Nickname(s) | Team 54 [1] Los Llanis | ||
---|---|---|---|
Association | Gibraltar Football Association | ||
Confederation | UEFA (Europe) | ||
Head coach | Julio César Ribas | ||
Captain | Roy Chipolina | ||
Most caps | Liam Walker (77) | ||
Top scorer | Roy Chipolina Liam Walker (5) | ||
Home stadium | Victoria Stadium | ||
FIFA code | GIB | ||
| |||
FIFA ranking | |||
Current | 203 2 (4 April 2024) [2] | ||
Highest | 190 (October 2018) | ||
Lowest | 206 (April 2017 – March 2018) | ||
First international | |||
Gibraltar 0–0 Slovakia (Faro, Portugal; 19 November 2013) | |||
Biggest win | |||
Gibraltar 2–0 Liechtenstein (Gibraltar; 16 November 2022) | |||
Biggest defeat | |||
France 14–0 Gibraltar (Nice, France; 18 November 2023) | |||
World Cup | |||
Appearances | 0 | ||
Best result | 6th in First Round Qualification Group (2018 qualifying, 2022 qualifying) | ||
European Championship | |||
Appearances | 0 | ||
Best result | 5th in Qualification Group (2020 qualifying, 2024 qualifying) | ||
Island Games | |||
Appearances | 10 (first in 1993 ) | ||
Best result | Champions (2007) | ||
Four Nations Tournament | |||
Appearances | 1 (first in 2008) | ||
Best result | Fourth place (2008) | ||
FIFI Wild Cup | |||
Appearances | 1 (first in 2006 ) | ||
Best result | Third place (2006) |
The Gibraltar men's national football team represents Gibraltar in international football competitions, and is controlled by the Gibraltar Football Association. Gibraltar applied for full Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) membership and was accepted by the UEFA Congress in May 2013. It can therefore compete in the UEFA European Championship starting with the 2016 tournament for which the team competed in UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying Group D. On 13 May 2016 Gibraltar became a member of FIFA at the governing body's 66th Congress which was held in Mexico City. [3] Gibraltar is the second smallest UEFA member in terms of population (only San Marino has a smaller population) and the smallest in terms of area. [4] [5]
Despite not being an island, Gibraltar set up its first official side for the football competition at the 1993 Island Games [6] and has been a regular in the tournament, winning the 2007 edition. [7]
Gibraltar's first unofficial national match took place against Jersey in the 1993 Island Games in the Isle of Wight, although the team had previously played friendlies versus professional and amateur clubs. The result was a 2–1 loss for the Gibraltarians. Gibraltar's largest unofficial win was 19–0 versus Sark, in Saint Martin, Guernsey, whilst their largest unofficial loss was 5–0 versus Greenland – an autonomous region of Denmark – which also took part on the Isle of Wight, in Freshwater.
The history of the Gibraltar national football side can be traced back to April 1923, when it travelled to Spain to play club side Sevilla in a friendly; two games were played and Gibraltar lost both 2–0 and 5–0. [6] The side also managed a draw with Real Madrid in 1949. [8] [9]
Before joining UEFA, Gibraltar competed in numerous football competitions, most regularly in the Island Games.
The first competition the team entered was the 1993 Island Games, despite Gibraltar not being an island. Gibraltar lost all of its matches, scoring only one goal and finishing in last place.
They had much more success in the 1995 Island Games, which they hosted. Despite losing their opening game against Greenland, Gibraltar bounced back to record their first competitive win, against the Isle of Man. Another victory over Anglesey saw Gibraltar finish second in the group, ahead of Anglesey only on goal difference, and qualify for the semi-finals. There, they beat Jersey 1–0, before losing the final to the Isle of Wight by the same scoreline.
In the 1997 Island Games, two wins and two losses in the group stage, followed by a defeat to Shetland in a playoff, saw Gibraltar finish 6th out of 9 teams. Another poor performance in 1999 saw them finish 11th.
Island Games results improved slightly in 2001, as they came 5th, and in 2003 Gibraltar recorded their biggest win ever, defeating Sark 19–0. Other good results against Greenland and Orkney saw them finish 6th out of 12. Despite these minor successes, Gibraltar did not enter the 2005 tournament.
A football team represented Gibraltar at the 2015 edition of the games even after Gibraltar was accepted by UEFA. However, the squad was a development team composed of under-19s and over-aged players with no first team senior squad members taking part. [10] The team was coached by John Moreno.
In early summer 2006, Gibraltar participated in the 2006 FIFI Wild Cup where it was ranked 3rd. The tournament was an alternative World Cup for non-FIFA members, which was only held once. In Gibraltar's opening match, they drew 1–1 with the hosts, the 'Republic of St. Pauli', before beating Tibet 5–0 in their second group game to qualify for the semi-finals. There they lost 2–0 to eventual champions Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus - following Gibraltar's games against Cyprus in 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification games in 2017, Gibraltar achieved a rare feat of playing both Cypriot national teams. In the third place playoff, Gibraltar had a rematch against St. Pauli. This time Gibraltar were able to defeat the hosts, to finish in third place out of the six teams. [11]
In 2008, Gibraltar accepted an invitation to participate in The Four Nations Tournament, the most prominent senior football tournament that Gibraltar had ever participated in. The 2008 Four Nations Tournament, won by England C, was played in North Wales, and was contested between Wales Semi-Pro, England C, Scotland B and guest nation Gibraltar after Northern Ireland decided not to take part. Though Gibraltar eventually finished bottom of the group, they pushed tournament winners England C close. [12]
After becoming a member of UEFA (see below), the GFA aimed to become a full FIFA member in time to participate in 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification. [13] On 26 September 2014, it was announced that Gibraltar's application for FIFA membership was denied, with president Sepp Blatter stating that Gibraltar is ineligible because it is not an independent country. This was despite FIFA at the time including 22 members that are not independent countries, including five in UEFA (Faroe Islands and the four Home Nations of the United Kingdom). The Gibraltar Football Association then announced that it planned to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the same process by which Gibraltar successfully gained UEFA membership in 2013. [14] The CAS heard Gibraltar's case on 21 May 2015, at which time no time frame for a verdict was announced and further legal arguments would still be heard. It was expected that no decision would be reached before the FIFA congress coming the following week. [15] A ruling was announced on 2 May 2016, nearly a year after the CAS heard Gibraltar's case. As part of the ruling, FIFA was ordered to transmit Gibraltar's application for membership to the FIFA congress which was set to take place the following week in Mexico City. Additionally, FIFA was ordered to take "all necessary steps to admit the Gibraltar Football Association as a full member of FIFA without delay." If the vote held at the congress was successful, it was believed that Gibraltar would be a last-minute addition to 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification. [16] In FIFA's official statement regarding the ruling, the organization said that it expected to discuss the matter at the upcoming congress and discuss a course of action, including potentially altering the congress agenda to submit Gibraltar's application for membership. [17] On 13 May 2016, Gibraltar was accepted as a member of FIFA with a vote of 172 to 12 in favour. Gibraltar became FIFA's 211th member immediately after the Football Federation of Kosovo was voted member 210. [18]
Gibraltar first applied for UEFA membership in 1999 but was rejected because of intense opposition from Spain. Spain's opposition stemmed not only from claiming ownership of the territory but from fear that Gibraltar's acceptance would set a precedent that would inspire the separatist Basque national football team and Catalan national football teams to apply for UEFA membership as well. The issue was voted on again in 2007 but only three member nations (England, Scotland, and Wales) [9] supported Gibraltar's bid after Spain threatened to withdraw Spanish teams from all UEFA competitions. UEFA then established rules, which were introduced following pressure from Spain, restricting membership to sovereign states recognised as such by the United Nations. The Gibraltar FA then went to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in 2007 and again in 2011 after an appeal and it was ruled that Gibraltar could not be refused membership because the sovereignty rules were not established until after Gibraltar's 1999 and 2007 applications. At this time, Gibraltar was named a provisional member of UEFA and was granted permission to enter national teams in under-17 and under-19 tournaments for the first time. [19] [20]
The GFA was accepted as a full UEFA member by resolution of the UEFA Congress held in London on 24 May 2013, with only Spain and Belarus opposed. [21] [22] This meant Gibraltar became the smallest UEFA member by population, behind San Marino, then Liechtenstein and the Faroe Islands. As a result of the vote, the Gibraltar national team became eligible to enter the qualification tournaments for UEFA's premier national team competition, the European Championship. The first such opportunity was the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign, which would kick off in September 2014. Following the examples of Armenia–Azerbaijan and Russia–Georgia, it was confirmed that Gibraltar and Spain would be kept apart in qualifying groups. [5]
After being accepted into UEFA, the GFA outlined adjusted eligibility criteria for the selection of players for the national squad. To be eligible, a player must be a British passport holder who was born in Gibraltar, or has Gibraltarian parents or grandparents, or has attended school for five years locally. [23] Former Manchester United, Derby County, Southampton and Stoke City defender Danny Higginbotham, whose uncle Allen Bula was the team manager, was eligible to be called up because of this criteria adjustment. [24] [25] On 18 September 2013, Higginbotham announced that he agreed in "principle" to play for Gibraltar. [26] [27] Recruiting of English-born players by manager Allen Bula was unpopular with some fans, [28] and in 2015 Bula's successor Jeff Wood said he would use more home-based players and develop local talent while still searching for eligible players elsewhere. [29]
Gibraltar's first official international match was a 0–0 friendly draw against Slovakia, on 19 November 2013 at the Estadio Algarve in Portugal. [30] On 23 February 2014, Gibraltar was drawn in Group D for the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying alongside Germany, Poland, Georgia, Republic of Ireland and Scotland. Initially, Gibraltar were drawn into the same group as Spain for the tournament but the previous decision to keep the two teams apart in qualifying rounds was upheld and Gibraltar was immediately moved into another group. This was their first time participating in an official European competition. [31] In June 2014, Gibraltar recorded their first ever victory under UEFA with a 1–0 win against Malta, the goal coming from Kyle Casciaro. [32]
On 7 September 2014, Gibraltar played their first competitive match – a Euro 2016 qualifier against Poland. Despite coming into the game with optimism and excitement, they were still massive underdogs [33] and although the half time score was only 1–0 to Poland, it ended 7–0. [34] On 11 October 2014, they were defeated once again by 7–0, this time by Republic of Ireland, in their second Euro 2016 qualifier. In their third match, they were beaten for the third time by Georgia 3–0.
On 29 March 2015, Gibraltar scored their first ever goal in a full international competitive match. Lee Casciaro scored against Scotland at Hampden Park, Glasgow during the first half to level the match at 1–1. However, Scotland went on to win 6–1. [35] In July 2015, Englishman Jeff Wood was appointed manager, succeeding caretaker Dave Wilson who took over from Gibraltar's first manager Allen Bula in March 2015. [36] Gibraltar could not repeat their performance of scoring a goal in the next two matches; losing 7–0 away against Germany [37] and 4–0 against Republic of Ireland. [38] On 7 September 2015, Jake Gosling scored Gibraltar's second-ever competitive goal; netting a late consolation goal as his team was defeated 8–1 by Poland. [39] Gibraltar finished its maiden qualifying campaign last in its group with zero points. [40] With a 0–6 defeat to Scotland in the final match of qualifying, Gibraltar allowed 56 total goals throughout qualification, surpassing San Marino's previous record of 53 in a 10-match qualification process. [41]
For the first time, Gibraltar will be able to take part in the qualifiers for the 2018 Football World Cup. The team has been placed in Group H alongside Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Greece, Estonia and Cyprus. The "arbitrary" placement in this Group H follows the simultaneous admission of Kosovo as a FIFA member, [42] and the impossibility of placing the latter in Bosnia-Herzegovina's group for political reasons. Gibraltar loses all its matches but manages to score three goals, in the two games against Cyprus (1–3 away and 1–2 at home) and at home against Greece (1–4), for 47 goals conceded.
On March 25, 2018, Gibraltar achieved its first victory following its integration into FIFA in a friendly match against Latvia, thanks to a goal from Liam Walker.
Gibraltar's first ever victory in official competition came in the inaugural Nations League, away to Armenia (1–0) thanks to a penalty converted by Joseph Chipolina in the 50th minute on October 13, 2018. [43] The team followed up with a second consecutive win three days later, at home against Liechtenstein (2–1) [44] and finally finished 3rd in Group 4 of League D, ahead of Liechtenstein with two points more than their rival thanks to these two successes.
During the Euro 2021 qualifiers, Gibraltar lost all eight of its matches, some of them by heavy margins, such as against Denmark (0–6 each time) and Switzerland (0–4 away, 1–6 home). However, the team scored 3 goals, at home against Switzerland (1–6) and especially 2 against Georgia (2–3), a team renowned for its defensive solidity, against 31 goals conceded. They also put up a good fight against Ireland, last edition's Round of 16 finishers, losing by narrow margins on both occasions (0–1 at home in the first leg and 0–2 away in the return), whereas they had suffered two heavy defeats against the same opponents in the Euro 2016 qualifiers.
In the 2020-2021 edition of the Nations League, Gibraltar achieved historic promotion to League C by finishing top of their group and unbeaten, thanks to two wins (1–0 at home to San Marino and at Liechtenstein) and two draws (0–0 at San Marino and 1–1 at home to Liechtenstein). [45] In the following edition, Gibraltar achieved another feat by holding Bulgaria to a 1–1 draw at home, captain Liam Walker equalising from the penalty spot in the 61st minute to score its first point on its first appearance in League C. However, the team finished bottom of their group with one point from their tie against the Bulgarians, losing five of their other matches, and will play a two-legged relegation play-off against Lithuania. Gibraltar lost each of these matches by the slimmest of margins (0–1 in both legs), and will meet San Marino and Liechtenstein in League D, as they did in the 2nd edition.
On November 18, 2023, during the Euro 2024 qualifiers, Gibraltar suffered the heaviest defeat in its history, losing in France by the extreme score of 14–0. The team failed to score a single goal and finished with 8 defeats in as many games played and 41 goals conceded.
Before being accepted into UEFA, the team played its home games at Victoria Stadium, the 5,000-seat national stadium of Gibraltar. There were plans to replace the stadium with a proposed 8,000-seat stadium at Europa Point, which was expected to be completed for UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying. [46] [47] [48] Due to the lack of suitable facilities in Gibraltar, the team played its competitive home matches at Estádio Algarve about four hours away in Portugal, from 2013 until 2018. Former national team manager Allen Bula stated that the team would play at the stadium for "a few years" until the Europa Point Stadium was complete. [49] Although the Victoria Stadium could not be used for qualifying matches, UEFA allowed its use for friendlies when Gibraltar chose to do so. [50]
In December 2014, the GFA applied for an exemption from UEFA to allow for competitive matches to be held at the Victoria Stadium although it did not meet minimum requirements. The exemption was filed based upon UEFA regulations which allow for an exemption to be granted because of "hardship". At that time, UEFA said that all scheduled matches, such as those during Euro 2016 qualification, would take place in the already-determined locations but a determination would be made for future competitions. [51] In February 2016, the Gibraltar government announced that over the previous four years numerous improvements had been made to the Victoria Stadium including the installation of approved AstroTurf and lighting which surpassed the requirements for a Category 2 stadium but did not quite meet Category 3. These improvements allowed for UEFA Champions League and Europa League matches to be played at the stadium. [52]
In September 2015, after plans for Europa Point were abandoned, the GFA explored other sites including Lathbury Barracks, as UEFA were unwilling at the time to fund improvements to Victoria Stadium while it was government owned. [53] In February 2016 the Government of Gibraltar announced that it expected to be presented for plans at the Lathbury site very soon. [52] However, in 2017 a deal was agreed for the Gibraltar FA to purchase Victoria Stadium with UEFA funding, and re-develop the stadium to meet UEFA standards. [54] The stadium was subsequently approved to host UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying games in March 2020. However, delays to the stadium redevelopment due to the COVID-19 pandemic meant that in October 2022 it was announced that Gibraltar would once again have to play competitive games in Portugal from March 2023 while their home stadium is rebuilt. [55]
The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
Win Draw Loss Fixture
16 June 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying | Gibraltar | 0–3 | France | Faro/Loulé, Portugal |
20:45 | Report | Stadium: Estádio Algarve Attendance: 4,065 Referee: Yevhenii Aranovskiy (Ukraine) |
19 June 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying | Republic of Ireland | 3–0 | Gibraltar | Dublin, Republic of Ireland |
20:45 (19:45 UTC+1) | Report | Stadium: Aviva Stadium Attendance: 42,156 Referee: Marian Alexandru Barbu (Romania) |
6 September 2023 Friendly | Malta | 1–0 | Gibraltar | Ta' Qali, Malta |
20:00 | J. Mbong 58' | Report | Stadium: Grawnd Nazzjonali Referee: Miloš Bošković (Montenegro) |
10 September 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying | Greece | 5–0 | Gibraltar | Athens, Greece |
20:45 (21:45 UTC+3) |
| Report | Stadium: Agia Sophia Stadium Attendance: 9,774 Referee: Manfredas Lukjančukas (Lithuania) |
11 October 2023 Friendly | Wales | 4–0 | Gibraltar | Wrexham, Wales |
18:45 | Report | Stadium: Racecourse Ground Attendance: 10,008 Referee: Philip Farrugia (Malta) |
16 October 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying | Gibraltar | 0–4 | Republic of Ireland | Faro/Loulé, Portugal |
20:45 | Report | Stadium: Estádio Algarve Attendance: 4,000 Referee: Christian-Petru Ciochirca (Austria) |
18 November 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying | France | 14–0 | Gibraltar | Nice, France |
20:45 | Report | Stadium: Allianz Riviera Attendance: 32,758 Referee: John Brooks (England) |
21 November 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying | Gibraltar | 0–6 | Netherlands | Faro/Loulé, Portugal |
20:45 | Report |
| Stadium: Estádio Algarve Attendance: 2,280 Referee: Arda Kardeşler (Turkey) |
21 March 2024 Nations League play-out | Gibraltar | 0–1 | Lithuania | Faro/Loulé, Portugal |
20:45 | Report |
| Stadium: Estádio Algarve Attendance: 207 Referee: Giorgi Kruashvili (Georgia) |
26 March 2024 Nations League play-out | Lithuania | 1–0 (2–0 agg.) | Gibraltar | Kaunas, Lithuania |
18:00 (19:00 UTC+3) |
| Report | Stadium: Darius and Girėnas Stadium Attendance: 6,102 Referee: Duje Strukan (Croatia) | |
Note: Lithuania won 2–0 on aggregate and remained in League C, while Gibraltar were relegated to League D. |
8 September 2024 UEFA Nations League D | Gibraltar | v | Liechtenstein | Faro/Loulé, Portugal |
18:00 | Report | Stadium: Estádio Algarve |
10 October 2024 UEFA Nations League D | Gibraltar | v | San Marino | Faro/Loulé, Portugal |
20:45 | Report | Stadium: Estádio Algarve |
13 October 2024 UEFA Nations League D | Liechtenstein | v | Gibraltar | Vaduz, Liechtenstein |
18:00 | Report | Stadium: Rheinpark Stadion |
15 November 2024 UEFA Nations League D | San Marino | v | Gibraltar | Serravalle, San Marino |
20:45 | Report | Stadium: San Marino Stadium |
As of 19 November 2022 [56] [57]
Position | Name |
---|---|
Head coach | Julio César Ribas |
Assistant coach | José Carlos Gil Prieto |
Goalkeeper coach | Christian Wink |
Team Manager | Gary Robba |
Team doctor 1 | Keith Gracia |
Team doctor 2 | Issac Rodriguez |
Head physiotherapist Fitness coach | Iain Latin |
Team physiotherapist | Andrew Rodriguez |
Manager | Nation | Gibraltar career | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | GF | GA | Win % |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Allen Bula | 2013–2015 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 28 | 11.11 | |
David Wilson (interim) | 2015 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 17 | 0.00 | |
Jeff Wood | 2015–2018 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 4 | 79 | 0.00 | |
Desi Curry (interim) | 2018 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100.00 | |
Julio César Ribas | 2018– | 56 | 6 | 6 | 44 | 21 | 169 | 10.71 |
The following players were called up to the squad for the following UEFA Nations League play-outs matches: [58]
The following players have been called up within the past twelve months.
Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GK | Dayle Coleing | 23 October 1996 | 32 | 0 | Lincoln Red Imps | v. Lithuania , 21 March 2023SUS |
GK | Jaylan Hankins | 17 November 2000 | 0 | 0 | FCB Magpies | v. Republic of Ireland , 19 June 2023 |
DF | Aymen Mouelhi | 14 September 1986 | 36 | 0 | St Joseph's | v. Netherlands , 21 November 2023 |
DF | Ethan Jolley | 29 March 1997 | 28 | 0 | St Joseph's | v. Netherlands , 21 November 2023 |
DF | Ethan Santos | 22 December 1998 | 7 | 0 | Manchester 62 | v. Netherlands , 21 November 2023 |
DF | Kevagn Ronco | 20 April 1998 | 0 | 0 | FCB Magpies | v. Netherlands , 21 November 2023 |
DF | Kenneth Chipolina | 8 April 1994 | 3 | 0 | Mons Calpe | v. Republic of Ireland , 16 October 2023 |
DF | Scott Wiseman | 9 October 1985 | 38 | 0 | Retired | v. Republic of Ireland , 19 June 2023RET |
MF | Anthony Hernandez | 3 February 1995 | 28 | 1 | FCB Magpies | v. Netherlands , 21 November 2023 |
MF | Mohamed Badr | 25 November 1989 | 16 | 0 | Manchester 62 | v. Netherlands , 21 November 2023 |
MF | Nicholas Pozo | 19 January 2005 | 11 | 0 | Cádiz | v. Netherlands , 21 November 2023 |
MF | Jeremy Perera | 14 January 2006 | 0 | 0 | Mons Calpe | v. France , 18 November 2023 PRE |
FW | Jamie Coombes | 27 May 1996 | 32 | 0 | Free Agent | v. Netherlands , 21 November 2023 |
FW | Reece Styche | 3 May 1989 | 31 | 3 | AFC Telford United | v. Greece , 10 September 2023 |
INJ Withdrew from the squad due to an injury |
Rank | Player | Caps | Goals | Career |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Liam Walker | 77 | 5 | 2013–present |
2 | Roy Chipolina | 75 | ||
3 | Lee Casciaro | 62 | 3 | 2014–present |
4 | Jack Sergeant | 60 | 0 | 2013–present |
5 | Joseph Chipolina | 59 | 2 | |
6 | Jayce Olivero | 56 | 0 | 2016–present |
7 | Louie Annesley | 41 | 1 | 2018–present |
8 | Tjay De Barr | 40 | 3 | |
9 | Scott Wiseman | 38 | 0 | 2013–2023 |
10 | Aymen Mouelhi | 36 | 2018–present | |
Ethan Britto |
Rank | Player | Goals | Caps | Ratio | Career |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Roy Chipolina | 5 | 75 | 0.07 | 2013–present |
Liam Walker | 77 | 0.06 | |||
3 | Reece Styche | 3 | 31 | 0.1 | 2014–present |
Tjay De Barr | 40 | 0.08 | 2018–present | ||
Lee Casciaro | 62 | 0.05 | 2014–present | ||
6 | Jake Gosling | 2 | 12 | 0.17 | 2014–2018 |
Joseph Chipolina | 59 | 0.03 | 2013–present | ||
FIFA World Cup record | Qualification record | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
1930 to 2014 | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | |||||||||||||
2018 | Did not qualify | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 47 | ||||||||
2022 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 4 | 43 | |||||||||
2026 | To be determined | To be determined | |||||||||||||
2030 | |||||||||||||||
2034 | |||||||||||||||
Total | 0/2 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 7 | 90 | |
UEFA European Championship record | Qualification record | |||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Round | Pos. | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | ||||
1960 to 2012 | Not a UEFA member | Not a UEFA member | ||||||||||||||||
2016 | Did not qualify | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 56 | |||||||||||
2020 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 31 | ||||||||||||
2024 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 41 | ||||||||||||
2028 | To be determined | To be determined | ||||||||||||||||
2032 | ||||||||||||||||||
Total | 0/3 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 5 | 128 | ||||
UEFA Nations League record | ||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
League phase | Relegation play-outs | |||||||||||||||||
Season | LG | Grp | Pos. | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | P/R | RK | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | |
2018–19 | D | 4 | 3rd | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 15 | 49th | — | |||||||
2020–21 | D | 2 | 1st | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 49th | ||||||||
2022–23 | C | 4 | 4th | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 18 | 48th | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | ||
2024–25 | D | 1 | — | |||||||||||||||
Total | 16 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 11 | 34 | — | 48th | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1989–1991 | Did not enter | |||||||
1993 | 7th place match | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 9 |
1995 | Runners-up | 2 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 |
1997 | 5th place match | 6 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 8 |
1999 | 11th place match | 11 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 11 |
2001 | 5th place match | 5 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 2 |
2003 | 5th place match | 6 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 29 | 5 |
2005 | Did not enter | |||||||
2007 | Champions | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 2 |
2009 | 9th place match | 9 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 3 |
2011 | 5th place match | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 7 |
2013 | Did not enter | |||||||
2015 [nb 1] | 9th place match | 10 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
2017 | Did not enter | |||||||
2019 | Replaced by 2019 Inter Games Football Tournament | |||||||
Total | 10/15 | 1 Title | 42 | 21 | 3 | 18 | 102 | 56 |
Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2008 | Group | 4th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 11 |
Total | 1/1 | 0 Titles | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 11 |
Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2006 | 3rd Place Playoff | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 4 |
Total | 1/1 | 0 titles | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 4 |
The following table shows Gibraltar's all-time international record, correct as of 26 March 2024. Only official matches are included.
Opponents | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | W% | First | Last |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Andorra | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 50.00 | 2021 | 2022 |
Armenia | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 | −3 | 50.00 | 2018 | 2018 |
Belgium | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 15 | −15 | 0.00 | 2016 | 2017 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | −9 | 0.00 | 2017 | 2017 |
Bulgaria | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 9 | −7 | 0.00 | 2020 | 2022 |
Croatia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | −4 | 0.00 | 2015 | 2015 |
Cyprus | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | −3 | 0.00 | 2016 | 2017 |
Denmark | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 12 | −12 | 0.00 | 2019 | 2019 |
Estonia | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 14 | −13 | 0.00 | 2014 | 2019 |
Faroe Islands | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 0.00 | 2014 | 2022 |
France | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 17 | −17 | 0.00 | 2023 | 2023 |
Georgia | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 19 | −16 | 0.00 | 2014 | 2022 |
Germany | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 11 | −11 | 0.00 | 2014 | 2015 |
Greece | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 16 | −15 | 0.00 | 2016 | 2023 |
Grenada | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +0 | 0.00 | 2022 | 2022 |
Kosovo | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | 0.00 | 2019 | 2019 |
Latvia | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 11 | −8 | 25.00 | 2016 | 2021 |
Liechtenstein | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 50.00 | 2016 | 2022 |
Lithuania | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | −2 | 0.00 | 2024 | 2024 |
Malta | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 33.33 | 2014 | 2023 |
Montenegro | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7 | −6 | 0.00 | 2021 | 2021 |
Netherlands | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 22 | −22 | 0.00 | 2021 | 2023 |
North Macedonia | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 12 | −12 | 0.00 | 2018 | 2022 |
Norway | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 8 | −7 | 0.00 | 2021 | 2021 |
Poland | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 15 | −14 | 0.00 | 2014 | 2015 |
Portugal | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | −5 | 0.00 | 2016 | 2016 |
Republic of Ireland | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 21 | −21 | 0.00 | 2014 | 2023 |
San Marino | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 50.00 | 2020 | 2020 |
Scotland | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 12 | −11 | 0.00 | 2015 | 2015 |
Slovakia | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +0 | 0.00 | 2013 | 2013 |
Slovenia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | −6 | 0.00 | 2021 | 2021 |
Switzerland | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 10 | −9 | 0.00 | 2019 | 2019 |
Turkey | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | −9 | 0.00 | 2021 | 2021 |
Wales | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | −4 | 0.00 | 2023 | 2023 |
Total | 86 | 8 | 9 | 69 | 30 | 293 | −263 | 9.30 | 2013 | 2024 |
Opponent | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Åland | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
England C | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
Faroe Islands | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Frøya | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 1 |
Greenland | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 7 |
Guernsey | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Isle of Man | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
Isle of Wight | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 3 |
Jersey | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 15 |
Madeira | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Menorca | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
Monaco | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 |
Northern Cyprus | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Orkney | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 |
Rhodes | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
Sark | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
Scotland Semi-Pro | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
Shetland | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 6 |
Tibet | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
Wales Semi-Pro | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
Ynys Môn | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
The Gibraltar Football Association or also Gibraltar FA (GFA) is the governing body for Gibraltarian football and futsal. It was formed as the Gibraltar Civilian Football Association in 1895, changing to its current name in later years. It is one of the oldest football associations in the world. From October 2012, the GFA were provisional members of UEFA and the Gibraltar national futsal team, under-19 and under-17 representative teams participated in the 2013/14 UEFA season competitions. At the XXXVII UEFA Congress held in London on 24 May 2013, Gibraltar was accepted as a full member of UEFA. Gibraltar were admitted to FIFA as a full member on 13 May 2016 at the 66th FIFA Congress in Mexico.
The Scotland men's national football team represents Scotland in men's international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. It competes in three major professional tournaments: the FIFA World Cup, UEFA Nations League and the UEFA European Championship. Scotland, as a country of the United Kingdom, is not a member of the International Olympic Committee, and therefore the national team does not compete in the Olympic Games. The majority of Scotland's home matches are played at the national stadium, Hampden Park.
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents the Republic of Ireland in men's international football. It is governed by the Football Association of Ireland (FAI).
The Wales men's national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales (FAW), the governing body for football in Wales. They have been a member of FIFA since 1946 and a member of UEFA since 1954.
The Liechtenstein national football team is the national football team of the Principality of Liechtenstein and is controlled by the Liechtenstein Football Association. The organisation is known as the Liechtensteiner Fussballverband in German. The team's first match was an unofficial match against Malta in Seoul, a 1–1 draw in 1981. Their first official match came two years later, a 0–1 defeat from Switzerland. Liechtenstein's largest win, a 4–0 win over Luxembourg in a 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifier on 13 October 2004, was both its first ever away win and its first win in any FIFA World Cup qualifier. Conversely, Liechtenstein is the only country that lost an official match against San Marino, albeit in a friendly match. Liechtenstein suffered its biggest ever loss in 1996, during qualification for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, losing 1–11 to Macedonia, the result also being Macedonia's largest ever win to date. The team's head coach is currently Konrad Fünfstück.
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in men's international football, and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation. The team has made nine appearances in the FIFA World Cup, and five in the UEFA European Championship. Hungary plays their home matches at the Puskás Aréna, in Budapest, which opened in November 2019.
The Cyprus national football team represents Cyprus in men's international football and is controlled by the Cyprus Football Association, the governing body for football in Cyprus. Cyprus' home ground is currently the AEK Arena in Larnaca, and the current coach is Temur Ketsbaia.
The Czech Republic national football team, recognised by FIFA as Czechia, represents the Czech Republic in men's international football. The team is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic (FAČR). Historically, the team participated in FIFA and UEFA competitions as Bohemia and Czechoslovakia.
Victoria Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Gibraltar. It is currently used mostly for football matches, but also hosts the annual Gibraltar Music Festival. It is located close to Gibraltar Airport just off Winston Churchill Avenue. It was named after the wife of Gibraltarian philanthropist John Mackintosh.
The Montenegro national football team has represented Montenegro in men's international football since 2007. It is controlled by the Football Association of Montenegro, the governing body for football in Montenegro. Montenegro's home ground is Podgorica City Stadium in Podgorica.
Lincoln Red Imps Football Club is a professional association football club from Gibraltar. They play in the Gibraltar National League, and share Victoria Stadium with all other clubs in the territory. They are the country's record champion with 27 league titles, including fourteen consecutive titles between 2003 and 2016, and in 2014 were the first team to represent Gibraltar in the UEFA Champions League's qualifying stage. In August 2021, Lincoln became the first club from Gibraltar to ever reach the group stages of a European club competition after defeating the Latvian champions Riga FC in the play-off round of the UEFA Europa Conference League.
Football has been a popular part of sport in Gibraltar since its introduction by British military personnel in the 19th century. The Gibraltar Football Association, founded in 1895, is one of the ten oldest active football associations in the world.
The 2013–14 Gibraltar Premier Division is the 115th season of the national amateur football league in Gibraltar since its establishment - the highest level of football in Gibraltar. The league was expanded this season, and will be contested by eight clubs, a requirement for entry into UEFA competitions. The season began on October 7, 2013, with Glacis United defeating Lions Gibraltar 3–2. Lincoln are the defending league champions, having sealed their 11th successive title win in 2012–13.
The Gibraltar national football team is the representative association football team of Gibraltar, a British Overseas Territory located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula. Its governing body is the Gibraltar Football Association (GFA) and it competes as a member of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). Organised football has been played in Gibraltar since the 19th century. The GFA first applied for UEFA membership in 1997 which was rejected, as UEFA would only allow membership for applicants recognised as sovereign states by the United Nations. They were unsuccessful in their second application in 2007 when only three of UEFA's 52 associations voted in their favour. In October 2012, they reapplied for membership which was granted in March 2013. Before 2018 the team's home ground, Victoria Stadium, did not meet UEFA's standards for competitive internationals, although it could be used for international friendlies. Gibraltar's first full international was played at the Estádio Algarve, located between Faro and Loulé, Portugal, which Gibraltar used as their home stadium for competitive matches between 2014 and 2018, and again from 2023.
Adam James Priestley is a Gibraltarian footballer who plays for English club Ossett United of the Northern Premier League Division One East and the Gibraltar national team as a forward. After beginning his career in the academies of league clubs Leeds United and York City, Priestley has spent his entire senior career in the semi-professional lower divisions of the English football league system. Qualifying to represent Gibraltar internationally by being born there while his father served in the Royal Air Force, Priestley debuted for the overseas territory in its premier UEFA match in November 2013. He has since gone on to represent Gibraltar in friendlies and UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying.
The European section of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification acted as qualifiers for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which was held in Russia, for national teams that are members of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). Apart from Russia, who qualified automatically as hosts, a total of 13 slots in the final tournament were available for UEFA teams.
The Gibraltar national football team represents Gibraltar in association football and is controlled by the Gibraltar Football Association (GFA), the governing body of the sport there. It competes as a member of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), which encompasses the countries of Europe. Organised football has been played in the country since the 19th century. Gibraltar first applied for UEFA membership in 1997 which was rejected, as UEFA would only allow membership for applicants recognised as sovereign states by the United Nations. In October 2012, Gibraltar reapplied for membership and it was granted in March 2013.
The Gibraltar national football team represents the Gibraltar in association football and is controlled by the Gibraltar Football Association (GFA), the governing body of the sport there. It competes as a member of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), which encompasses the countries of Europe. Organised football has been played in the country since the 19th century. Gibraltar first applied for UEFA membership in 1997 but was rejected because of intense opposition from Spain. In October 2012, Gibraltar reapplied for full membership and it was granted in March 2013. On 13 May 2016 Gibraltar was accepted as a member of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA); this was after their original application in 2014 was denied.
The Gibraltar national under-21 football team represents Gibraltar in football competitions at under-21 level and is controlled by the Gibraltar Football Association. It is a full member of FIFA and is therefore eligible to enter any FIFA-sanctioned tournaments. Gibraltar applied for full UEFA membership and was accepted by the UEFA Congress in May 2013 and can therefore compete in the UEFA European Under-21 Championship beginning with the 2015 edition of the tournament, although they did not participate until 2017, in qualification for the 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.
The international friendly between the Gibraltar and Slovakia national football teams on 19 November 2013 was the first official match played by Gibraltar after joining the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). It took place at the Estádio Algarve in Faro/Loulé, Portugal with 350 fans in attendance. The Gibraltar Football Association chose to play at the Estádio Algarve as this would be the stadium the team would use for competitive matches as their only venue the Victoria Stadium was not eligible to. The game ended in a 0–0 draw which was seen as an upset with Slovakia being heavy favourites to defeat UEFA's newest members. Gibraltar defender Danny Higginbotham received the man of the match award.
Higginbotham, who is Bula's nephew, is one of several English-born players who have been drafted in, much to the chagrin of some Gibraltarians, who have heaped abuse on the manager for doing so.
Gibraltar, bottom of Group D, have changed their approach of late: they're not so keen to recruit eligible players via the 'granny rule' but instead are intent on bring through home grown talent.