Macau national football team facts for kids

The Macau national football team (澳門足球代表隊; Selecção Macaense de Futebol) represents Macau, a special region of China, in international football matches. The team is managed by the Macau Football Association. Macau's football team has one of the lowest rankings among all FIFA member countries.

They have never qualified for the AFC Asian Cup or the EAFF East Asian Championship. However, they did play in the 2006 AFC Challenge Cup, where they had one draw and two losses.

Before 1999, Macau was a territory of Portugal. The team represented Macau in international football even after it was handed over to China in 1999. Macau can have its own sports teams because of the "one country, two systems" rule. In Macau, this team is called the "Macau team," while the China national football team is called the "national team."

Quick facts for kids
Macau

Nickname(s)	Selecção do Lótus (The Lotus' Team) Verdes (The Greens)
Association	Associação de Futebol de Macau (AFM)
Confederation	AFC (Asia)
Sub-confederation	EAFF (East Asia)
Head coach	Kwok Kar Lok
Captain	Chan Man
Most caps	Cheang Cheng Ieong (58)
Top scorer	Chan Kin Seng (17)
Home stadium	Estádio Campo Desportivo
FIFA code	MAC
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	183 (7 February 2019)
Highest	156 (September 1997)
Lowest	204 (July 2014)
Elo ranking
Current	NR (3 March 2019)
Highest	182 (13 February 2000)
Lowest	229 (March 2015)
First international
Macau 4–2 Hong Kong  (Macau; 29 March 1948)
Biggest win
Macau 6–1 Northern Mariana Islands  (Yona, Guam; 11 March 2009)
Biggest defeat
Macau 0–10 Japan  (Muscat, Oman; 25 March 1997)  Japan 10–0 Macau  (Tokyo, Japan; 22 June 1997)
AFC Solidarity Cup
Appearances	1 (first in 2016)
Best result	Runners-up (2016)
AFC Challenge Cup
Appearances	1 (first in 2006)
Best result	Group stage (2006)

Team History

Macau played in the first 2006 AFC Challenge Cup in Bangladesh. They were in a group with Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Pakistan. Macau lost all their matches in that tournament.

Later, Macau took part in the first 2016 AFC Solidarity Cup in Kuching, Malaysia. They were grouped with Laos, Mongolia, and Sri Lanka. In their first game, Macau beat Mongolia 2–1, with captain Niki Torrão scoring two goals. They then won against Laos 4–1 and drew 1–1 with Sri Lanka. This helped Macau reach the semi-finals as group leaders.

In the semi-finals, Macau played against Brunei. Leong Ka Hang scored a goal to make the score 1–1, sending the game to extra time and then penalties. Macau won the penalty shootout and reached their first international cup final. On November 15, 2016, Macau played Nepal in the final. Nepal won the cup with a goal in the 29th minute. Leong Ka Hang was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, and Niki Torrão was a top scorer with 4 goals.

During the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification, Macau won their first match against Sri Lanka 1–0. However, they did not send their team for the second match due to safety concerns after the 2019 Sri Lanka Easter bombings. Because of this, Sri Lanka was given a 3–0 victory.

After a four-year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Macau played their first international match at their home stadium, Estádio Campo Desportivo, on March 26, 2023. They lost 1–0 to Singapore. On June 19, 2023, Macau traveled to Dalian, China, for a friendly match against Myanmar. Since returning to international football, Macau has mostly played against teams from Southeast Asia, like Cambodia and Brunei.

Macau's starting line-up during a match against Brunei in September 2024.

In August 2024, a new rule from FIFA meant that non-Chinese players could no longer play for the Macau team. This affected important players like captain Nicholas Torrão, Vitor Almeida, Iuri Capelo, and Filipe Duarte.

In September 2024, Macau started a new partnership with Adidas for their team kits. This ended their 10-year deal with Nike. They wore their new Adidas kits for the first time against Brunei.

Team Rivalries

Macau vs. Hong Kong

Macau has a long-standing football rivalry with Hong Kong. The teams have played against each other in the Hong Kong–Macau Interport competition since 1937.

FIFA Suspension

In 2005, FIFA temporarily stopped Macau from playing in international matches. This happened because FIFA believed the government was too involved in how the Macau Football Association was run. The ban was lifted after Macau made changes to fix the issue.

Recent Matches

Here are some of Macau's recent match results from the past year:

• On March 20, 2024, Macau played a friendly match against Southern District FC in Macau, which ended in a 0–0 draw.
• On September 6, 2024, Macau lost 3–0 to Brunei in a qualification match for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.
• On September 10, 2024, Macau lost 1–0 to Brunei in another 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification match.
• On December 14, 2024, Macau lost 2–1 to Guam in a preliminary match for the 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship.
• On March 19, 2025, Macau played a friendly match against Hong Kong and lost 2–0.
• In June 2025, Macau played a friendly match against Chinese Taipei in Taiwan and lost 2–0.
• On June 7, 2025, Macau played a friendly match against Taichung Futuro in Taiwan, which ended in a 2–2 draw.

Coaching Staff

The people who help manage and train the Macau national football team are:

Role	Name
Team Manager	Zhang Liqun
Head coach	Kwok Kar Lok
Assistant coaches	Pedro Simões Lai Yong Luo Wei Xing Cai Cheng Zhang Emmanuel Noruega
Doctor	Liu Zhi Liang
Staff	Lok Chong-keong

Past Coaches

Over the years, Macau has had several coaches:

• João dos Santos (1996–1998)
• Eiji Ueda (2000–2002)
• Masataka Imai (2003–2004)
• Masanaga Kageyama (2006–2008)
• Leung Sui Wing (2008–2015)
• Tam Iao San (2015–2017)
• Chan Hiu Ming (2017–2018)
• Iong Cho Ieng (2018–2019)
• Lázaro Oliveira (2020–2024)
• Kwok Kar Lok (2024–present)

Team Players

Current Squad

These players were chosen for the match against Hong Kong on March 19, 2025. The number of games played (caps) and goals scored are correct as of December 12, 2024, after the match against Guam.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Ho Man Fai	(1993-04-24) 24 April 1993 (age 32)	45	0	Chao Pak Kei
20	1GK	Fong Chi Hang	(1989-10-26) 26 October 1989 (age 35)	2	0	Cheng Fung
22	1GK	Lei Wa Si	(2000-08-21) 21 August 2000 (age 24)	0	0	Shao Jiang
2	2DF	Marcos Cheong	(2002-08-25) 25 August 2002 (age 22)	1	0	Benfica de Macau
3	2DF	Amâncio	(1990-03-29) 29 March 1990 (age 35)	8	0	Benfica de Macau
4	2DF	Kam Chi Hou	(1995-04-04) 4 April 1995 (age 30)	17	0	Benfica de Macau
5	2DF	Xiao Rongrui	(2002-02-25) 25 February 2002 (age 23)	0	0	Universidade de Macau
7	2DF	Chan Man (Captain)	(1993-10-04) 4 October 1993 (age 31)	32	2	Benfica de Macau
13	2DF	Sou Hin Nang	(2005-05-24) 24 May 2005 (age 20)	0	0	Universidade de Macau
16	2DF	Lam Weng Kin	(2006-07-17) 17 July 2006 (age 19)	0	0	Shao Jiang
8	3MF	Ng Wa Keng	(1999-08-02) 2 August 1999 (age 26)	11	0	Benfica de Macau
9	3MF	Si Hou In	(2004-10-21) 21 October 2004 (age 20)	1	0	Cheng Fung
10	3MF	Dion Carlos Choi	(1999-02-06) 6 February 1999 (age 26)	6	0	Chao Pak Kei
11	3MF	Ieong Lek Hang	(2003-11-11) 11 November 2003 (age 21)	1	0	Universidade de Macau
15	3MF	Cheong Hoi San	(1998-06-26) 26 June 1998 (age 27)	15	0	Shao Jiang
18	3MF	Nuno Jerónimo	(1997-11-02) 2 November 1997 (age 27)	6	0	Chao Pak Kei
23	3MF	Ho Chi Fong	(1994-09-30) 30 September 1994 (age 30)	15	0	Chao Pak Kei
12	4FW	Gu Hoi Sou	(2005-01-05) 5 January 2005 (age 20)	0	0	Chao Pak Kei
14	4FW	Leung Chi Seng	(2000-06-03) 3 June 2000 (age 25)	8	0	Chao Pak Kei
17	4FW	Lei Cheng Lam	(2005-01-24) 24 January 2005 (age 20)	5	1	Universidade de Macau
19	4FW	Ng Lai Teng	(2004-11-06) 6 November 2004 (age 20)	1	0	Cheng Fung
21	4FW	Pang Chi Hang	(1993-11-03) 3 November 1993 (age 31)	34	1	Chao Pak Kei

Players Called Up Recently

These players have also been part of the Macau squad in the last 12 months.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Lo Weng Hou	(1996-01-31) 31 January 1996 (age 29)	3	0	Benfica de Macau	vs Hong Kong, March 19
GK	Lam Chak Fong	(2007-06-03) 3 June 2007 (age 18)	0	0	Gala	vs Hong Kong, March 19
DF	Chu Kai Wang	(1995-07-29) 29 July 1995 (age 30)	1	0	Benfica de Macau	vs Hong Kong, March 19
DF	Leong Chon Kit	(2005-08-16) 16 August 2005 (age 19)	1	0	Wing Yee FT	vs Hong Kong, March 19
DF	Wong Kit Wai	(2003-08-26) 26 August 2003 (age 21)	0	0	Universidade de Macau	vs Hong Kong, March 19
DF	Leong Kun Tou	(2003-06-13) 13 June 2003 (age 22)	0	0	Gala	vs Hong Kong, March 19
DF	Danael Joseph	(2003-01-30) 30 January 2003 (age 22)	0	0	Benfica de Macau	vs Hong Kong, March 19
DF	Lei Kam Kit		0	0	Hang Sai	vs Hong Kong, March 19
DF	Ip Ieong	(1999-04-03) 3 April 1999 (age 26)	3	0	Universidade de Macau	2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship Preliminary Round
DF	Ng Wa Seng	(1999-08-02) 2 August 1999 (age 26)	14	0	Central and Western	2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship Preliminary Round
MF	Man Chak Nam	(2003-06-26) 26 June 2003 (age 22)	0	0	Universidade de Macau	vs Hong Kong, March 19
MF	Kou Pak San	(2006-03-28) 28 March 2006 (age 19)	0	0	Benfica de Macau	vs Hong Kong, March 19
MF	Leong Wai Hin	(2006-03-25) 25 March 2006 (age 19)	0	0	Gala	vs Hong Kong, March 19
MF	Ao Chi Kin	(1994-02-12) 12 February 1994 (age 31)	1	0	Cheng Fung
MF	Cheong Ka Chon	(1995-10-14) 14 October 1995 (age 29)	0	0	Cheng Fung
MF	Lei Man Tek	(2006-03-08) 8 March 2006 (age 19)	1	0	Benfica de Macau
FW	Lee Keng Pan	(1990-02-28) 28 February 1990 (age 35)	13	0	Benfica de Macau	vs Hong Kong, March 19
FW	Leong Hou In	(1997-06-15) 15 June 1997 (age 28)	3	0	Benfica de Macau	vs Hong Kong, March 19
FW	Ho Ka Seng	(1993-10-21) 21 October 1993 (age 31)	8	0	Gala
INJ Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury PRE Preliminary squad WD Player withdrew from the squad. RET Player retired from international football

Team Records

Here are some records for the Macau national football team. Players whose names are in bold are still playing for Macau.

Most Games Played

Top Goal Scorers

Tournament Performance

Macau has competed in various international football tournaments.

FIFA World Cup

Macau has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup. Before 1982, Macau was part of Portugal's team. Since then, they have tried to qualify but haven't made it to the main tournament.

AFC Asian Cup

Macau has also never qualified for the AFC Asian Cup. They have participated in qualification rounds since 1980.

East Asian Cup

Macau has not qualified for the main East Asian Football Championship or EAFF E-1 Football Championship tournaments. They have played in the preliminary rounds several times.

AFC Challenge Cup

Macau played in the 2006 AFC Challenge Cup, reaching the group stage. They did not qualify for later tournaments.

AFC Solidarity Cup

Macau's best performance was in the 2016 AFC Solidarity Cup, where they finished as Runners-up. This is their highest achievement in a major tournament.

Summary of Honours

Senior Competition				Total
AFC Solidarity Cup	0	1	0	1
Total	0	1	0	1

See also

In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Macao para niños