Saint Martin is an island in the northeast Caribbean Sea, approximately 300 km (190 mi) east of Puerto Rico. The 87 square kilometres (34 sq mi) island is divided roughly 60:40 between the French Republic and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, but the Dutch part is more populated than the French part. The division dates to 1648. The northern French part comprises the Collectivity of Saint Martin and is an overseas collectivity of the French Republic. As part of France, the French part of the island is also part of the European Union. The southern Dutch part comprises Sint Maarten and is one of four constituent countries that form the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football, abbreviated as CONCACAF, is one of FIFA's six continental governing bodies for association football. Its 41 member associations represent countries and territories mainly in North America, including the Caribbean and Central America, and due to geopolitical reasons, three nations from the Guianas subregion of South America—Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana. The CONCACAF's primary functions are to organize competitions for national teams and clubs, and to conduct the World Cup and Women's World Cup qualifying tournaments.
The Netherlands Antilles national football team was the national team of the former Netherlands Antilles. It was controlled by the Nederlands Antilliaanse Voetbal Unie. The NAVU consisted of Curaçao and Bonaire. Aruba split in 1986 and has its own team.
The U.S. Virgin Islands national soccer team, nicknamed The Dashing Eagle, is the national soccer team of the U.S. Virgin Islands and is controlled by the U.S. Virgin Islands Soccer Federation.
The Turks and Caicos Islands National Football Team is the national team of the Turks and Caicos Islands and is controlled by the Turks and Caicos Islands Football Association.
The Sint Maarten national football team is the football team of Sint Maarten, the Dutch half of the Caribbean island of Saint Martin, and is controlled by the Sint Maarten Soccer Association. Sint Maarten is not a member of FIFA, and therefore not eligible to enter the World Cup. However, the association planned to apply for FIFA membership in 2016.
The Caribbean Football Union (CFU) is the representative organization for football associations in the Caribbean. It represents 25 FIFA member nations, as well as 6 territories that are not affiliated to FIFA. The Union was established in January 1978 and its Member Associations compete in the CONCACAF region.
The British Virgin Islands Football Association is the governing body of football in the British Virgin Islands.The Association is also responsible for the British Virgin Islands national football team.
Sint Maarten is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Caribbean. With a population of 41,486 as of January 2019 on an area of 41.44 km2 (16.00 sq mi), it encompasses the southern 44% of the divided island of Saint Martin, while the northern 56% of the island constitutes the French overseas collectivity of Saint Martin. Sint Maarten's capital is Philipsburg. Collectively, Sint Maarten and the other Dutch islands in the Caribbean are often called the Dutch Caribbean.
The Curaçao national football team represents Curaçao in International football and is controlled by the Curaçao Football Federation.
The sport of association football in the territory of Sint Maarten is run by the Sint Maarten Soccer Association. The association administers the men's national football team, the women's national football team, and various national leagues, predominantly the Sint Maarten Senior League.
The sport of association football in the island of Bonaire is run by the Bonaire Football Federation. The association administers the men's national team, the women's national team, as well as the Bonaire League.
The Bonaire national football team is the national football team of the Caribbean island of Bonaire, a public body of the Netherlands. It is under the control of the Bonaire Football Federation. It became a member of the CFU and an associate member of CONCACAF on 19 April 2013. after which it became a full CONCACAF member on 10 June 2014 The team can participate in the CONCACAF Gold Cup and Caribbean Cup because of their membership in the confederation and sub-confederation. However, Bonaire is not a member of FIFA and therefore can not compete in the FIFA World Cup or other FIFA events.
Flames United SC is a Sint Maarten football club that currently plays in the SMSA Senior League, the highest level of football on Dutch Sint Maarten. The club's home ground is the Raoul Illidge Sports Complex in Philipsburg, the country's capital. The club also fields a futsal team. The current manager is Omar Hunter and the current team captain is Loxley Parker.
The Statia Football Association was founded in 1980, with Mike Franco serving as president for a time, and they administered association football on the island of Sint Eustatius. It is not known if the organisation is still formally extant. If so, the association administers the men's national team, as well as the Sint Eustatius Football League. However, the league was only active from 1980 until 1985.
Jean-Jacques Bernard Craane is a Sint Maartener footballer who plays for Soualiga and the Sint Maarten national team.
The Sint Eustatius national football team is the national association football team of the Caribbean island of Sint Eustatius. It is a not member of the Caribbean Football Union, CONCACAF, or FIFA and therefore cannot compete in tournaments sanctioned by these organizations. It is under the auspices of the Statia Football Association.
Soccer is a popular sport on the Caribbean island of Saba. Sports on the island are controlled by the Saba United Sports Federation and the Commission of Social Affairs, Culture and Sports.
