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Puerto Rico national football team facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
This page is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Puerto Rico women's national football team.
Quick facts for kids
Puerto Rico
Nickname(s) El Huracán Azul
(The Blue Hurricane)
Los Boricuas
(The Boricuas)
Association Federación Puertorriqueña de Fútbol
Confederation CONCACAF (North America)
Sub-confederation CFU (Caribbean)
Head coach Charlie Trout
Captain Zarek Valentin
Most caps Héctor Ramos (36)
Top scorer Héctor Ramos & Ricardo Rivera (18)
Home stadium Estadio Juan Ramón Loubriel
Estadio Centroamericano
FIFA code PUR
First colors
Second colors
FIFA ranking
Current 179 Steady (7 February 2019)
Highest 97 (March 1994)
Lowest 202 (November 2004)
Elo ranking
Current 189 Decrease 2 (3 March 2019)
Highest 171 (21–25 May 1993)
Lowest 201 (3 February 2001; 21 July 2002)
First international
 Cuba 1–1 Puerto Rico 
(Havana, Cuba; 12 November 1940)
Biggest win
 Puerto Rico 9–0 Saint Martin 
(Port-au-Prince, Haiti; 9 September 2012)
Biggest defeat
 Netherlands Antilles 15–0 Puerto Rico 
(Caracas, Venezuela; 15 January 1959)

The Puerto Rico national football team (called Selección de fútbol de Puerto Rico in Spanish) plays for Puerto Rico in international men's football games. The team is managed by the Federación Puertorriqueña de Fútbol (FPF). Their nickname is El Huracán Azul, which means "The Blue Hurricane". They are part of the Caribbean Football Union and CONCACAF, which is the football group for North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. The team has never made it to the FIFA World Cup or the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

History of Puerto Rico Football

Early Years: 1940 to 1990

Puerto Rico played its first international match against Cuba in 1940. The game ended in a 1–1 tie. They got their first win in 1970, beating the Bahamas 3–0. In 1972, Puerto Rico won 1–0 against Panama in a friendly game. Most of their wins in the 1980s and 1990s were against teams like the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, and Martinique.

Chris Armas and the 1993 Caribbean Cup

Chris Armas played for Puerto Rico in the 1993 Caribbean Cup. During this tournament, Puerto Rico had an amazing streak, winning four games in a row without letting the other team score. At that time, FIFA did not officially recognize this competition. So, his five matches were seen as friendly games. This allowed him to later play for the United States, where he played over 50 times.

Tough Times: 1995 to 2007

Between 1995 and 2007, the Puerto Rico team struggled a lot. They did not win any games, only managing four ties. During this period, their ranking in the FIFA World Rankings dropped to 202nd place.

A New Beginning: 2008 to 2015

PUR vs Spain
Puerto Rico (in blue) playing Spain in 2012.

In recent years, Puerto Rico started to improve, much like they did in the 1990s. In 2008, they won two away games against Bermuda (1–0 and 2–0). They also tied 2–2 with Trinidad and Tobago. For the first time since 1994, they won a World Cup qualifier against the Dominican Republic. Even though they lost the first game 4–0 to Honduras, they fought hard and tied 2–2 in their home game during the second round.

The Puerto Rican Football Federation planned for the team to play in future Caribbean Cup and Gold Cup tournaments. Andres Cabrero, who has played the most games for Puerto Rico, was the only active player in 2021 who was part of the 2010 World Cup qualifiers.

Puerto Rico was supposed to play in the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games at home in Mayagüez. However, due to issues with the stadiums not being approved by CONCACAF, the team could not compete.

On August 15, 2012, Puerto Rico played a friendly match against World and European champion Spain. They lost 2–1 at the Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium in Bayamón, Puerto Rico.

On June 5, 2015, Puerto Rico played a friendly against Bermuda. This was their last friendly before the qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup. The game ended in a 1–1 tie. After losing to Grenada 2–1 in the qualifiers, their coach, Jose 'Cukito' Martinez, stepped down. A few days later, Carlos Avedissian from Uruguay became the new head coach. On December 11, 2015, Puerto Rico played a friendly against the MLS team New York City, losing 2–1.

Recent Years: 2016 to 2020

Coaching Changes and Progress

Carlos Avedissian took over as coach in 2015. He mostly chose players from Puerto Rico's local leagues. On May 22, 2016, Puerto Rico played its first-ever friendly match against the United States, losing 3–1. Due to disagreements with the Federation, Jack Stefanowski temporarily replaced Avedissian. With a team mainly of local players, Puerto Rico reached the third round of the 2017 Caribbean Cup qualification for the first time. They beat Grenada and Antigua and Barbuda. This put them only two games away from reaching the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Stefanowski then left his coaching role.

On September 3, 2016, Puerto Rico played India for the first time in a friendly match in Mumbai, but they lost 4–1.

After Stefanowski left, Carlos Cantarero became the head coach, with Jose Cukito Martinez as his assistant. The team played three friendly matches before their important games against Antigua and Barbuda and Curaçao. Coach Cantarero could not coach in the friendly games due to visa issues. Assistant Coach Martinez also left the team. Despite these challenges, Puerto Rico lost the deciding match against Curaçao, even after being ahead 2–0. This loss meant Curaçao advanced to the Gold Cup.

Puerto Rico did not play another international match until the summer of 2017, when they tied 0–0 against Indonesia.

After Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in September 2017, causing widespread power outages, the MLS club Orlando City SC announced a "Fuerza Puerto Rico’ Friendly" game for November 4. All money raised from this match went to help the island recover. Puerto Rico played in this exhibition match, losing 6–1.

Amado Guevara Takes Over

In May 2018, the Puerto Rican Football Federation announced that Carlos Cantarero would no longer be the head coach. Amado Guevara, a former player from Honduras, took over the role.

The 2020s: New Leadership and Success

On March 19, 2023, just before the Nations League, the Puerto Rican Football Federation announced Charlie Trout as the new head coach.

CONCACAF Nations League Success

In the second season of the CONCACAF Nations League, Puerto Rico played in the C-League. They were in Group D with the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands. The team beat the British Virgin Islands 3–1 and then the Cayman Islands 5–1. Puerto Rico won their group, which meant they were invited to the Gold Cup prelims and were promoted to the B-League for the next Nations League season.

In the Gold Cup prelims, the team tied Suriname 0–0 and then won in a penalty shootout 4–3. In the second round of the prelims, Puerto Rico faced Martinique. They lost 2–0 and were knocked out of the tournament.

Team Uniforms

Kit Sponsors

Kit supplier Period
Spain Joma 2018–2024
Denmark Hummel 2024–

Recent Games and Upcoming Matches

Main article: Puerto Rico national football team results

Here are the results of matches played in the last 12 months, along with any games scheduled for the future.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2024 Matches

2025 Matches

Team Leadership

Coaching Staff

Role Name Since
Sporting director England Steve McCullogh 14 January 2022
Head coach England Charlie Trout 19 March 2023
Assistant coach England Adekunle Adeleye 19 March 2023
Goalkeeping coach England Ritchie Marshall 19 March 2023

Coaching History

Caretaker managers are listed in italics.
  • Puerto Rico Eduardo Ordóñez Munguira (1959)
  • Puerto Rico Raúl Marchant González (1966)
  • Puerto Rico Egberto Morales Carrasco (1972)
  • Spain/Puerto Rico Luis Villarejo (1974–1975)
  • Argentina Carlos Martinolli (1978–1979)
  • Puerto Rico Joe Serralta (1979–1982)
  • Puerto Rico Juan "Saso" Tullier (1982–1984)
  • Argentina Ricardo "Richie" Romano (1985–1990)
  • Brazil Víctor Hugo Barros (1990–1991)
  • United States Arnie Ramirez (1992)
  • Puerto Rico Oscar Rosa (1992)
  • Puerto Rico Cristóbal Vaccaro (1996)
  • Spain José Luis "Majo" Rodríguez (1999)
  • Brazil Raimundo Gatinho (2000)
  • Costa Rica Toribio Rojas (2002–2003)
  • Brazil Víctor Hugo Barros (2004)
  • Northern Ireland Colin Clarke (2007–2011)
  • United States Jack Stefanowski (2011)
  • England Adrian Whitbread (2011)
  • Costa Rica Jeaustin Campos (2011–2013)
  • Brazil Víctor Hugo Barros (2013–2014)
  • Puerto Rico José "Cukito" Martinez (2015)
  • Uruguay Carlos Avedissian (2015–2016)
  • United States Jack Stefanowski (2016)
  • Spain Carlos García Cantarero (2016–2018)
  • Honduras Amado Guevara (2018–2019)
  • Costa Rica Elgy Morales (2019–2021)
  • United States Dave Sarachan (2021–2022)
  • England Charlie Trout (2023–present)

Team Players

Current Squad

The players listed below were chosen for two 2024–25 CONCACAF Nations League B matches on October 11 and 14, 2024, against Sint Maarten.

The number of games played (Caps) and goals scored are correct as of October 14, 2024, after the second match against  Sint Maarten.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1GK Joel Serrano (1999-05-17) May 17, 1999 (age 26) 20 0 Puerto Rico Academia Quintana
1GK Jean-Luc Fontana (2005-10-12) October 12, 2005 (age 19) 0 0 Spain Granada
2DF Nicolás Cardona (1999-02-11) February 11, 1999 (age 26) 21 1 United States Miami FC
2DF Rodolfo Sulia (2002-08-08) August 8, 2002 (age 22) 19 2 Puerto Rico Academia Quintana
2DF Colby Quiñones (2003-04-14) 14 April 2003 (age 22) 9 0 United States New England Revolution II
2DF Adrian Rosario (2007-04-12) April 12, 2007 (age 18) 3 0 United States Inter Miami Academy
2DF Marcos Villanueva (2006-03-29) March 29, 2006 (age 19) 2 0 United States UAlbany Great Danes men's soccer
3MF Gerald Díaz (1999-03-23) March 23, 1999 (age 26) 31 13 Puerto Rico Academia Quintana
3MF Jaden Servania (2001-07-16) July 16, 2001 (age 23) 18 1 United States North Carolina FC
3MF Roberto Ydrach (2001-05-26) May 26, 2001 (age 24) 12 1 United States University of Akron
3MF Noeh Hernández (2004-12-09) December 9, 2004 (age 20) 9 0 United States DePaul University
3MF Steven Echevarria (1996-04-09) April 9, 1996 (age 29) 4 0 United States Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
3MF Sebastián Otero (2005-09-15) September 15, 2005 (age 19) 4 0 United States Inter Miami CF II
3MF Ignacio Antonetti (2008-02-02) February 2, 2008 (age 17) 3 0 Spain SD Compostela Youth
3MF Jeymer Díaz (2005-06-21) 21 June 2005 (age 20) 2 0 Unattached
4FW Ricardo Rivera (1997-04-17) April 17, 1997 (age 28) 31 17 Dominican Republic O&M
4FW Darren Ríos (1995-10-14) October 14, 1995 (age 29) 30 5 United States Naples United FC
4FW Wilfredo Rivera (2003-10-14) October 14, 2003 (age 21) 21 5 United States Orlando City B
4FW Alec Díaz (2001-12-07) December 7, 2001 (age 23) 10 1 United States Colorado Rapids 2
4FW Cristian Ortiz (2005-11-15) November 15, 2005 (age 19) 7 0 United States Inter Miami CF II
4FW Enrique Nieves (2003-10-23) October 23, 2003 (age 21) 4 0 United States Minnesota United 2

Recently Called-Up Players

These players have been called up to the team within the last 12 months.


Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Sebastián Cutler (2003-05-20) May 20, 2003 (age 22) 3 0 United States Villanova University v.  Aruba, September 9, 2024
GK Anthony Martínez (2003-12-23) December 23, 2003 (age 21) 0 0 United States Stony Brook Seawolves v.  Bahamas, November 21, 2023 PRE
DF Zarek Valentin (1991-08-06) August 6, 1991 (age 33) 9 1 United States Minnesota United v.  Aruba, September 9, 2024
DF Sidney Paris (2002-04-26) April 26, 2002 (age 23) 9 0 United States Wake Forest University v.  Anguilla, 11 June 2024 PRE
DF Ian Silva (2004-11-06) November 6, 2004 (age 20) 10 1 United States Gonzaga University v.  Anguilla, 11 June 2024 PRE
DF Giovanni Calderón (2002-02-08) February 8, 2002 (age 23) 10 0 United States New England Revolution II v.  Anguilla, 11 June 2024 PRE
DF Eitan Solomiany (2006-12-08) December 8, 2006 (age 18) 0 0 Puerto Rico Bayamon FC v.  Bahamas, November 21, 2023 PRE
MF Adrián Biaggi (2005-04-13) April 13, 2005 (age 20) 5 0 United States Dayton University v.  Aruba, September 9, 2024
MF Benjamin Donato (2005-07-05) 5 July 2005 (age 19) 5 0 United States Stetson University v.  Aruba, September 9, 2024
MF Isaac Angking (2000-07-24) July 24, 2000 (age 24) 15 4 United States Rhode Island FC v.  Anguilla, 11 June 2024
MF Juan O'Neill (1998-07-12) July 12, 1998 (age 26) 21 0 United States Black Rock FC v.  Anguilla, 11 June 2024 PRE
FW Leandro Antonetti (2003-01-01) January 1, 2003 (age 22) 12 4 Spain Sevilla Atlético v.  Aruba, September 9, 2024
FW Cesar Velasquez (2005-03-04) 4 March 2005 (age 20) 0 0 France Tours FC v.  Anguilla, 11 June 2024
FW Jeremy de León (2003-01-01) January 1, 2003 (age 22) 2 2 Spain Real Madrid Castilla v.  Anguilla, 11 June 2024 PRE
Notes
  • INJ = Player is injured
  • PRE = Player is in the preliminary squad or on standby
  • RET = Player has retired from the national team
  • SUS = Player is serving a suspension
  • WD = Player left the squad for reasons other than injury.

Team Records

Players whose names are in bold are still playing for Puerto Rico.

Most Games Played (Caps)

Hector ramos vs Spain
Héctor Ramos (right) is Puerto Rico's top goalscorer and has played the most games.
Rank Name Caps Goals Career
1 Héctor Ramos 36 18 2010–2019
2 Andrés Cabrero 35 4 2008–2018
3 Jackie Marrero 32 6 2011–2019
4 Alexis Rivera 31 0 2004–2016
5 Gerald Díaz 29 12 2017–present
Ricardo Rivera 29 16 2016–present
7 Darren Ríos 28 5 2016–present
8 Cristian Arrieta 22 5 2010–2015
Noah Delgado 22 3 2008–2012
Juan O'Neill 22 0 2017–present

Top Goalscorers

Rank Name Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Héctor Ramos 18 36 0.5 2010–2019
2 Ricardo Rivera 16 29 0.55 2016–present
3 Gerald Díaz 12 29 0.41 2017–present
4 Chris Megaloudis 6 20 0.3 2008–2012
Jackie Marrero 6 32 0.19 2011–2019
6 Wilfredo Rivera 5 19 0.26 2021–present
Marcos Lugris 5 20 0.25 1983–1998
Cristian Arrieta 5 22 0.23 2010–2015
Darren Ríos 5 28 0.18 2016–present
10 Brian Conlon 4 6 0.67 1988–1993
Danny Mueller 4 6 0.67 1992–1993
Raphael Ortiz 4 12 0.33 2000–2010
Leandro Antonetti 4 12 0.33 2022–present
Isaac Angking 4 15 0.27 2021–present
Andrés Cabrero 4 35 0.11 2008–2018

Tournament History

FIFA World Cup Record

FIFA World Cup Qualification
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
1930 to 1958 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member
Chile 1962 Did not enter Did not enter
England 1966
Mexico 1970
West Germany 1974 Did not qualify 2 0 0 2 0 12
Argentina 1978 Did not enter Did not enter
Spain 1982
Mexico 1986 Did not qualify 2 0 0 2 0 8
Italy 1990 2 0 0 2 1 3
United States 1994 4 1 1 2 4 5
France 1998 2 0 0 2 1 9
South Korea Japan 2002 2 0 1 1 4 6
Germany 2006 Did not enter Did not enter
South Africa 2010 Did not qualify 3 1 1 1 3 6
Brazil 2014 6 2 3 1 8 4
Russia 2018 2 1 0 1 1 2
Qatar 2022 4 2 1 1 10 2
Canada Mexico United States 2026 To be determined 2 1 1 0 8 0
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030 To be determined
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total 0/16 31 8 8 15 40 57

CONCACAF Gold Cup Record

CONCACAF Championship & Gold Cup record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA
El Salvador 1963 Did not enter
Guatemala 1965
Honduras 1967
Costa Rica 1969
Trinidad and Tobago 1971
Haiti 1973
Mexico 1977
Honduras 1981
1985
1989
United States 1991 Did not qualify
Mexico United States 1993
United States 1996
United States 1998
United States 2000
United States 2002
Mexico United States 2003
United States 2005
United States 2007 Did not enter
United States 2009
United States 2011 Did not qualify
United States 2013
Canada United States 2015
United States 2017
Costa Rica Jamaica United States 2019
United States 2021
Canada United States 2023
Total 0/27

CONCACAF Nations League Record

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 C C 4 2 0 2 6 12 Same position United States 2021 Not eligible
2022–23 C D 4 4 0 0 17 2 Rise United States 2023
2023–24 B D 6 4 0 2 22 10 Same position United States 2024
2024–25 B C To be decided 2025
Total — — 14 10 0 4 45 24 — Total 0 Titles — — — — — — —

CFU Caribbean Cup Record

CFU Championship & Caribbean Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
Trinidad and Tobago 1978 Did not qualify 2 0 1 1 1 2
Suriname 1979 Did not enter Did not enter
Puerto Rico 1981 Fourth place 4th 3 0 1 2 1 9 Qualified as host
French Guiana 1983 Did not enter Did not enter
Barbados 1985
Martinique 1988
Barbados 1989
Trinidad and Tobago 1990
Jamaica 1991 Did not qualify 2 0 0 2 3 6
Trinidad and Tobago 1992 Did not enter Did not enter
Jamaica 1993 Group stage 6th 3 0 1 2 7 14 3 3 0 0 7 0
Trinidad and Tobago 1994 Did not qualify 2 1 0 1 1 2
Cayman Islands Jamaica 1995 3 0 1 2 3 14
Trinidad and Tobago 1996 Did not enter Did not enter
Antigua and Barbuda Saint Kitts and Nevis 1997 Withdrew Withdrew
Jamaica Trinidad and Tobago 1998 Did not qualify 2 0 0 2 1 7
Trinidad and Tobago 1999 3 0 0 3 0 9
Trinidad and Tobago 2001 2 0 1 1 1 2
Barbados 2005 3 0 1 2 3 11
Trinidad and Tobago 2007 Did not enter Did not enter
Jamaica 2008
Martinique 2010 Did not qualify 6 3 0 3 10 8
Antigua and Barbuda 2012 6 2 0 4 15 12
Jamaica 2014 3 0 2 1 5 6
Martinique 2017 6 1 2 3 11 11
Total Fourth place 2/25 6 0 2 4 8 23 43 10 8 25 61 80

Pan American Games Record

Pan American Games record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA
Argentina 1951 Did not enter
Mexico 1955
United States 1959
Brazil 1963
Canada 1967
Colombia 1971
Mexico 1975
Puerto Rico 1979 Round 2 5th 4 1 0 3 2 12
Venezuela 1983 Did not enter
United States 1987
Cuba 1991
Argentina 1995
Canada 1999
Dominican Republic 2003 Did not qualify
Brazil 2007 Did not enter
Mexico 2011 Did not qualify
Canada 2015
Peru 2019
Chile 2023
Total Round 2 1/19 4 1 0 3 2 12

Images for kids

  • PUR vs Spain

    Puerto Rico (in blue) playing Spain in 2012.

  • Hector ramos vs Spain

    Héctor Ramos (right) is Puerto Rico's top goalscorer and their most capped player.

See Also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Puerto Rico para niños

  • Puerto Rico national under-20 football team
  • Puerto Rico national under-17 football team
  • Football in Puerto Rico
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