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Maldives national football team facts for kids

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Maldives
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s) The Sea, Red Snappers
Association Football Association of Maldives (FAM)
Confederation AFC (Asia)
Sub-confederation SAFF (South Asia)
Head coach Ali Suzain
Captain Ali Samooh
Most caps Imran Mohamed (110)
Top scorer Ali Ashfaq (58)
Home stadium National Football Stadium
FIFA code MDV
First colours
Second colours
Third colours
FIFA ranking
Current 152 Steady (7 February 2019)
Highest 124 (July–August 2006)
Lowest 183 (August–September 1997)
Elo ranking
Current 192 Increase 5 (3 March 2019)
Highest 163 (23 March 2011)
Lowest 209 (13 June 2001)
First international
 Seychelles 9–0 Maldives 
(Saint-Pierre, Réunion; 27 August 1979)
Biggest win
 Maldives 12–0 Mongolia 
(Male, Maldives; 3 December 2003)
Biggest defeat
 Iran 17–0 Maldives 
(Damascus, Syria; 2 June 1997)
SAFF Championship
Appearances 11 (first in 1995)
Best result Champions (2008, 2018)
AFC Challenge Cup
Appearances 2 (first in 2012)
Best result Third place (2014)
Medal record
Men's football
SAFF Championship
Gold 2018 Bangladesh Team
Gold 2008 Maldives & Sri Lanka Team
Silver 2009 Bangladesh Team
Silver 2003 Bangladesh Team
Silver 1997 Nepal Team
Bronze 1999 India Team
South Asian Games
Silver 1991 Colombo Team
Bronze 1984 Kathmandu Team
AFC Challenge Cup
Bronze 2014 Maldives Team

The Maldives national football team represents the Maldives in international football games. It is managed by the Football Association of Maldives (FAM). This team is part of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

The Maldives team has had great success in the SAFF Championship. They won this important tournament in 2008 SAFF Championship, beating India 1–0 in the final. They won their second title in 2018 SAFF Championship, again defeating India.

About the Maldives Football Team

History of Success

The Maldives national football team, also known as "The Red Snappers," has grown a lot over the years. They have become a strong team in South Asian football. Their journey includes many exciting matches and big wins.

Early SAFF Championship Games

The SAFF Championship is a major tournament for South Asian teams. Maldives first joined in 1997. In the 1997 South Asian Football Federation Gold Cup, they reached the final but lost to India. They showed great potential, drawing against strong teams like Bangladesh and India.

In 1999 South Asian Football Federation Gold Cup, Maldives topped their group. They won a bronze medal after beating Nepal. This showed they were becoming a team to watch.

Big Wins and Finals

The 2003 South Asian Football Federation Gold Cup saw Maldives make history. They won a match 6–0 against Bhutan, which was a record at the time. Ali Shiham scored the team's first hat-trick in the tournament. They reached the final again but lost to Bangladesh in a penalty shootout.

In 2005 South Asian Football Federation Gold Cup, Maldives broke their own record. They won 9–1 against Afghanistan. Ibrahim Fazeel and Ahmed Thoriq both scored three goals. They reached the semi-finals but lost to India.

Winning the SAFF Championship

The year 2008 SAFF Championship was a huge moment for Maldives. They played very well throughout the tournament. They beat Pakistan and Nepal in the group stage. In the semi-final, they defeated Sri Lanka.

In the final, Maldives faced India, a very strong team. With only three minutes left, Mukhthar Naseer scored the winning goal. This gave Maldives their first-ever SAFF Championship title! It was a historic day for Maldivian football. The team scored nine goals and only let in two during the tournament. Ali Ashfaq was named the Best Player.

More SAFF Championship Highlights

In 2009 SAFF Championship, Maldives reached the final again. They played India and the game went to a penalty shootout. Unfortunately, they lost, but they showed great skill. Ahmed Thoriq was one of the top scorers in this tournament.

The 2013 SAFF Championship was another memorable event. Maldives set a new record by winning 10–0 against Sri Lanka. Their captain, Ali Ashfaq, scored an amazing six goals in that match! He also became the tournament's all-time top scorer. Maldives reached the semi-finals but lost to India.

Second SAFF Championship Title

Maldives won the 2018 SAFF Championship (also known as the SAFF Suzuki Cup). They had a tough start, drawing with Sri Lanka and losing to India. But they won a coin toss to get into the semi-finals! They then beat Nepal 3–0.

In the final, they faced India again. Ibrahim Mahudhee scored the first goal, and Ali Fasir scored the second. Maldives won 2–1, claiming their second SAFF Championship title! Their goalkeeper, Mohamed Faisal, was named the best player of the tournament.

Recent SAFF Championship Games

Maldives hosted the 2021 SAFF Championship. They won against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka but did not make it past the group stage. In the 2023 SAFF Championship, they also exited in the group stage.

Asian Cup and World Cup Journeys

Maldives has not yet qualified for big tournaments like the FIFA World Cup or the AFC Asian Cup. However, they have had some impressive results. In the 2006 World Cup qualifiers, they drew 0–0 with strong team South Korea. They also beat Vietnam 3–0. Their biggest loss was 0–17 to Iran in 1997.

Team Spirit and Home Ground

Media and Supporters

All Maldives national team matches are shown on Television Maldives. They are also broadcast on Dhivehi Raajjeyge Adu Radio Live. The team has many passionate supporters. In 2008, about 500,000 Maldivian fans, including the former president, watched the SAFF Championship final. When the team won, they received a huge welcome back home.

Home Stadium

The team's home ground is the National Football Stadium in Malé, Maldives. It is used for many football matches, including international games. The stadium can hold about 11,850 fans.

Team Kits

The Maldives home kit is red, which is the national color. It stands for the bravery of the nation's heroes. The current home kit has a bright red jersey, dark red shorts, and bright red socks. The away kit is blue and teal. Sometimes, they use an all-white or all-dark green or all-black third kit.

Kit supplier Period
Germany Adidas 2011–2015
Spain Joma 2015–2019
Spain Kelme 2019–2024
Maldives JERZIA 2025–present

Recent Matches and Schedule

This section shows the team's recent match results and upcoming games.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2024 Matches

13 November 2024 (2024-11-13) Friendly Bangladesh  0–1  Maldives Dhaka, Bangladesh
18:00 BST (UTC+6) Fasir Goal 18' Stadium: Bashundhara Kings Arena
Referee: Virendha Rai (Bhutan)
16 November 2024 (2024-11-16) Friendly Bangladesh  2–1  Maldives Dhaka, Bangladesh
18:00 BST (UTC+6)
  • Jony Goal 43'
  • Papon Goal 90+4'
Fasir Goal 23' Stadium: Bashundhara Kings Arena
Referee: Virendha Rai (Bhutan)

2025 Matches

19 March 2025 Friendly India  3–0  Maldives Shillong, India
19:00 UTC+5:30
  • Bheke Goal 34'
  • Colaço Goal 66'
  • Chhetri Goal 76'
Stadium: JLN Stadium
Referee: Prajwol Chhetri (Nepal)
25 March 2025 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification Philippines  4–1  Maldives Capas, Philippines
19:00 UTC+8
  • J. Tabinas Goal 6'
  • Kristensen Goal 19'
  • Schneider Goal 77'
  • Reyes Goal 90+2'
  • Fasir Goal 62'
Stadium: New Clark City Athletics Stadium
Attendance: 3,334
Referee: Daniel Elder (Australia)
5 June 2025 Friendly Singapore  3–1  Maldives Bishan, Singapore
  • A. Rizuvan Goal 90+1' (pen)
Stadium: Bishan Stadium
Referee: Razlan Joffri Ali (Malaysia)
10 June 2025 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification East Timor  1–0  Maldives Darwin, Australia
16:00 UTC+9:30
  • J. Pedro Goal 45+1'
Stadium: Territory Rugby League Stadium
Attendance: 1,048
Referee: Songkran Bunmeekiart (Thailand)
9 October 2025 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification Tajikistan  v  Maldives Dushanbe, Tajikistan
--:-- UTC+6 Stadium: Pamir Stadium
14 October 2025 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification Maldives  v  Tajikistan Malé, Maldives
20:00 UTC+8 Stadium: National Football Stadium
18 November 2025 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification Maldives  v  Philippines Malé, Maldives
20:00 UTC+8 Stadium: National Football Stadium

2026 Matches

31 March 2026 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification Maldives  v  East Timor Malé, Maldives
--:-- UTC+5:30 Stadium: National Football Stadium

Team Management

Coaching Staff

The team has a dedicated coaching staff to help players perform their best.

Staff
Head Coach Maldives Ali Suzain
Assistant Coach Maldives Ahmed Shakir
Maldives Shuzair
Goalkeeping coach Maldives Hassan Hameed
Fitness Coach Maldives Mueena
Technical Director Maldives Ahmed Shakir
Kitman Maldives Ahmed Ismail
Physiotherapist Maldives Sharafudheen
Team Manager Maldives Shibah

Coaching History

Many coaches have led the Maldives national team over the years. Some have been from the Maldives, while others have come from different countries.

  • Sri Lanka P.D. Sirisena (1988)
  • Hungary Miklós Temesvári (1991–93)
  • Romania Victor Stănculescu (1993–96)
  • Bolivia Rómulo Cortez (1996–97)
  • Uzbekistan Vyacheslav Solokho (1999-2001)
  • Slovakia Jozef Jankech (2001–03)
  • Portugal Manuel Gomes (2004)
  • Bulgaria Yordan Stoykov (2005–07)
  • Slovakia Jozef Jankech (2008)
  • Hungary István Urbányi (2009–10)
  • Argentina Andrés Cruciani (2010–11)
  • Hungary István Urbányi (2011–13)
  • Maldives Ali Nashid (2013–14)
  • Croatia Drago Mamić (2014)
  • Bulgaria Velizar Popov (2015)
  • Maldives Ismail Mahfooz (2015)
  • New Zealand Ricki Herbert (2015–16)
  • Maldives Ismail Mahfooz (2016)
  • Australia Darren Stewart (2016–18)
  • Croatia Petar Segrt (2018–19)
  • Netherlands Martin Koopman (2020–21)
  • Maldives Ali Suzain (2021)
  • Italy Francesco Moriero (2021–2023)
  • Maldives Ali Suzain (2024–present)

Players

Current Squad

These are the players who were part of the squad for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification match against the Philippines on March 25, 2025.

Caps (games played) and goals are correct as of March 25, 2025, after the match against the Philippines.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Hussain Shareef (1998-09-05) 5 September 1998 (age 26) 15 0 Maldives Maziya
18 1GK Iyan Abdul Aleem (1994-01-29) 29 January 1994 (age 31) 8 0 Maldives Maziya
22 1GK Mohamed Yaameen (2005-10-08) 8 October 2005 (age 19) 4 0 Maldives Victory SC
55 1GK aminath moosa (2000-11-09) 9 November 2000 (age 24) 4 1204 Maldives {{{club}}}

2 2DF Ali Samooh (Captain) (1996-07-05) 5 July 1996 (age 29) 46 1 Maldives Maziya
4 2DF Hussain Sifaau (1996-02-04) 4 February 1996 (age 29) 38 1 Maldives Club Eagles
14 2DF Haisham Hassan (1999-07-21) 21 July 1999 (age 26) 32 0 Maldives Maziya
3 2DF Ahmed Numaan (1992-11-10) 10 November 1992 (age 32) 28 0 Maldives Maziya
6 2DF Ahmed Aiham (1998-03-23) 23 March 1998 (age 27) 5 0 Maldives Super United

10 3MF Hamza Mohamed (1995-02-17) 17 February 1995 (age 30) 63 7 Maldives Maziya
17 3MF Ibrahim Mahudhee (1993-08-22) 22 August 1993 (age 31) 41 5 Maldives Maziya
23 3MF Hussain Nihan (1992-07-06) 6 July 1992 (age 33) 36 1 Maldives Maziya
8 3MF Ibrahim Aisam (1997-05-07) 7 May 1997 (age 28) 29 2 Maldives Maziya
5 3MF Mohamed Irufaan (1994-07-24) 24 July 1994 (age 31) 18 0 Maldives Maziya
21 3MF Mohamed Naim (1996-10-07) 7 October 1996 (age 28) 13 0 Maldives Club Eagles
19 3MF Ahmed Rizuvan (1995-06-04) 4 June 1995 (age 30) 12 0 Maldives Club Eagles
16 3MF Ibrahim Usamaa Majeed (1998-11-28) 28 November 1998 (age 26) 9 0 Maldives Biss Buru SC
13 3MF Mohamed Nizam (1994-06-11) 11 June 1994 (age 31) 9 0 Maldives Valencia
12 3MF Nisham Mohamed Rasheed (1999-01-31) 31 January 1999 (age 26) 3 0 Maldives TC Sports Club

7 4FW Ali Fasir (1988-09-04) 4 September 1988 (age 36) 75 14 Maldives Valencia
9 4FW Naiz Hassan (1996-05-10) 10 May 1996 (age 29) 47 10 Maldives Maziya
11 4FW Hassan Raif Ahmed (1998-01-30) 30 January 1998 (age 27) 17 3 Maldives Club Eagles
15 4FW Hassan Nazeem (2001-05-24) 24 May 2001 (age 24) 8 1 Maldives Maziya
20 4FW Muzdhan Hassan (2006-05-04) 4 May 2006 (age 19) 4 0 Unknown

Recent Call-ups

These players have also been called to the squad in the last year.


Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up

DF Hassan Shifaz (1992-08-11) 11 August 1992 (age 33) 11 0 Maldives Maziya v.  Bangladesh; 16 November 2024


FW Abdulla Looth Ibrahim (2005-02-08) 8 February 2005 (age 20) 1 0 Maldives Maziya v.  Bangladesh; 16 November 2024

Player Records

These tables show the players with the most games played and the most goals scored for the Maldives national team.

Most Appearances

Imran Mohamed
Imran Mohamed is Maldives most capped player with 110 caps
Rank Player Caps Goals Period
1 Imran Mohamed 110 0 2000–2016
2 Ali Ashfaq 98 58 2003–2023
3 Akram Abdul Ghanee 86 3 2007–2022
4 Mohamed Umair 77 9 2007–2022
5 Ali Fasir 75 16 2010–present
6 Ibrahim Fazeel 72 22 2000–2014
7 Ashad Ali 65 3 2007–2021
8 Hamza Mohamed 63 7 2015–present
9 Mohamed Arif 58 1 2008–2018
10 Shafiu Ahmed 53 0 2010–2017
Assad Abdul Ghanee 53 1 2001–2013

Top Goalscorers

Ali Ashfaq 2021
Ali Ashfaq is Maldives top-scorer with 58 goals
Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Period
1 Ali Ashfaq 58 98 0.59 2003–2023
2 Ibrahim Fazeel 22 70 0.31 2000–2014
3 Ali Fasir 16 75 0.21 2010–present
4 Ahmed Thariq 15 34 0.44 2003–2013
5 Ali Umar 12 42 0.29 1999–2015
6 Mohamed Nazim 10 42 0.24 1997–2004
Naiz Hassan 10 43 0.23 2015–present
8 Asadhulla Abdulla 9 45 0.2 2012–2022
Mohamed Umair 9 77 0.12 2007–2022
10 Adam Abdul Latheef 7 15 0.47 1997–2002
Hamza Mohamed 7 63 0.11 2015–present

Competitive Records

This section shows how the Maldives national football team has performed in major tournaments.

FIFA World Cup

Maldives has not yet qualified for the FIFA World Cup. They have participated in the qualification rounds.

FIFA World Cup Qualification
Year Round Position Pld W D* L F A Pld W D L F A
Uruguay 1930 Part of  United Kingdom Part of  United Kingdom
Italy 1934
France 1938
Brazil 1950
Switzerland 1954
Sweden 1958
Chile 1962
England 1966 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member
Mexico 1970
West Germany 1974
Argentina 1978
Spain 1982
Mexico 1986
Italy 1990 Withdrew Withdrew
United States 1994 Did not enter Did not enter
France 1998 Did not qualify 6 0 0 6 0 59
South KoreaJapan 2002 6 1 1 4 8 19
Germany 2006 8 3 1 4 18 14
South Africa 2010 2 1 0 1 2 3
Brazil 2014 2 0 0 2 0 5
Russia 2018 8 2 0 6 8 20
Qatar 2022 8 2 1 5 7 20
CanadaMexicoUnited States 2026 2 0 1 1 2 3
MoroccoPortugalSpain 2030 To be determined To be determined
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total 0/8 42 9 4 29 45 143

AFC Asian Cup

Maldives has not yet qualified for the AFC Asian Cup.

AFC Asian Cup Finals record AFC Asian Cup qualification
Year Result Position Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
British Hong Kong 1956 Part of  United Kingdom Part of  United Kingdom
South Korea 1960
Israel 1964
Iran 1968 Did not enter Did not enter
Thailand 1972
Iran 1976
Kuwait 1980
Singapore 1984
Qatar 1988
Japan 1992 Withdrew Withdrew
United Arab Emirates 1996 Did not qualify 6 0 0 6 4 30
Lebanon 2000 6 0 0 6 2 24
China 2004 2 0 1 1 1 3
Indonesia Malaysia Thailand Vietnam 2007 Did not enter Did not enter
Qatar 2011 Did not qualify 2 0 0 2 1 6
Australia 2015 AFC Challenge Cup
United Arab Emirates 2019 18 5 1 12 24 44
Qatar 2023 11 3 1 7 8 27
Saudi Arabia 2027 To be determined To be determined
Total 0/19 45 8 3 34 40 134

AFC Challenge Cup

Maldives finished third in the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup.

Year AFC Challenge Cup record Qualifying record
Result Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
Bangladesh 2006 Ineligible Ineligible
India 2008 Ineligible Ineligible
Sri Lanka 2010 Did not qualify 3 2 0 1 9 5
Nepal 2012 Group stage 3 1 0 2 2 5 3 2 1 0 6 1
Maldives 2014 Third place 5 1 2 2 7 7 Qualified as hosts
Total Best: Third place 8 2 2 4 9 12 6 4 1 1 15 6

SAFF Championship

Maldives has won the SAFF Championship twice.

SAFF Championship record
Year Result Pld W D* L GF GA
Pakistan 1993 Did not enter
Sri Lanka 1995 Withdrew
Nepal 1997 Runners-up 4 1 2 1 6 9
India 1999 Third place 4 2 1 1 6 4
Bangladesh 2003 Runners-up 5 3 1 1 11 4
Pakistan 2005 Semi-finals 4 2 1 1 11 2
Maldives Sri Lanka 2008 Champions 5 4 0 1 8 2
Bangladesh 2009 Runners-up 5 3 2 0 11 3
India 2011 Semi-finals 4 1 2 1 5 5
Nepal 2013 Semi-finals 4 2 1 1 18 3
India 2015 Semi-finals 4 2 0 2 9 9
Bangladesh 2018 Champions 4 2 1 1 5 3
Maldives 2021 Group stage 4 2 0 2 4 4
India 2023 Group stage 3 1 0 2 3 4
Total Best: Champions 50 25 11 14 97 52
*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
**Gold background colour indicates that the tournament was won.
***Red border color indicates tournament was held on home soil.

Asian Games

The Maldives team has participated in the Asian Games.

Asian Games record
Year Result Pld W D* L GF GA
1951-1994 did not enter
Thailand 1998 - 2 0 0 2 0 7
2002–present See Maldives national under-23 football team
Total 1/13 2 0 0 2 0 7

South Asian Games

Maldives has won a silver and a bronze medal at the South Asian Games.

South Asian Games record
Year Result Pld W D L GF GA
Nepal1984 Third Place 3 1 0 2 1 9
Bangladesh1985 6th 2 0 0 2 1 11
India1987 5th 2 0 0 2 0 6
Pakistan1989 5th 2 0 1 1 3 4
Sri Lanka1991 Runners-up 3 2 0 1 2 2
Bangladesh1993 4th 3 0 2 1 1 3
India1995 5th 2 0 1 1 0 1
Nepal1999 4th 4 2 0 2 8 6
2004-present See Maldives national under-23 football team
Total 8/13 21 5 4 12 16 42

Head-to-head Records

This table shows the Maldives national team's record against other countries they have played.

Awards and Honours

The Maldives national football team has won several awards and honors.

Continental Awards

  • AFC Challenge Cup
    • 3 Third place (1): 2014

Regional Awards

  • SAFF Championship
    • 1 Champions (2): 2008, 2018
    • 2 Runners-up (3): 1997, 2003, 2009
    • 3 Third place (1): 1999
  • South Asian Games
    • 2 Silver medal (1): 1991
    • 3 Bronze medal (1): 1984

Other Awards

  • SAFF Championship Fair Play Award (2): 2015, 2021

Summary of Honours

These are the official honors recognized by FIFA or related football organizations.

Senior Competition 1 2 3 Total
AFC Challenge Cup 0 0 1 1
Total 0 0 1 1

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de las Maldivas para niños

  • Maldives women's national football team
  • Maldives national under-23 football team
  • Maldives national football team results
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