| Tuvalu | |
| Badge: | TUVALUIFA.png |
| Badge Size: | 215px |
| Association: | Tuvalu Islands Football Association |
| Confederation: | OFC (Oceania) |
| Coach: | Osamesa Mesako |
| Most Caps: | Katepu Sieni (16) |
| Top Scorer: | Alopua Petoa (9) |
| Home Stadium: | Tuvalu Sports Ground |
| Fifa Trigramme: | TUV |
| Elo Max: | 178 |
| Elo Max Date: | August 1979 |
| Elo Min: | 215 |
| Elo Min Date: | July 2019 |
| Pattern La1: | _Tuvalu2023H |
| Pattern B1: | _Tuvalu2023H |
| Pattern Ra1: | _Tuvalu2023H |
| Pattern Sh1: | _Tuvalu2023H |
| Pattern So1: | _Tuvalu2023H |
| First Game: | 18–0 (Suva, Fiji; 29 August 1979) |
| Largest Loss: | 18–0 (Suva, Fiji; 29 August 1979) |
| Regional Name: | ConIFA World Football Cup |
| Regional Cup Apps: | 1 |
| Regional Cup First: | 2018 |
| Regional Cup Best: | Group stage (2018) |
The Tuvalu national football team is the international football team of Tuvalu. Football in Tuvalu is played at the club and international level. The Tuvalu national team draws players from the Tuvalu A-Division and trains at the Tuvalu Sports Ground at Funafuti.[1] The national team competes in the Pacific Games, and is controlled by the Tuvalu Islands Football Association, which is an associate member of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) but not a member of FIFA.[2]
Tuvalu is a member of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC), but not of FIFA. In September 2008, Tuvaluan Prime Minister Apisai Ielemia and the President of the Tuvalu Football Association, Tapugao Falefou, visited the headquarters of FIFA in Zürich, hoping to gain full membership in the organisation.[2] In December 2013, OFC General Secretariat Tai Nicholas named Tuvalu's lack of a regulation pitch as the main factor preventing the country from being accepted into FIFA.[3] [4] The Tuvalu Football Association continues to seek membership of FIFA with the Dutch Support Tuvalu Foundation assisting Tuvalu with the FIFA application and with the development of football in Tuvalu.[5] Since November 2016, Tuvalu has been a member of the Confederation of Independent Football Associations (CONIFA) but, as of 2022, is no longer listed as one of their members.[6]
In November 2016 Tuvalu became a member of the Confederation of Independent Football Associations (CONIFA).[7] On 7 March 2018 it was announced that Tuvalu would replace Kiribati in the 2018 ConIFA World Football Cup in London.[8] On 9 June 2018, Tuvalu recorded their biggest ever victory in a 6–1 win over the Chagos Islands.[9] Sometime around 2020, Tuvalu would leave CONIFA and they are no longer listed as members of the organisation.
The national football team of Tuvalu received support from the Dutch Support Tuvalu Foundation, which is a foundation in the Netherlands.[10]
On 18 August 2013, the Tuvalu national football team went on a three-month tour of the Netherlands.[11] During this tour they played at least 20 friendly matches against local amateur football clubs. Former NAC Breda and De Graafschap coach Leen Looijen was the team's mentor during training in the Netherlands,[1] with the tour organised by the Dutch Support Tuvalu Foundation.[5]
The Tuvalu team and the activities of the Dutch Support Tuvalu Foundation are the focus of Mission Tuvalu (Missie Tuvalu) (2013) a feature documentary directed by Jeroen van den Kroonenberg.
See also: Tuvalu at the Pacific Games.
The Tuvaluan team, captained by Karl Tili, played three international matches at the 1979 South Pacific Games, with Kokea Malu as the coach. In Tuvalu's first international match, they were defeated by Tahiti 18–0; which is still its worst defeat to this day.[12] However, in their next match, the team recorded a large 5–3 victory against Tonga.[13] The victory against Tonga sent the team to the next round, where Tuvalu was defeated by New Caledonia 10–2.[12] The next game was against Kiribati, which was drawn 3–3; however Tuvalu won the penalty shootout 4–2 to advance to the semi-finals of the consolation tournament for fifth place;[12] in that round Tuvalu was defeated by Guam 8–2,[12] who eventually won sixth place after losing the fifth-place match.
In a warm-up match for the 2003 South Pacific Games, Tuvalu played a friendly game against Fiji and were defeated 9–0.[14]
Tuvalu also participated in four games at the 2003 South Pacific Games again held in Fiji, with Tim Jerks as the coach. After defeating Kiribati 3–2 in their opening game,[13] [15] Tuvalu played Fiji again, but were defeated with a more respectable 4–0.[15] In the game against Vanuatu, Tuvalu was narrowly defeated 1–0.[15] In the final game of the tournament against Solomon Islands, the Tuvaluan squad was defeated 4–0.[15] Tuvalu finished fourth out of five in Pool A, above Kiribati.[16]
In 2007, with Toakai Puapua as the coach, and Petio Semaia as the captain, Tuvalu became the first non FIFA member to participate in an official World Cup qualifying match.[17] The situation arose when the regional governing body used the football competition at the 2007 South Pacific Games, as the first stage of the qualification tournament for the 2010 FIFA World Cup and qualification tournament for the 2008 OFC Nations Cup. In Tuvalu's South Pacific Games debut, they were defeated 16–0 by Fiji.[18] [19] However Tuvalu fought hard in the next match against New Caledonia (who were joint leaders of the competition) and only lost 1–0.[18] [20] Tuvalu then drew 1–1 with Tahiti,[13] with a late equaliser from Viliamu Sekifu.[21] [22] In the last group stage match the Cook Islands, coached by Tim Jerks (who had previously coached Tuvalu), defeated them 4–1.[18] [23] Tuvalu finished last in the group with one point.
In 2011 the Tuvalu National Football Association signed Dutch coach Foppe de Haan as the coach on a part-time and volunteer basis.[24] De Haan previously coached SC Heerenveen, Ajax Cape Town and the Dutch national U-21 team. De Haan began his tenure with a 3–0 victory over Samoa in a warm-up match for the 2011 Pacific Games, and striker Alopua Petoa scored a hat-trick.[25] [26] [27]
De Haan's second match in charge saw a record 4–0 victory recorded over American Samoa in the first match of their 2011 Pacific Games campaign,[28] [29] [30] with another hat-trick from 19-year-old Alopua Petoa.[25] The third match was not as successful, with the side going down 5–1 to Vanuatu.[28] [31] After losing 8–0 to New Caledonia,[28] [32] and 6–1 to Solomon Islands,[28] [33] the Tuvaluan team drew with Guam 1–1.[28] [34] The squad finished equal with Guam in Pool A with four points, which was the best performance by Tuvalu in an international tournament at the time.
De Haan left his post after the tournament to rejoin Heerenveen's youth programme.[35]
In November 2023 Tuvalu were scheduled to participate in the 2023 Pacific Games taking place in the Solomon Islands. However, due to arriving late for their opening game against Papua New Guinea, their opponents were awarded a 3-0 walkover win.[36] A subsequent 0-6 loss to Vanuatu meant that Tuvalu finished bottom of their group and faced a playoff game against Tonga which they won 4-0.[37] They played their last game of the tournament, the 9th Place Play off, against the Northern Mariana Islands which they won 4-1.
Tulimanu Lisati has played for Stormbirds SC, in Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia.
Many Tuvaluan footballers have played for clubs in New Zealand:
Sources:[39] [40] [41] [42] [43] [44] [45]
| Kit lier | Period | |
|---|---|---|
| 2007–2011[46] | ||
| Stingz | 2018–2023[47] [48] |
| No. | Name | Period | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1979 | ||
| 2 | 2003 | ||
| 3 | 2006–2010 | ||
| 4 | 2011 | ||
| 5 | 2013 | ||
| 6 | 2016–2018 | ||
| 7 | 2018 | ||
| 8 | 2019 | ||
| 9 | 2023–present |
Coaching team at the 2023 Pacific Games: Lisati Tulimanu (Assistant Coach)Joshua Tapasei (Team Manager), Etimoni Timuani (Trainer).
The following players were called up for the 2023 Pacific Games.[49]
Caps and goals updated as of 18 July 2019 after the game against New Caledonia.
Players in bold are still active with Tuvalu.
| width=30px | Rank | width=150px | Name | width=50px | Caps | width=50px | Goals | width=100px | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Katepu Sieni | 16 | 0 | 2011–present | |||||
| 2 | Alopua Petoa | 13 | 9 | 2011–2019 | |||||
| 3 | Mau Peninsula | 12 | 0 | 2003–2011 | |||||
| 4 | Joshua Tui Tapasei | 11 | 0 | 2003–present | |||||
| Sosene Vailine | 11 | 3 | 2017–present | ||||||
| 6 | Jelly Selau | 10 | 0 | 2007–2019 | |||||
| 7 | James Lepaio | 9 | 1 | 2011–2019 | |||||
| Etimoni Timuani | 9 | 1 | 2011–2019 | ||||||
| 9 | Paenui Fagota | 7 | 1 | 2003–2007 | |||||
| Matti Uaelesi | 7 | 3 | 2017–present |
| width=30px | Rank | width=150px | Name | width=50px | Goals | width=50px | Caps | width=50px | Ratio | width=100px | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alopua Petoa | 9 | 13 | 2011–2019 | |||||||
| 2 | Saifoloi Metia Tealofi | 5 | – | – | 1979 | ||||||
| 3 | Andrew Pelekata | 3 | 3 | 2023–present | |||||||
| Matti Uaelesi | 3 | 7 | 2017–present | ||||||||
| Sosene Vailine | 3 | 11 | 2017–present | ||||||||
| 6 | Keni Vine | 2 | 3 | 2023–present | |||||||
Tuvalu has been affiliated with OFC since 2006, so they can play in the competition.[51]
| Oceania Cup / OFC Nations Cup record | Qualification record | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Host | Result | Position | |||||||||||||
| 1973 |  New Zealand | Not a member of OFC | Not a member of OFC | |||||||||||||
| 1980 |  New Caledonia | |||||||||||||||
| 1996 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1998 |  Australia | |||||||||||||||
| 2000 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2002 | New Zealand | |||||||||||||||
| 2004 | Australia | |||||||||||||||
| 2008 | Did not qualify | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 22 | |||||||||
| 2012 |  Solomon Islands | Ineligible to participate | Ineligible to participate | |||||||||||||
| 2016 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2024 |  Vanuatu,  Fiji | |||||||||||||||
| Total | — | 0/11 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 22 | ||
See main article: Tuvalu at the Pacific Games.
| Pacific Games record | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Host | Round | Position | |||||||
| 1963 | Fiji | Did not enter | ||||||||
| 1966 | New Caledonia | |||||||||
| 1969 |  Papua New Guinea | |||||||||
| 1971 | ||||||||||
| 1975 |  Guam | |||||||||
| 1979 | Fiji | Quarter-finals | 8th | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 42 | |
| 1983 | Did not enter | |||||||||
| 1987 | New Caledonia | |||||||||
| 1991 | Papua New Guinea | |||||||||
| 1995 | ||||||||||
| 2003 | Fiji | Group stage | 8th | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 11 | |
| 2007 |  Samoa | 9th | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 22 | ||
| 2011 | New Caledonia | 7th | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 20 | ||
| 2015 | Papua New Guinea | N/A – Tournament was U23 | ||||||||
| 2019 | Samoa | Group stage | 10th | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 42 | |
| 2023 | Solomon Islands | 9th | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 10 | ||
| Total | Quarter-finals | 6/16 | 27 | 5 | 4 | 18 | 32 | 147 | ||
| Pacific Mini Games record | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Host | Round | Position | |||||||
| 1981 to 1993 | Did not enter | |||||||||
| 2017 | Vanuatu | Fourth place | 4th | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 28 | |
| Total | Fourth place | 1/3 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 28 | ||
| ConIFA World Football Cup record | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Host | Round | Position | |||||||
| 2014 to 2016 | Did not enter | |||||||||
| 2018 | Group stage | 15th | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 24 | ||
| Total | 1/3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 24 | |||
Up to matches played on 30 November 2023.
Tuvalu's score is shown first
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Competition | class=unsortable | Tuvalu scorers | Att. | class=unsortable | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buckhurst Park, Suva (N) | align=center bgcolor=#ffdddd | 0–18 | 1979 South Pacific Games | — | [52] [53] [54] | ||||
| 2 | Ratu Cakobau Park, Nausori (N) | align=center bgcolor=#ddffdd | 5–3 | 1979 South Pacific Games | Saifoloi (5) | — | ||||
| 3 | Buckhurst Park, Suva (N) | align=center bgcolor=#ffdddd | 0–11 | 1979 South Pacific Games | — | |||||
| 4 | Ratu Cakobau Park, Nausori (N) | align=center bgcolor=#ffffcc | 3–3 (4–2 p) | 1979 South Pacific Games | Unknown | — | ||||
| 5 | Ratu Cakobau Park, Nausori (N) | align=center bgcolor=#ffdddd | 2–7 | 1979 South Pacific Games | Unknown | — | ||||
| 6 | Fiji (A) | align=center bgcolor=#ffdddd | 0–9 | Friendly | — | |||||
| 7 | National Stadium, Suva (N) | align=center bgcolor=#ddffdd | 3–2 | 2003 South Pacific Games | Manoa, Fagota, Semaia | — | [55] | |||
| 8 | National Stadium, Suva (N) | align=center bgcolor=#ffdddd | 0–4 | 2003 South Pacific Games | ||||||
| 9 | National Stadium, Suva (N) | align=center bgcolor=#ffdddd | 0–1 | 2003 South Pacific Games | ||||||
| 10 | Ratu Cakobau Park, Nausori (N) | align=center bgcolor=#ffdddd | 0–4 | 2003 South Pacific Games | ||||||
| 11 | align=center bgcolor=#ffdddd | 0–16 | 2007 South Pacific Games | [56] | ||||||
| 12 | Toleofoa Joseph Blatter Soccer Complex, Apia (N) | align=center bgcolor=#ffdddd | 0–1 | 2007 South Pacific Games | ||||||
| 13 | Toleofoa Joseph Blatter Soccer Complex, Apia (N) | align=center bgcolor=#ffffcc | 1–1 | 2007 South Pacific Games | Sekifu | |||||
| 14 | Toleofoa Joseph Blatter Soccer Complex, Apia (N) | align=center bgcolor=#ffdddd | 1–4 | 2007 South Pacific Games | Willis (o.g.) | |||||
| 15 | Fiji (N) | align=center bgcolor=#ddffdd | 3–0 | Friendly | Petoa (3) | — | ||||
| 16 | Stade Rivière Salée, Nouméa (N) | align=center bgcolor=#ddffdd | 4–0 | 2011 Pacific Games | Petoa (3), Tiute | — | [57] | |||
| 17 | Stade Rivière Salée, Nouméa (N) | align=center bgcolor=#ffdddd | 1–5 | 2011 Pacific Games | Ale | — | ||||
| 18 | Stade Rivière Salée, Nouméa (N) | align=center bgcolor=#ffdddd | 0–8 | 2011 Pacific Games | — | |||||
| 19 | Stade Rivière Salée, Nouméa (N) | align=center bgcolor=#ffdddd | 1–6 | 2011 Pacific Games | Lepaio | — | ||||
| 20 | Stade Rivière Salée, Nouméa (N) | align=center bgcolor=#ffffcc | 1–1 | 2011 Pacific Games | Stanley | — | ||||
| 21 | Port Vila Municipal Stadium, Port Vila (N) | align=center bgcolor=#ffdddd | 0–8 | 2017 Pacific Mini Games | [58] | |||||
| 22 | Korman Stadium, Port Vila (N) | align=center bgcolor=#ddffdd | 2–1 | 2017 Pacific Mini Games | Ionatana, Petoa | |||||
| 23 | Port Vila Municipal Stadium, Port Vila (N) | align=center bgcolor=#ffdddd | 0–6 | 2017 Pacific Mini Games | ||||||
| 24 | Port Vila Municipal Stadium, Port Vila (N) | align=center bgcolor=#ffdddd | 0–10 | 2017 Pacific Mini Games | ||||||
| 25 | Port Vila Municipal Stadium, Port Vila (N) | align=center bgcolor=#ddffdd | 4–3 | 2017 Pacific Mini Games | Uaelasi, Fahina (o.g.), Petoa, Lotonu | |||||
| 26 | Coles Park, Haringey (N) | align=center bgcolor=#ffdddd | 0–4 | — | [59] | |||||
| 27 | Coles Park, Haringey (N) | align=center bgcolor=#ffdddd | 0–8 | 2018 CONIFA World Football Cup | — | |||||
| 28 | Coles Park, Haringey (N) | align=center bgcolor=#ffdddd | 1–3 | 2018 CONIFA World Football Cup | Timuani | — | ||||
| 29 | Larges Lane, Bracknell (N) | align=center bgcolor=#ffdddd | 0–5 | 2018 CONIFA World Football Cup | — | [60] | ||||
| 30 | Gander Green Lane, Sutton (N) | align=center bgcolor=#ffdddd | 3–4 | 2018 CONIFA World Football Cup | Petoa (2), Vailine | — | [61] | |||
| 31 | Bedfont Recreation Ground, Bedfont (N) | align=center bgcolor=#ddffdd | 6–1 | Friendly | — | [62] | ||||
| 32 | National Soccer Stadium, Apia (N) | align=center bgcolor=#ffdddd | 0–13 | 2019 Pacific Games | [63] | |||||
| 33 | National Soccer Stadium, Apia (N) | align=center bgcolor=#ffdddd | 0–7 | 2019 Pacific Games | ||||||
| 34 | National Soccer Stadium, Apia (N) | align=center bgcolor=#ffffcc | 1–1 | 2019 Pacific Games | Petoa | |||||
| 35 | National Soccer Stadium, Apia (N) | align=center bgcolor=#ffdddd | 1–10 | 2019 Pacific Games | Vailine | |||||
| 36 | National Soccer Stadium, Apia (N) | align=center bgcolor=#ffdddd | 0–11 | 2019 Pacific Games | ||||||
| — | Lawson Tama Stadium, Honiara (N) | align=center bgcolor=#ffdddd | w/o | 2023 Pacific Games | — | [64] | ||||
| 37 | Lawson Tama Stadium, Honiara (N) | align=center bgcolor=#ffdddd | 0–6 | 2023 Pacific Games | [65] | |||||
| 38 | SIFF Academy Field, Honiara (N) | align=center bgcolor=#ddffdd | 4–0 | 2023 Pacific Games | Sapele, Pelekata, Vine (2) | [66] | ||||
| 39 | SIFF Academy Field, Honiara (N) | align=center bgcolor=#ddffdd | 4–1 | 2023 Pacific Games | Vailine (2), Uaelasi (2) | [67] |
