Niue national soccer team facts for kids
 |
|
| Association | Niue Football Association |
|---|---|
| Confederation | OFC (2006-2021) |
| Most caps | Bradley Punu Brandy Falepeau Colin Ikinepule Deve Talagi Foli Ikitule Lamosa Sionetuato Lefulefu Hipa Lopesi Sehina Speedo Hetutu Tea Konelio Tahafa Talagi (2) |
| FIFA code | NIU |
| Elo ranking | |
| Current | 235  (3 March 2019) |
| Highest | 193 (1983) |
| Lowest | 236 (2018) |
| First international | |
 Tahiti 14–0 Niue  (Apia, Western Samoa; 20 August 1983) |
|
| Biggest win | |
| None | |
| Biggest defeat | |
Niue 0–19 Papua New Guinea  (Apia, Western Samoa; 22 August 1983) |
|
| Pacific Games | |
| Appearances | 1 (first in 1983) |
| Best result | Group stage (1983) |
The Niue national football team represents Niue in the sport of football, also known as soccer. Niue is a small island nation in the Pacific Ocean. It is closely linked with New Zealand. This team has only played two official international games in its history.
A Short History
The Niue national football team has a very short history in international games. They played their only two matches at the 1983 South Pacific Games. These games took place in Apia, which is the capital of Samoa.
First Games Played
Their first game was on August 20, 1983. They played against the Tahiti team. Niue lost this match with a score of 0–14. Two days later, on August 22, 1983, they played their second game. This time, they faced the Papua New Guinea team. Niue lost this game 0–19. These were the only official international matches the team has ever played.
Membership and Future
The Niue Island Soccer Association used to be a member of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC). The OFC helps organize football in the Pacific region. However, in 2021, Niue's membership was removed. This happened because the team had not been active for a long time.
Niue was never a member of FIFA. FIFA is the main international football organization. Because they were not a FIFA member, the Niue team could not enter the FIFA World Cup. Even when they were part of the OFC, they still could not compete in the World Cup.
In November 2023, there was news about a new football match in Niue. This was planned to be the first official 11-player game in many years. The match was set to be between a team from the south of Niue and a team from the north. This shows a new effort to bring football back to the island.
Players
To learn more about the players who have represented Niue, you can visit the List of Niue international footballers page.
See also
In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Niue para niños
