continental confederations. Six of them, however, have fielded national teams in non-FIFA football matches:

1: ConIFA member

Transnistria (also referred to as Pridnestrovie) is a de facto sovereign state who has no recorded national football team. Nonetheless, a football federation was established in the country in 2015, which joined ConIFA. [8]

Others

FIFA's entry criteria state that:

Any association which is responsible for organising and supervising football in its country may become a member of FIFA. In this context, the expression 'country' shall refer to an independent state recognised by the international community.
— FIFA, Fifa Statutes May 2008

The main condition for joining FIFA is thus general international recognition as a nation state and membership of the UN.[9] However, this rule is not applied retroactively,[10] and 24 of FIFA's members are not internationally recognised sovereign nations.[11]

Non-sovereign associations may still join FIFA or its affiliated confederations in specific circumstances. In particular, an exception is made for associations representing a dependency, which may apply for membership if authorised by the association in its parent state.[10][12] Most recently, this was allowed for New Caledonia in 2004; this was on the grounds of the distance of New Caledonia from its 'parent' nation, France.[13] Gibraltar, who are not an independent state but a territory of the UK, was admitted into UEFA in 2013, after a protracted campaign which faced strong opposition from Spain. The Court for Arbitration for Sport has rejected FIFA's decision to refuse Gibraltar membership, a matter which will be discussed (along with Kosovo's application for membership) at FIFA's May 2016 congress.[14][15]

A variety of other national, separatist, sub-national, pseudo-national, and ethnic teams have formed international football organizations outside of FIFA's jurisdiction, and play in international tournaments against each other.[13] Two organisations have been created as alternatives to FIFA. The older of the two, the N.F.-Board (Nouvelle Fédération-Board), was founded in 2001 to promote international football among sovereign nations, unrecognised nations, regions and stateless peoples that are not members of FIFA, and to assist in their possible future membership of FIFA. A total of 49 member associations nations were listed on the N.F. Board's website as of March 2016,[16] although at least one of these (Monaco) is no longer a member.[17] In 2013, a new organisation, the Confederation of Independent Football Associations (ConIFA), was founded to carry on this work, with a number of its members having previously been affiliated to the NF-Board. ConIFA was founded with the aim of regularising non-FIFA international football, by having a two-year international tournament cycle, with the ConIFA World Football Cup in even numbered years, and continental tournaments in odd-numbered years.[18]

In some cases, participation in non-FIFA football has been a first step for teams who later sought (and in some cases, achieved) the right to participate in matches sanctioned by FIFA or one of its affiliated continental confederations. For example, both Kosovo and Gibraltar played in non-FIFA football tournaments before being recognized by FIFA and UEFA, respectively. Similarly, the British Crown Dependency of Jersey, whose national team has been active in non-FIFA football for decades, has applied to join UEFA.[19]

Former national football teams

These national teams no longer exist due to the dissolution of the nation or territory that they represented. Only national teams that were once members of FIFA are listed here.

Preceding team Successor team(s)
(inherited position/results)		 Other successor team(s) Notes
 Czechoslovakia  Czech Republic[20]  Slovakia Represented Czechoslovakia until its dissolution into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993.[21] Competed as Representation of Czechs and Slovaks for the remainder of their 1994 World Cup qualifying games.[22]
 Saar  West Germany Represented the Saarland Protectorate from 1950 to 1956 before its union with the Federal Republic of Germany.[23]
 East Germany  Germany Represented East Germany between 1952 and 1990, before reunification with West Germany.[24]
 Ireland  Northern Ireland  Republic of Ireland Represented Ireland until the secession of the Irish Free State from the United Kingdom in 1922. The team continued to be known as Ireland, selecting some players from the Irish Free State, later the Republic of Ireland, until 1953 when it was renamed Northern Ireland to reflect its geographic mandate.
 Malaya  Malaysia Represented the Federation of Malaya until its union with Sarawak, North Borneo and Singapore to form Malaysia in 1963. Singapore had a separate national team from 1953 and gained independence in 1965.
 Tanganyika  Tanzania  Zanzibar Represented Tanganyika until its union with Zanzibar as Tanzania in 1964. Zanzibar is an associate member of CAF.
 North Vietnam  Vietnam Represented North Vietnam from 1949 till its union with South Vietnam in 1975.
 South Vietnam  Vietnam Represented South Vietnam from 1949 till its union with North Vietnam in 1975.
 North Yemen  Yemen Represented North Yemen from 1965 till its union with South Yemen in 1990.
 South Yemen  Yemen Represented South Yemen from 1965 till its union with North Yemen in 1990.
 United Arab Republic  Egypt  Syria Represented the United Arab Republic from 1958 to 1961 until the secession of Syria. Was considered a continuation of the previous Egypt national football team, which became its successor team. The team continued to be known as the United Arab Republic until 1970.
 Soviet Union  CIS  Estonia
 Latvia
 Lithuania		 Represented the Soviet Union from 1924 until its dissolution in 1991. This was considered a continuation of the team that had previously represented the Russian Empire.
 CIS  Russia  Armenia
 Azerbaijan
 Belarus
 Georgia
 Kazakhstan
 Kyrgyzstan
 Moldova
 Tajikistan
 Turkmenistan
 Ukraine
 Uzbekistan		 Represented the Commonwealth of Independent States and Georgia in 1992 until the creation of separate national teams for its constituent nations.
 Yugoslavia Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Federal Republic of Yugoslavia  Bosnia and Herzegovina
 Croatia
 Macedonia
 Slovenia		 Represented Yugoslavia between 1920 and 1992, before the dissolution of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia into Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Macedonia and Slovenia
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

later renamed Serbia and Montenegro

  Serbia  Montenegro
 Kosovo		 Represented the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, known as Serbia and Montenegro after 2003, between 1992 and 2006 when it was split into Serbia and Montenegro
 Netherlands Antilles  Curaçao  Bonaire
 Sint Maarten		 Represented the Netherlands Antilles until the dissolution of the country in 2010. Formerly known as "Curaçao", this name was restored in March 2011 when the new constituent country of Curaçao took the Netherlands Antilles' place in FIFA and CONCACAF. The teams representing Bonaire and Sint Maarten are full members of CONCACAF, but not of FIFA.

New names

In addition to the above, other nations have been renamed:

1: Still commonly called Ivory Coast in English-speaking countries

See also

References

  1. ↑ Brown, Michael. "Biggest Global Sports". Retrieved 11 September 2015.
  2. ↑ These are displayed in the main list in italics.
  3. ↑ "FIFA Statutes: July 2012 Edition" (PDF). FIFA. pp. Article 83. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
  4. ↑ http://vestnikkavkaza.net/news/sport/34442.html
  5. ↑ http://worldfootballcup.org/team/nagorno-karabakh-fa/
  6. ↑ https://conifaofficial.wordpress.com/somaliland/
  7. ↑ http://nonfifafootball.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/south-ossetia-make-international-bow-in.html
  8. ↑ http://novostipmr.com/en/news/15-10-13/pridnestrovies-national-football-team-may-take-part-world-cup
  9. ↑ Outcasts: The Lands That FIFA Forgot Menary, Steven. 25–08–10. Accessed 27–09–10
  10. 1 2 Fifa Statutes FIFA, May 2008
  11. ↑ The affiliated non-sovereign football teams are:
    Key
    1. Unincorporated unorganized territory of the United States
    2. British overseas territory
    3. Constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
    4. Sovereign state with limited international recognition
    5. Associated state of New Zealand
    6. Constituent country of the United Kingdom
    7. Constituent country of the Kingdom of Denmark
    8. Unincorporated organized territory of the United States
    9. Special administrative region of China
    10. Overseas collectivity of France
  12. ↑ CAS rules in favour of Gibraltar – Outcasts Blog. 05–09–11. Accessed 13–10–11
  13. 1 2 Menary, Steven. 2007. When is a National Team not a National Team? Sport in Society 10(2), 195–204
  14. ↑ "Gibraltar Scores Against Spain: Court Orders FIFA To Admit GFA "Without Delay"". The Spain Report. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  15. ↑ "Kosovo admitted as 55th member of European governing body UEFA". Sky Sports. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  16. ↑ "Football Associations Members of the N.F.-Board". N.F.-Board. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
  17. ↑ "Monaco quits NF Board". Outcasts Blog. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  18. ↑ "ConIFA aim to lead non-FIFA football forward". Back Page Football. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  19. ↑ http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/35049771
  20. ↑ "Czech Republic Country Info". FIFA.com. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
  21. ↑ "Czech Republic - Profile". FIFA. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
  22. ↑ "World Cup Ends On Belgian Note". Prague Post. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
  23. ↑ "Saarland 1950-1955". When Saturday Comes. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
  24. ↑ "Germany: When East and West became one". FIFA. Retrieved 18 July 2013.

Sources

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