Belize national football team facts for kids
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| Nickname(s) | The Jaguars The Unbelizeables |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Football Federation of Belize (FFB) | ||
| Confederation | CONCACAF (North America) | ||
| Sub-confederation | UNCAF (Central America) | ||
| Head coach | Daniel Bartolotta | ||
| Captain | Woodrow West | ||
| Most caps | Deon McCaulay (63) | ||
| Top scorer | Deon McCaulay (28) | ||
| Home stadium | FFB Stadium | ||
| FIFA code | BLZ | ||
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| FIFA ranking | |||
| Current | 160  (7 February 2019) |
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| Highest | 114 (April–June 2016) | ||
| Lowest | 201 (November 2007 – January 2008) | ||
| Elo ranking | |||
| Current | 169  1 (3 March 2019) |
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| Highest | 166 (September 2018) | ||
| Lowest | 189 (January 2008) | ||
| First international | |||
 British Honduras 1–0 Honduras  (British Honduras; 19 February 1928) as Belize  El Salvador 3–0 Belize  (San Salvador, El Salvador; 29 November 1995) |
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| Biggest win | |||
Belize 7–1 Nicaragua  (Belize City, Belize; 17 April 2002) |
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| Biggest defeat | |||
 Costa Rica 7–0 Belize (San José, Costa Rica; 17 March 1999)  Mexico 7–0 Belize (Monterrey, Mexico; 21 June 2008)  Belize 0–7 Costa Rica (Belmopan, Belize; 21 March 2025) |
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| CONCACAF Gold Cup | |||
| Appearances | 1 (first in 2013) | ||
| Best result | Group stage (2013) | ||
| Copa de Naciones UNCAF / Copa Centroamericana | |||
| Appearances | 10 (first in 1995) | ||
| Best result | Fourth place (2013) | ||
The Belize national football team represents the country of Belize in international men's football games. The team is controlled by the Football Federation of Belize (FFB). The FFB has been a member of FIFA and CONCACAF since 1986.
Belize has never played in a FIFA World Cup tournament. However, they did qualify once for the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2013. In that tournament, they were eliminated in the first round. Belize has also played in the Copa Centroamericana. Their best result there was finishing fourth in 2013.
Contents
History of Belize Football
Early Games and Independence
Belize was once known as British Honduras when it was under British rule. The country's first international football game was on February 19, 1928. They won that game 1–0 against Honduras.
After Belize became an independent country, its first game was on December 8, 1983. They lost 2–0 to Canada in Belize. Even though Belize gained independence in 1981, they didn't start playing international football regularly until 1995. Their first big tournament was the 1995 UNCAF Nations Cup. They were knocked out early after losing to El Salvador and Costa Rica.
Belize has never made it to the World Cup. But they achieved a great result by finishing fourth in the 2013 Copa Centroamericana. This fourth-place finish allowed Belize to qualify for a major international competition for the first time: the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
FIFA Suspension in 2011
On June 15, 2011, Belize started its journey to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. They played against Montserrat and won 5–2. This game was played in Trinidad. However, the next game, planned for June 19, was put on hold by FIFA. FIFA suspended the Football Federation of Belize because of issues with how the government was involved in football matters.
Team Identity
In February 2023, the Football Federation of Belize showed off a new logo for its national teams. A designer named Rolando Ramirez created the new logo. It clearly shows a Jaguar, which is the team's nickname. The FFB hoped this new look would help bring the Belize football community together and make them proud.
Team Uniform Sponsors
Teams often have sponsors for their uniforms. Here's a look at some of the companies that have supplied kits for the Belize national team:
| Kit supplier | Period |
|---|---|
| Runic | 2005–2006 |
| Keuka |
2008 |
 Rotto |
2011 |
| Spadd |
2012 |
 Nike |
2013 |
| None | 2014–Present |
Home Stadium
The FFB Stadium in Belmopan is the main home stadium for the Belize national football team. Before this stadium was built, Belize did not have any football facilities that met FIFA's requirements. Belize has many other fields to play on, but they often lack proper facilities for the players.
Recent Match Results
Here are the results of the team's matches from the last year.
Win Draw Loss
Matches in 2024
- September 7: Belize won 4–0 against Turks and Caicos Islands in the CONCACAF Nations League.
- September 10: Belize won 1–0 against Anguilla in the CONCACAF Nations League.
- October 9: Belize won 1–0 against Anguilla in the CONCACAF Nations League.
- October 15: Belize won 3–0 against Turks and Caicos Islands in the CONCACAF Nations League.
- November 14: Belize won 2–1 against French Guiana in a Gold Cup qualification match.
- November 19: Belize drew 2–2 against French Guiana in a Gold Cup qualification match.
Matches in 2025
- March 21: Belize lost 0–7 to Costa Rica in a Gold Cup qualification match.
- March 25: Belize lost 1–6 to Costa Rica in a Gold Cup qualification match.
- June 4: Belize lost 0–1 to Montserrat in a World Cup qualification match.
- June 7: Belize lost 0–2 to Panama in a World Cup qualification match.
Coaching Staff
The coaching staff helps the team train and prepare for matches.
| Name | Nat | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Carlos Slusher | |
Head coach |
| Enrique Maximiliano Meza | |
Assistant head coach |
| Daniel Bartolotta |  |
|
| Calvin Fernández | |
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| Prince Gárcelez | |
Goalkeeping coach |
| Demario Washington | |
Physical Trainer |
| Kenneth Bermúdez | |
Physiotherapist |
Coaching History
Since the national team started in 1995, many coaches have led the Belize team. Winston Michael was the first manager from 1995 to 1996. As of 2012, Belize has had 11 different managers.
| Manager | Period in charge | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winston Michael |
1995–1996 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0.0 |
 Manuel Bilches |
1999–2000 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Leroy Sherrier Lewis |
2001 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 60.0 |
 Eduardo Santana |
2003 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Anthony Adderly |
2003–2006 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Antonio Carlos Vieira |
2006–2007 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.0 |
| Palmiro Salas |
2008 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50.0 |
| Ian Mork |
2008 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0.0 |
| Renan Couoh |
2008–2009 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0.0 |
 José de la Paz Herrera |
2010–2012 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 28.6 |
| Leroy Sherrier Lewis |
2012–2013 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 20.0 |
| Charlie Slusher |
2013 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Ian Mork |
2013–2014 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0.0 |
| Leroy Sherrier Lewis |
2014–2015 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.0 |
| Jorge Nunez |
2015–2016 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 50.0 |
 Richard Orlowski |
2016–2018 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Palmiro Salas |
2018–2019 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 50.0 |
 Vincenzo Alberto Annese |
2019–2020 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 33.3 |
| Dale Pelayo Sr. |
2020–2021 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 33.3 |
 David Perez Asensio |
2022–2024 | 17 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 17.6 |
| Charlie Slusher |
2024-Present | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 100.0 |
Team Players
Current Squad Overview
The Belize national football team has a group of talented players who represent their country. These players are chosen to play in important matches, like the FIFA World Cup qualification games. The team includes goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders, and forwards.
The players listed below were part of the squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification matches in June 2025. Their game statistics (caps and goals) are accurate as of March 25, 2025.
- Goalkeepers: Woodrow West, Charles Tillett, Lucas Gallego
- Defenders: Eugene Martínez, Deshawon Nembhard, Horace Ávila, Jaylen Lennan, Alence Ayala, Harlan Casanova
- Midfielders: Jordy Polanco, Darrel Myvette, Nahjib Guerra, Warren Moss, Andir Chi, Eldon Reneau, Izon Gill, Freybin Pagoada, Marlon Meza Jr.
- Forwards: Krisean Lopez, Carlos Bernárdez, Moisés Hernández, Jaheim Mena, Desmond Wade
Team Records
- Players whose names are in bold are still playing for the Belize national team.
Most Games Played
These players have played the most matches for Belize:
| Rank | Player | Caps | Goals | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deon McCaulay | 63 | 28 | 2007–2022 |
| 2 | Elroy Smith | 61 | 6 | 2004–2019 |
| 3 | Ian Gaynair | 57 | 2 | 2007–2022 |
| 4 | Evral Trapp | 55 | 0 | 2010–present |
| 5 | Woodrow West | 47 | 0 | 2008–present |
| 6 | Dalton Eiley | 41 | 0 | 2005–2019 |
| Daniel Jiménez | 41 | 2 | 2008–2019 | |
| 8 | Harrison Róchez | 40 | 5 | 2004–2019 |
| 9 | Trevor Lennan | 37 | 1 | 2005–2019 |
| 10 | Krisean Lopez | 34 | 5 | 2018–present |
Top Goal Scorers
These players have scored the most goals for Belize:
| Rank | Player | Goals | Caps | Ratio | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deon McCaulay | 28 | 63 | 0.44 | 2007–2022 |
| 2 | Carlos Bernárdez | 7 | 20 | 0.35 | 2019–present |
| 3 | Jordy Polanco | 6 | 33 | 0.18 | 2015–present |
| Elroy Kuylen | 6 | 33 | 0.18 | 2009–2019 | |
| Elroy Smith | 6 | 61 | 0.1 | 2004–2019 | |
| 6 | Dion Frazer | 5 | 8 | 0.63 | 2000–2008 |
| Krisean Lopez | 5 | 34 | 0.15 | 2018–present | |
| Harrison Róchez | 5 | 40 | 0.13 | 2004–2019 | |
| 9 | Norman Nuñez | 3 | 11 | 0.27 | 1995–2005 |
| Vallan Symms | 3 | 20 | 0.15 | 2000–2011 | |
| Michael Salazar | 3 | 23 | 0.13 | 2013–present |
Tournament History
FIFA World Cup Qualifiers
Belize has tried to qualify for the FIFA World Cup many times. They were part of the United Kingdom until 1981. They became a FIFA member later.
| FIFA World Cup | FIFA World Cup qualification | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
| 1930 to 1978 | Part of  United Kingdom |
Part of United Kingdom |
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| 1982 and 1986 | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | |||||||||||||
| 1990 and 1994 | Did not enter | Declined participation | |||||||||||||
 1998 |
Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | ||||||||
  2002 |
4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 10 | |||||||||
 2006 |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | |||||||||
 2010 |
4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 11 | |||||||||
| 2014 |
8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 17 | 13 | |||||||||
 2018 |
6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 6 | |||||||||
 2022 |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 5 | |||||||||
 2026 |
4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 10 | |||||||||
| Total | 0/9 | 33 | 8 | 6 | 19 | 38 | 69 | ||||||||
CONCACAF Gold Cup History
The CONCACAF Gold Cup is a major football tournament for teams in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Belize has qualified for it once.
| CONCACAF Championship & CONCACAF Gold Cup record | Qualification record | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
| 1963 |
Part of United Kingdom |
Part of United Kingdom |
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| 1965 |
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| 1967 |
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| 1969 |
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 1971 |
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 1973 |
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| 1977 |
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| 1981 |
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| 1985 | Not a CONCACAF member | Not a CONCACAF member | ||||||||||||||
| 1989 | Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||||||||||
| 1991 |
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| 1993 |
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| 1996 |
Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | |||||||||
| 1998 |
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||
| 2000 |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 12 | ||||||||||
| 2002 |
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 7 | ||||||||||
| 2003 |
Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||||||||||
| 2005 |
Did not qualify | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | |||||||||
| 2007 |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7 | ||||||||||
| 2009 |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 | ||||||||||
| 2011 |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | ||||||||||
| 2013 |
Group stage | 12th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 11 | Squad | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 4 | |
| 2015 |
Did not qualify | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 | |||||||||
| 2017 |
5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 10 | ||||||||||
 2019 |
4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 3 | ||||||||||
| 2021 |
6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 12 | ||||||||||
| 2023 |
6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 10 | ||||||||||
| 2025 |
8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 14 | 16 | ||||||||||
| Total | Group stage | 1/18 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 11 | — | 57 | 10 | 6 | 41 | 48 | 116 | |
CONCACAF Nations League
The CONCACAF Nations League is a newer competition for teams in the CONCACAF region.
| CONCACAF Nations League record | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| League | Finals | ||||||||||||||||||
| Season | Division | Group | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | P/R | Finals | Result | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad | |
| 2019−20 | B | A | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 12 |  |
2020 |
Ineligible | ||||||||
| 2022–23 | B | D | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 10 | |
2023 |
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| 2023–24 | B | C | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 7 |  |
2024 |
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| 2024–25 | C | B | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 |  |
2025 |
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| Total | — | — | 22 | 8 | 2 | 12 | 22 | 29 | — | Total | 0 Titles | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| CONCACAF Nations League history | |
|---|---|
| First match |  French Guiana 3–0 Belize(September 5, 2019; Cayenne, French Guiana) |
| Biggest win |  Turks and Caicos Islands 0–4 Belize(September 7, 2024; Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands) |
| Biggest defeat |  Saint Kitts and Nevis 4–0 Belize (October 10, 2019; Belmopan, Belize) |
| Best result | — |
| Worst result | — |
Copa Centroamericana History
The Copa Centroamericana was a football competition for Central American teams. Belize participated in it several times.
| Copa Centroamericana record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| 1991 |
Did not enter | |||||||
| 1993 |
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| 1995 |
Group stage | 6th | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| 1997 |
Preliminary round | 7th | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 1999 |
Group stage | 6th | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 12 |
| 2001 |
6th | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 7 | |
 2003 |
Did not enter | |||||||
| 2005 |
Group stage | 7th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 |
| 2007 |
7th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7 | |
| 2009 |
7th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 | |
| 2011 |
7th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | |
| 2013 |
Fourth place | 4th | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| 2014 |
Group stage | 7th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| 2017 |
6th | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 10 | |
| Total | Fourth place | 10/13 | 30 | 1 | 6 | 23 | 19 | 69 |
Belize made its international debut at the 1995 tournament in El Salvador. Their first-ever international game was on November 29 against the host team. El Salvador won 3–0. On December 1, Belize scored its first international goal, but lost 2–1 to Costa Rica. This meant Belize was eliminated from the tournament.
Head-to-Head Records
This table shows how Belize has performed against other national teams. The information is updated as of June 7, after the match against Panama.
Positive Record Neutral Record Negative Record
| Opponent | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Anguilla |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 |
 Bahamas |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 |
 Barbados |
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 |
 Bermuda |
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 |
| Canada |
5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 14 | −13 |
 Cayman Islands |
2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Costa Rica |
8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 32 | −30 |
 Cuba |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 9 | −6 |
 Dominican Republic |
4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| El Salvador |
10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 6 | 29 | −23 |
| French Guiana |
8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 7 | +3 |
 Grenada |
5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 11 | 0 |
| Guatemala |
13 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 10 | 23 | −13 |
 Guyana |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 |
 Haiti |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | –2 |
 Honduras |
10 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 4 | 24 | −20 |
| Jamaica |
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Mexico |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | −9 |
 Montserrat |
4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 5 | +3 |
| Nicaragua |
13 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 19 | 25 | –6 |
| Panama |
7 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 12 | −9 |
 Puerto Rico |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis |
4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | −1 |
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 7 | –1 |
| Turks and Caicos Islands |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | +12 |
| Trinidad and Tobago |
2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| United States |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | −5 |
| Total | 122 | 31 | 22 | 69 | 125 | 232 | −107 |
See also
In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Belice para niños
