Timor-Leste national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Timor-Leste

Nickname(s)	Lafaek (The Crocodiles) O Sol Nascente (The Rising Sun)
Association	Federação de Futebol de Timor-Leste (FFTL)
Confederation	AFC (Asia)
Sub-confederation	AFF (Southeast Asia)
Head coach	Simón Elissetche
Captain	Gali Freitas
Most caps	Anggisu Barbosa (30)
Top scorer	João Pedro (8)
Home stadium	Municipal Stadium of Dili
FIFA code	TLS
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	196 (7 February 2019)
Highest	146 (June 2015)
Lowest	206 (October 2012)
Elo ranking
Current	NR (3 March 2019)
Highest	214 (November 2015)
Lowest	230 (November 2016)
First international
Sri Lanka 3–2 East Timor  (Colombo, Sri Lanka; 21 March 2003)
Biggest win
Cambodia 1–5 East Timor  (Yangon, Myanmar; 5 October 2012)
Biggest defeat
East Timor 0–10 Saudi Arabia  (Dili, Timor Leste; 17 November 2015)  East Timor 0–10 Thailand  (Hanoi, Vietnam; 8 December 2024)
AFC Solidarity Cup
Appearances	1 (first in 2016)
Best result	Group stage (2016)
ASEAN Championship
Appearances	4 (first in 2004)
Best result	Group stage (2004, 2018, 2020, 2024)

The Timor-Leste national football team represents the country of Timor-Leste in international men's football. The team is nicknamed Lafaek, which means "The Crocodiles." The crocodile is a very important animal in Timorese culture. They are also called O Sol Nascente, or "The Rising Sun."

The team is run by the Federação de Futebol de Timor-Leste (FFTL). They are part of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the regional ASEAN Football Federation (AFF). Timor-Leste officially joined FIFA, the world's football organization, on September 12, 2005.

Their first international match was in 2003. They played against Sri Lanka and lost 3–2. The team celebrated its first-ever international win on October 5, 2012, when they beat Cambodia 5–1.

History

The Beginning (2003–2017)

Football has been played in Timor-Leste since it was a Portuguese colony. After gaining independence in 2002, the country formed its own football federation.

The team played its first official games in 2003 during the qualifiers for the 2004 AFC Asian Cup. They lost to Sri Lanka and Chinese Taipei. In 2004, they played in their first regional tournament, the 2004 AFF Championship, but finished in last place. It was a tough start, but the team was just getting started.

For many years, the team struggled to win. But in 2008, they surprised everyone by drawing 2–2 with Cambodia. This was a big achievement for the young team.

First International Win

Coach Emerson Alcântara led Timor-Leste to their first-ever win, a 5–1 victory over Cambodia in 2012.

A huge moment for Timor-Leste came on October 5, 2012. They beat Cambodia 5–1! It was their first win in an official international match. Murilo de Almeida scored two goals, while Adelino Trindade and Alan Leandro also scored.

Just a few days later, they won again, beating Laos 3–1. The coach, Emerson Alcântara, said the victory was for the people of Timor-Leste, who love football and had waited a long time for this success.

World Cup Qualifiers and Upsets

In 2015, Timor-Leste played in the qualifiers for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. They beat Mongolia twice, which was a big step forward. This allowed them to advance to the next round.

In the second round, they faced much tougher teams. Still, they managed to get a 1–1 draw against Malaysia, with Ramon Saro scoring a last-minute goal. They also drew 1–1 with Palestine. These results showed that the team was getting better and could compete with more experienced teams.

However, the team had to forfeit some of these matches later. This was because some of their players were found to be ineligible, meaning they did not meet the rules to play for the team.

Recent Years (2018–Present)

Timor-Leste playing against their rivals, Brunei, in 2024.

Timor-Leste qualified for the 2018 AFF Championship, a major tournament in Southeast Asia. It was their first time in the tournament in 14 years. They also qualified for the 2020 AFF Championship.

The team has seen new stars emerge. In 2024, João Pedro became the first Timorese player to score a hat-trick (three goals in one game) in a 4–1 win over Mongolia.

Later that year, Gali Freitas scored the winning goal against Brunei to help the team qualify for the 2024 ASEAN Championship. At the tournament, they faced tough opponents and lost their matches, but they gained valuable experience playing against top teams in the region.

In 2025, João Pedro scored again in a 1–0 win against the Maldives. This goal made him the all-time top scorer for Timor-Leste.

Team Image

Jerseys and Kits

The team's home kit is usually a red shirt, black shorts, and red socks. Their away kit is all white. Over the years, their kits have been made by different companies.

Period	Manufacturer
2008–2010	Tiger
2012	Nike
2013–2014	Mitre
2015–2017	Kubba Sportswear
2018–2024	Narrow
2024–present	Oliver Sports

Home Stadium

Timor-Leste plays its home games at the National Stadium in Dili, the capital city. The stadium can hold 5,000 fans.

Because their home stadium has needed upgrades to meet international standards, the team has sometimes played its "home" games in other countries. These have included stadiums in Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, and Indonesia.

Results and Fixtures

Here is a list of the team's recent matches and upcoming games.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2024

East Timor  v  Mongolia

5 September 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification – play-off round	East Timor	4–1	Mongolia	Gianyar, Indonesia
15:30 UTC+8	João Pedro  3', 27', 52' Zenivio  58'		Oyunbaataryn  34'	Stadium: Kapten I Wayan Dipta Stadium Referee: Daniel Elder (Australia)

Mongolia  v  East Timor

10 September 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification – play-off round	Mongolia	2–0 (3–4 agg.)	East Timor	Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
17:00 UTC+8	Daginaa  8' Amaraa  54'			Stadium: MFF Football Centre Referee: Ali Berry (Lebanon)

Brunei  v  East Timor

8 October 2024 ASEAN Championship qualification	Brunei	0–1	East Timor	Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
20:30 UTC+8			Freitas  47'	Stadium: Track & Field Sports Complex

East Timor  v  Brunei

15 October 2024 ASEAN Championship qualification	East Timor	0–0 (1–0 agg.)	Brunei	Chonburi, Thailand
19:30 UTC+7				Stadium: Chonburi Stadium Referee: Torpong Somsing (Thailand)

East Timor  v  Thailand

8 December ASEAN Championship GS	East Timor	0–10	Thailand	Hanoi, Vietnam
20:00 UTC+7			Davis  4', 32' Gustavsson  17' Suphanat  28', 54' Seksan  56', 61' Teerasak  79', 90+2' Mickelson  90+3'	Stadium: Hàng Đẫy Stadium Attendance: 1,239 Referee: Kim Dae-yong (South Korea)

Malaysia  v  East Timor

11 December ASEAN Championship GS	Malaysia	3–2	East Timor	Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
21:00 UTC+8	Syafiq  37' Josué  70', 83'		Xavier  45+1' João Pedro  45+3'	Stadium: Bukit Jalil National Stadium Attendance: 7,420 Referee: Omar Al-Yaqoubi (Oman)

East Timor  v  Singapore

14 December ASEAN Championship GS	East Timor	0–3	Singapore	Hanoi, Vietnam
17:30 UTC+7			Nakamura  76' (pen.) Shawal  83', 90'	Stadium: Hàng Đẫy Stadium Attendance: 1,000 Referee: Ko Hyung-jin (South Korea)

Cambodia  v  East Timor

17 December ASEAN Championship GS	Cambodia	2–1	East Timor	Phnom Penh, Cambodia
17:45 UTC+7	Rotana  42' Soknet  79'		João Pedro  22'	Stadium: Phnom Penh Olympic Stadium Attendance: 17,109 Referee: Firdavs Norsafarov (Uzbekistan)

2025

Lebanon  v  East Timor

20 March Friendly	Lebanon	4–0	East Timor	Al Khor, Qatar
21:00 UTC+3	Osman  57' Budib  85' Merheg  88', 90'			Stadium: Al-Khor SC Stadium

Tajikistan  v  East Timor

25 March 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification	Tajikistan	1–0	East Timor	Dushanbe, Tajikistan
16:00 UTC+5	Hanonov  3'			Stadium: Pamir Stadium Attendance: 8,520 Referee: Seyedvahid Kazemi (Iran)

East Timor  v  Maldives

10 June 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification	East Timor	1–0	Maldives	Darwin, Australia
16:00 UTC+9:30	J. Pedro  45+1'			Stadium: Territory Rugby League Stadium Attendance: 1,048 Referee: Songkran Bunmeekiart (Thailand)

East Timor  v  Philippines

9 October 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification	East Timor	v	Philippines	Darwin, Australia
--:-- UTC+6				Stadium: Territory Rugby League Stadium

Philippines  v  East Timor

14 October 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification	Philippines	v	East Timor	Manila, Philippines
20:00 UTC+8				Stadium: Rizal Memorial Stadium

East Timor  v  Tajikistan

18 November 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification	East Timor	v	Tajikistan	Bangkok, Thailand
20:00 UTC+8				Stadium: Insee Chantarasatit Stadium

East Timor  v  Vanuatu

20 November Friendly	East Timor	–	Vanuatu
21:00 UTC+3

2026

Maldives  v  East Timor

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

Players

Current Squad

These 23 players were chosen to play for Timor-Leste in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers against the Maldives on June 10, 2025.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
12	1GK	Junildo	(2003-06-04) 4 June 2003 (age 22)	17	0	Karketu Dili
20	1GK	Ricky	(2000-12-25) 25 December 2000 (age 24)	1	0	Ponta Leste
31	1GK	Georgino Mendonça	(2002-03-16) 16 March 2002 (age 23)	7	0	Life FC
2	2DF	Almerito	(1993-09-24) 24 September 1993 (age 31)	3	0	Ponta Leste
3	2DF	Liam Farrugia	(2003-01-13) 13 January 2003 (age 22)	1	0	Manningham United
4	2DF	Francisco da Costa	(1995-04-15) 15 April 1995 (age 30)	9	0	Karketu Dili
5	2DF	Jackson Fowler	(2004-09-03) 3 September 2004 (age 20)	1	0	Sydney Olympic
9	2DF	Olagar Xavier	(2003-05-18) 18 May 2003 (age 22)	16	1	Karketu Dili
23	2DF	Anizo Correia	(2003-05-23) 23 May 2003 (age 22)	18	0	Ponta Leste
	2DF	João Panji	(2003-03-02) 2 March 2003 (age 22)	20	0	Karketu Dili
	2DF	Mário Quintão	(2004-02-18) 18 February 2004 (age 21)	11	0	Emmanuel
	2DF	Palomito Ribeiro	2005 (age 20)	0	0	Emmanuel
8	3MF	Claudio Osorio	(2002-09-26) 26 September 2002 (age 22)	11	0	Karketu Dili
14	3MF	Kornelis Nahak	(2001-01-12) 12 January 2001 (age 24)	9	0	SLB Laulara
15	3MF	Tiago	(1999-04-13) 13 April 1999 (age 26)	12	0	Karketu Dili
16	3MF	Freteliano	(2004-08-09) 9 August 2004 (age 20)	12	0	Emmanuel
22	3MF	Zenivio	(2005-04-22) 22 April 2005 (age 20)	18	1	Tanjong Pagar United
7	4FW	Elias Mesquita	(2002-03-27) 27 March 2002 (age 23)	18	0	Ponta Leste
10	4FW	João Pedro (vice-captain)	(1998-06-24) 24 June 1998 (age 27)	24	8	Angkor Tiger
11	4FW	Mouzinho	(2002-06-26) 26 June 2002 (age 23)	14	3	Igalo
13	4FW	Alexandro Bakhito	(2006-06-01) 1 June 2006 (age 19)	4	0	SLB Laulara
18	4FW	Vabio Canavaro	(2007-01-25) 25 January 2007 (age 18)	2	0	SLB Laulara
19	4FW	Luís Figo	(2005-04-17) 17 April 2005 (age 20)	8	0	Ponta Leste
21	4FW	Gali Freitas (captain)	(2004-12-31) 31 December 2004 (age 20)	14	2	Persebaya Surabaya

Player Records

Players in bold are still playing for Timor-Leste.

Most Appearances

Top Goalscorers

Competition Records

FIFA World Cup

The team has not yet qualified for the FIFA World Cup, but they compete in the qualification rounds.

FIFA World Cup										Qualification
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D	L	F	A		Pld	W	D	L	F	A
1930 to 1974	Part of  Portugal									Part of  Portugal
1978 to 1998	Part of  Indonesia									Part of  Indonesia
2002	Not member of FIFA									Not member of FIFA
2006	Did not enter									Did not enter
2010	Did not qualify									2	0	0	2	3	11
2014										2	0	0	2	1	7
2018										10	2	2	6	7	37
2022										2	0	0	2	2	12
2026										2	0	0	2	0	7
2030	To be determined									To be determined
2034
Total	—	0/5	–	–	–	–	–	–		18	2	2	14	13	74

ASEAN Championship

This is the biggest football tournament for countries in Southeast Asia. Timor-Leste has qualified four times.

ASEAN Championship record										Qualification record
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
2004	Group stage	9th	4	0	0	4	2	18		No qualification
2007	Did not qualify									4	0	0	4	5	17
2008										4	0	1	3	4	9
2010										3	0	0	3	3	15
2012										4	2	0	2	10	6
2014										4	1	1	2	6	7
2016										3	0	0	3	4	7
2018	Group stage	10th	4	0	0	4	4	19		2	1	0	1	3	2
2020		10th	4	0	0	4	0	13		Opponents withdrew
2022	Did not qualify									2	1	0	1	3	6
2024	Group stage	10th	4	0	0	4	3	18		2	1	1	0	1	0
Total	Group stage	4/15	16	0	0	16	9	68		28	6	3	19	39	68

See also

In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Timor Oriental para niños