 | |||
| Nickname | BlueAyuyu | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Northern Mariana Islands Football Association (NMIFA) | ||
| Confederation | AFC (Asia) | ||
| Sub-confederation | EAFF (East Asia) | ||
| Head coach | Atsushi Hanita | ||
| Captain | Jireh Yobech | ||
| Mostcaps | Nicolas Swaim (17) | ||
| Top scorer | Joe Wang Miller (4) | ||
| Home stadium | Oleai Sports Complex | ||
| FIFA code | MNP[1] | ||
| |||
| FIFA ranking | |||
| Current | NR (19 November 2025)[2] | ||
| First international | |||
Unofficial Northern Mariana Islands 8–0Yap  (Koror,Palau; 28 July 1998) Official Northern Mariana Islands 2–3Guam  (Saipan,Northern Mariana Islands; 25 March 2007) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
Unofficial Palau 1–12Northern Mariana Islands (Koror,Palau; 31 July 1998) Official Northern Mariana Islands 4–0American Samoa  (Honiara,Solomon Islands; 27 November 2023) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
 Fiji 10–0Northern Mariana Islands (Honiara,Solomon Islands; 18 November 2023) | |||
| Pacific Games | |||
| Appearances | 1 (first in2023) | ||
| Best result | 10th place (2023) | ||
| Micronesian Games | |||
| Appearances | 1 (first in1998) | ||
| Best result | Champions (1998) | ||
TheNorthern Mariana Islands national football team represents theCommonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in international men'sfootball. The team is controlled by the governing body forfootball in the Northern Mariana Islands, theNorthern Mariana Islands Football Association, which is a member of theEast Asian Football Federation (EAFF) and since December 2020 a full member of theAsian Football Confederation (AFC). The association is not a member of the world governing bodyFIFA, although it had applied for membership, and so while the national team is eligible to enter AFC and EAFF-run competitions, they are currently ineligible for global competitions such as theFIFA World Cup. As such, they do not have an official FIFA ranking. However, the team have been consistently ranked as one of the worst teams in the world on theElo ratings and were in fact, in July 2016 rated as the worst men's senior international team in the world in a ratings system that also includes a number of other non-FIFA teams.
Following the completion of the preliminary qualifying round for the2017 EAFF East Asian Cup the team have won only one official competitive match against international opposition and have a goal difference of −78 in official matches. The team have never qualified for the finals of a major tournament and beyond friendlies and qualifying matches, their only official competition has been in an exhibition tournament in the regionalMicronesian Games in 1998, which they won, to date their only tournament success.
They are one of the youngest international teams, having played their first match in an exhibition tournament associated with the 1998 Micronesian Games. Following this appearance, they played only one more match, against theFederated States of Micronesia before the original governing body for football in the country, theNorthern Mariana Islands Soccer Federation, became defunct and the team withdrew from international competition. During the time of the Northern Mariana Islands Football Association, eligibility criteria for the national team were quite lax, a minimum residency requirement of two years meant that the national team often included a number of contractors working onSaipan who were not of Northern Marianan heritage. Following the foundation of a new governing body, theNorthern Mariana Islands Football Association, the national team was reestablished and, having resigned their associate membership of theOceania Football Confederation (OFC), they joined the EAFF in 2006, becoming full members in 2008.
Since that date, their international appearances have mainly been restricted to qualifying competitions for theEAFF East Asian Cup, although they also attempted to qualify for theAFC Challenge Cup once, having been admitted as associate members in 2009, and have played severalfriendly matches against neighboring nationGuam, in which the two countries compete for the perpetual trophy, theMarianas Cup.
The Northern Mariana Islands made their international debut in an exhibition football tournament associated with the1998 Micronesia Games.[4] The original governing body for football in the Northern Mariana Islands, theNorthern Mariana Islands Soccer Federation had been accepted as an associate member of theOceania Football Confederation, but this was the first time records indicated they had participated in any international tournament.[4]
The tournament was officially called the W.C.T.C. Shell Soccer Exhibition and was a demonstration event only at the games, not having medal status.[5] Furthermore, the tournament did not meet established regulations; the matches played were only 9-a-side, the games lasted only 80 minutes and the pitch was smaller than regulation size.[5]
Nonetheless, the Northern Mariana Islands team performed well in the group stage playing againstGuam,Palau, Yap (then considered essentially theFederated States of Micronesia national football team), a team representing the Micronesian state ofPohnpei and a "Palau B" team consisting of Bangladeshis living onPalau.[5] The team won their first two matches 8–0 against Palau B and Yap respectively. A 2–1 loss to Guam in their third game was quickly forgotten as they went on to record resounding victories in their final two group games defeating Palau 12–1 and Pohnpei 11–2 to finish second in the group with a +35 goal difference after their five games, qualifying for the final match.[5][6]
The team avenged their earlier group stage defeat to Guam in the final, beating them 3–0 to claim the tournament title.[5]Charles Kewo andChristopher Guerrero scored in the opening quarter of an hour to give the Northern Mariana Islands a 2–0 half time lead, a lead they extended in the second half through an unknown goalscorer (although other sources suggest Guerrero was the scorer[4]) to seal their victory.[5]
The following year, the team travelled toYap to compete the first Micronesian Soccer Cup.[7] This was a three team tournament consisting of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia and an international team known as Crushers (or Crusaders according to other sources).[7] Their performance here was less successful than at the Micronesian Games the previous year. In their first game, they lost 7–0 to the Federated States of Micronesia.[7] It is not recorded whether they played their other group match against Crushers / Crusaders, but given that the final was contested between the Federated States of Micronesia and Crushers / Crusaders, it can be extrapolated that if the match did take place, the best result the Northern Mariana Islands could have achieved was a draw.
The country then entered something of a hiatus in footballing terms. The original governing body for football in the country, the Northern Mariana Islands Soccer Federation became defunct sometime between 2002 and 2003 and after that, no international competition took place until the current governing body, theNorthern Mariana Islands Football Association (NMIFA) was founded in 2005.[4] Around this time, reports indicate that there was no official men's football of any kind in the country. In 2006, discussions were held with the NMIFA concerning the establishment of an official men's league.[8] At the time it was hoped that the establishment of an official men's competition would provide the means by which players who could meet the citizenship and eligibility criteria to represent the country at future tournaments might become involved.[8] Under the auspices of the Northern Mariana Islands Soccer Federation, teams entered into tournaments such as the 1998 Micronesian Games included a number of foreign players working onSaipan as contractors. This was not uncommon in the area at this time and some other teams also included players of similar status. For the Northern Mariana Islands specifically, the only eligibility requirements players needed to fulfill was a two-year residency.[4]
In December 2006, theEast Asian Football Federation admitted the Northern Mariana Islands as a provisional member.[4] This membership entitled them to a $120,000 annual grant from the EAFF to further football development in the country.[9] The EAFF then granted full membership in September 2008.[10]
Following their acceptance as an associate member of the EAFF, their first participation in EAFF competition was in the2008 East Asian Football Championship Preliminary Round, a two legged tie againstGuam. The first leg, played in Saipan, resulted in a 3–2 loss for the Northern Mariana Islands[11]Mark McDonald twice equalized after Guam had taken the lead only forZachary Pangelinan to score the winning goal in the 72nd minute.[11] Nonetheless, the performance of the home team was positively received and was still remarked upon a year later.[12] Unfortunately the return leg inHagatna a week later produced a much more one-sided result as Guam were victorious 9–0, Pangelinan scoring five times and four other players scoring once[11] to ensure that Guam not only progressed to the next round of the EAFF competition but also that they were the winners of the inaugural Marianas Cup, a perpetual trophy contested each time the two nations play each other.[12]
The two teams met again the following year in Saipan and for the third time in a row, Guam were the victors.[13] Guam took the lead halfway through the first half throughDavid Manibusan, butJoe Wang Miller equalized four minutes later and the teams went into half time tied at 1–1.[13] Guam again took the lead in the 52nd minute through and own goal but the Northern Mariana Islands equalized with ten minutes left in normal time through Steven McKagen.[13] With the teams tied at the end of 90 minutes, two periods of extra time of seven and a half minutes were played and in the 95th minute,Matthew Cruz scored the deciding goal with Guam running out victors 3–2 and retaining the Marianas Cup.[13] Although there was disappointment in not winning, national newspapers commented that the performance was an improvement over the "shocking" 9–0 defeat in their previous encounter.[13]
Prior to their AFC membership being accepted, the team made the short trip toYona, Guam to compete in the preliminary round of the2010 East Asian Football Championship. This time, instead of the two-legged playoffs against Guam contested in the previous edition, the Northern Mariana Islands took part in a four team group, the winner of which would advance to the next round. The team was drawn against hosts Guam,Mongolia andMacau.[14] The team prepared for the tournament for several months prior to departing for Guam, although in that time, they were only able to train with new coachSugao Kambe for a month.[15] It was acknowledged by their coach prior to their departure that they would be the least experienced of the four teams competing at this stage[15] and this was to prove true as they lost all three of their games: 6–1 to Macau, 2–1 to Guam (a third successive Marianas Cup victory for Guam) and 4–1 to Mongolia.[14] The team returned home without a positive result, although it was noted in the national press that they had been able to score in each of their three games.[16]
In July 2009, the AFC Executive Committee agreed to accept the Northern Mariana Islands Football Association (NMIFA) as an associate member of theAsian Football Confederation,[17] after the association received permission for release from theOceania Football Confederation in June 2009, paving the way to join AFC.[18] It was the NMIFA which resigned from the OFC, despite it being the earlier governing body, the Northern Mariana Islands Soccer Federation which had become a member in the first place.[4]
On 19 June 2010, Northern Mariana Islands earned a 1–1 draw with neighbor Guam in the 2010 Marianas Cup.[4] The match ended in a draw as there was insufficient lighting to continue the match after the end of regulation.Joe Wang Miller scored for the NMI in the 68th minute andJason Cunliffe answered in the 89th minute to salvage a draw for Guam.
Despite the efforts of the NMIFA, delays in decision making around whether the2011 Pacific Games football tournament would double as aFIFA World Cup qualifying event meant that the national team were unable to enter.[19] As a result, no games were played for the next two years until July 2012 when The Blue Ayuyus entered the2013 EAFF East Asian Cup First Preliminary Round, hosted again by Guam.[20] New coachChikashi Suzuki was conscious of the need to snap the losing run of matches against Guam, had recognized that previous squads had contained a large number of veteran players and called up a number of younger players such asLucas Knecht and Bo Barry who were playing college and high school football respectively in the United States.[20] However, the team still included a wide age range of players,Enrico del Rosario andBrian Lee were the youngest at 15 withDan Westphal the oldest at 42.[21]
Optimism that the team might finally be able to beat Guam appeared well placed whenJoe Wang Miller opened the scoring for the Northern Mariana Islands, but two fouls from William Dunn allowed Guam to score through a penalty and a free kick before a handball fromKirk Schuler gifted Guam their third goal[22] confirming a fourth defeat out of five games against Guam.[4] Despite the result, the team expressed confidence that they would be able to beatMacau, the other team in the three team qualification group, who still had to play Guam, and potentially secure the single qualifying berth for the next round.[23] However, this confidence was to be misplaced. Macau took a 2–0 lead at half time, despite resolute defending from the Blue Ayuyus in the first twenty minutes, and although Kirk Schuler was able to halve the deficit in the 51st minute, Macau scored three more goals, including a penalty to eliminate the Northern Mariana Islands at the first hurdle for the third consecutive time.[24]
In 2013, the team played their first ever series of matches against opposition from outside the EAFF, taking part in the qualifying rounds for the2014 AFC Challenge Cup.[25] With the football federation founded only a year prior to the inaugural edition of the AFC Challenge Cup, the team not only had to acclimatize to the elevated environment in which they would be playing, they would also have to face some very strong teams in the shape ofPalestine,Bangladesh andNepal[25]
In their opening game against Nepal, they were dominated from the start, withBharat Khawas opening the scoring in the fourth minute and completing his hat trick in the 72nd, with three other Nepalese players completing a 6–0 rout.[26] In their second match they fared even worse, losing 9–0 to Palestine, the middle-eastern team scoring four times in the first half and five in the second.[27] Despite already being eliminated following their initial two defeats, the Blue Ayuyus defense performed well in their final game, despite losing 4–0 to Bangladesh, the team managed to keep the scoreline respectable with the result flattering Bangladesh as they scored two very late goals.[28]
2014 saw a return toEAFF Cup qualifying for the fourth time, drawn again in a qualifying group containing the weakest four nations in terms of ranking: Guam, Mongolia and Macau.[29] Following an initial 4–0 loss to Mongolia,[29] on 23 July 2014, the Northern Mariana Islands recorded their first ever international win in a match againstMacau.Nicolas Swaim andKirk Schuler scored to beat Macau, 2–1.[30] Following the historic victory, the Northern Mariana Islands Football Association held a celebratory dinner in honour of the team's victory.[31] Younger players commented to national media about how proud they were to be a part of the victory, while older players reflected on how their first matches consisted of a team of veteran players trying to achieve a respectable result and that the victory was the result of years of hard work behind the scenes.[31] Unfortunately, the team was not able to carry this momentum into their final game and again lost to Guam, this time 5–0.[29] They were again eliminated at the first hurdle.
No further international matches were played until the2017 EAFF East Asian Cup qualifying competition. During the send off to the competition,Ralph Torres, the Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands committed to the team that the government would provide a new pitch inKoblerville, the ground breaking for which it took place in October 2016.[32] The team was not able to repeat the comparative successes of the previous qualifying campaign however, losing all three games and being eliminated at the first stage again. the team lost their first match againstChinese Taipei 8–1, a result made all the more easy for their opponents once strikerJoe Wang Miller was sent off for a second yellow card in added time at the end of the first half.[33] A second loss followed against Macau, 3–1[34] before the campaign was rounded out with a third loss, 8–0, to Mongolia.[35] The team were not aided in their qualifying campaign by a pre-tournament training camp in the Philippines which saw a large number of the squad taken ill.[36] The team played three friendly matches against club sides. Prior to their second match, five of the squad were in hospital and a further five or six were recovering from a bacterial infection that had struck the squad.[36] Nonetheless, they fulfilled all three matches. The results of the first two were not released, but the final match was a 5–1 loss toKaya.[36]
On 9 December 2020 during the 30th AFC Congress, theNorthern Mariana Islands Football Association (NMIFA) became the 47th full AFC member association.[37] FIFA Head of Member Association (MA) Governance, Rolf Tanner, announced at the 11th Northern Mariana Islands Football Association Ordinary Congress on 29 October 2021 that the global football governing organization received the islands' application for membership.[38]
Northern Mariana Islands would then have competed in their first-ever2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification playoff round,[39] but the AFC excluded them from the draw.[40]
The Northern Mariana Islands competed infootball at the Pacific Games for the first time in the2023 edition of the tournament. The team was drawn into Group C along withTahiti andFiji. These matches would be the first time ever competing againstPacific island nations that are members of theOceania Football Confederation.[41] On 27 November 2023, Northern Mariana Islands records their second victory against FIFA-Affiliated team by winning 4-0 againstAmerican Samoa. The result was also the team's first-ever victory in the Pacific Games. CaptainJireh Yobech scored the team's first-ever goal in the regional tournament.[42]
The Northern Mariana Islands play their home matches at the Oleai Sports Complex, a multi-usestadium inSaipan. It is currently used mostly forfootball matches and has a capacity of 2,000 people.[43][44] The surface is grass with an athletics track around the perimeter.[44][45]
The Northern Mariana Islands current home kit is all sky blue shirts, shorts and socks, with a white pattern on the shirt.[46] Their away kit is the mirror image of this, all white shirts, shorts and socks with the pattern on the shirt in sky blue.[47]
The Northern Mariana Islands men's national football team shares the same logo as theNorthern Mariana Islands Football Association. The logo consists of three elements in addition to the name of the federation. In the background is aLatte stone, apillar (Chamorro language:haligi) capped by ahemispherical stonecapital (tasa) with the flat side facing up. Used as building supports by the ancientChamorro people, they are found throughout most of theMariana Islands. In modern times, the latte stone is seen as a sign of Chamorro identity and is used in many different contexts.[53] Overlaid on this is a football and overlaid again on this is a two-tone wave mirroring the colours of thenational flag.
The team is nicknamed the "Blue Ayuyu".[36] The Ayuyu is the name given in theMariana Islands to theCoconut crab,[54] also known as the Robber crab.[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
v Guam| December 21Friendly | Northern Mariana Islands | 1–2 | Guam | Koblerville, Northern Mariana Islands |
| Report |
| Stadium:NMI Soccer Training Center |
v Guam| December 22Friendly | Northern Mariana Islands | 0–8 | Guam | Koblerville, Northern Mariana Islands |
| Report |
| Stadium:NMI Soccer Training Center |
| Head coach | Dates | Pld | W | D | L | Win % | Competitions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stefan Bossler | 1998–1999 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 071.4 | 1998 Micronesian Games 1999 Micronesian Cup |
 Jeff Korytoski | 2007 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 000.0 | 2008 East Asian Football Championship |
| Nicolas Swaim | 2008 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 000.0 | Marianas Cup |
 Sugao Kambe | 2009 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 000.0 | 2010 East Asian Football Championship |
| Nicolas Swaim | 2010 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 000.0 | Marianas Cup |
| Chikashi Suzuki | 2012 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 000.0 | 2013 EAFF East Asian Cup |
 Koo Luam Khen | 2013 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 000.0 | 2014 AFC Challenge Cup |
| Kiyoshi Sekiguchi | 2014–2017 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 016.7 | 2015 EAFF East Asian Cup 2017 EAFF East Asian Cup |
| Michiteru Mita | 2017–2023 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 011.1 | 2019 EAFF E-1 Football Championship |
| Konomo Suzuki | 2024 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 050.0 | |
| Atsushi Hanita | 2024- | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 000.0 |
The following players were called up for the friendlies against guam on April, 2024.[57]
Caps and goals are correct as of 7 April 2024, after the match againstGuam.
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1GK | Christopher Aninzo | (2000-01-06)6 January 2000 (age 25) | 6 | 0 | MP United |
| 12 | 1GK | John Bucayo | (2001-03-10)10 March 2001 (age 24) | 1 | 0 | MP United |
| 22 | 1GK | Toves Merrick | (2004-12-01)1 December 2004 (age 20) | 4 | 0 | Kanoa |
| 2 | 2DF | Kohtaro Goto | (2004-05-23)23 May 2004 (age 21) | 2 | 0 | Park University |
| 3 | 2DF | Jerald Aquino | (2004-10-25)25 October 2004 (age 21) | 5 | 0 |  Tuloy |
| 4 | 2DF | Ocanada Ronnel | (2001-02-26)26 February 2001 (age 24) | 6 | 0 | MP United |
| 5 | 2DF | Jehn Joyner | (1997-10-09)9 October 1997 (age 28) | 10 | 0 | Bank of Guam Strykers |
| 6 | 2DF | Lucas Knecht | (1993-03-30)30 March 1993 (age 32) | 11 | 0 | Georgia Southwestern State University |
| 14 | 2DF | Enrico del Rosario | (1997-03-21)21 March 1997 (age 28) | 6 | 0 | Northern Kentucky Nitro |
| 16 | 2DF | Dai Podziewski | (2001-08-31)31 August 2001 (age 24) | 2 | 0 | Suffolk University |
| 20 | 2DF | Euly Ermitanio | (2000-03-30)30 March 2000 (age 25) | 3 | 0 | University of Guam |
| 21 | 2DF | Jeremiah Diaz | (2004-01-12)12 January 2004 (age 21) | 1 | 0 | Park University |
| 7 | 3MF | Anthony Fruit | (2001-01-10)10 January 2001 (age 24) | 2 | 0 |  SG Aumund-Vegesack |
| 8 | 3MF | Michael Barry | (1995-11-10)10 November 1995 (age 30) | 10 | 0 | Saint Leo University |
| 10 | 3MF | Ryu Tanzawa | (1998-03-04)4 March 1998 (age 27) | 3 | 0 | Paire |
| 13 | 3MF | Jireh Yobech | (1996-07-08)8 July 1996 (age 29) | 12 | 1 | Inter Godfather's |
| 17 | 3MF | Ariel Narvaez Jr. | (2005-09-24)24 September 2005 (age 20) | 5 | 1 | Eleven Tiger |
| 18 | 3MF | Dev Bachani | (2005-05-04)4 May 2005 (age 20) | 6 | 0 | Tuloy |
| 25 | 3MF | Markus Toves | (2007-05-27)27 May 2007 (age 18) | 6 | 2 | Kanoa |
| 9 | 4FW | Nolan Ngewakl | (2008-07-08)8 July 2008 (age 17) | 4 | 1 | Latte |
| 11 | 4FW | Taka Borja | (2003-11-20)20 November 2003 (age 22) | 2 | 1 | Teen Ayuyu |
| 15 | 4FW | Sunjoon Tenorio | (2001-05-20)20 May 2001 (age 24) | 3 | 1 | Warner Pacific Knights |
| 19 | 4FW | Michah Griffin | (1997-10-26)26 October 1997 (age 28) | 3 | 1 | MP United |
| 26 | 4FW | Ruben Guerrero | unknown | 4 | 2 | Kanoa |
| 23 | 4FW | Richard Steele | (2004-03-30)30 March 2004 (age 21) | 1 | 0 | Park–Gilbert Buccaneers |
| 24 | 4FW | Joe Wang Miller | (1989-02-03)3 February 1989 (age 36) | 17 | 4 | Guam Shipyard |
| Rank | Player | Caps | Goals | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nicolas Swaim | 17 | 2 | 2009–2018 |
| 2 | Joe Wang Miller | 15 | 4 | 2008–2016 |
| 3 | Jireh Yobech | 14 | 1 | 2012–present |
| 4 | Lucas Knecht | 11 | 0 | 2007–2014 |
| 5 | Michael Barry | 10 | 0 | 2012–2018 |
| Trey Dunn | 10 | 0 | 2012–2016 | |
| Joel Fruit | 10 | 0 | 2012–2018 | |
| Jehn Joyner | 10 | 0 | 2013–2018 | |
| Steven McKagen | 10 | 1 | 2009–2013 | |
| 10 | Peter Loken | 9 | 1 | 2009–2016 |
| Johann Neutzel | 9 | 0 | 2012–2016 | |
| Jonathan Takano | 9 | 0 | 2014–2020 | |
| Kirk Schuler | 9 | 3 | 2010–2016 |
| Rank | Player | Goals | Caps | Ratio | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joe Wang Miller | 4 | 15 | 0.27 | 2009–2016 |
| 2 | Kirk Schuler | 3 | 9 | 0.33 | 2010–2016 |
| 3 | Mark McDonald | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2007 |
| Ruben Guerrero | 2 | 4 | 0.5 | 2023–present | |
| Nicolas Swaim | 2 | 17 | 0.12 | 2009–2018 |
Statistically, the Northern Mariana Islands have given senior international debuts in competitive matches to a larger number of very young players, those under 16 years of age, and more caps to veteran players, those over the age of forty, than any other nation.[58]
Of the nine players globally who have made their international debuts before their fifteenth birthdays, three of them are from the Northern Mariana Islands. Both Joel Fruit andKennedy Izuka made their international debuts in the 8–0 friendly loss to Guam in 2012. Izuka was aged 14 years and 242 days and is the seventh youngest debutant in history, while Fruit was the younger at 14 years and 177 days, the fourth youngest player recorded.[58] However,Lucas Knecht featured for the Northern Mariana Islands Football Association on 1 April 2007 in an East Asian Football Federation Championship Qualifier, again versus Guam. Knecht was 14 years and 2 days old at the time making him the youngest male player to ever appear in an international match, 91 days younger than the previous record holder,Myanmar playerAung Kyaw Tun.[58] In addition to the three fourteen year old debutants, three other players:Enrico del Rosario, Jehn Joyner and Scott Kim all made their debut prior to their sixteenth birthdays.[58]
| Name | Age | Birth date | Debut date | Competition | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lucas Knecht | 14 years and 2 days | 30 March 1993 | 1 April 2007 | 2008 EAFF Championship / Marianas Cup | Guam | 0–9 |
| Joel Fruit | 14 years and 177 days | 31 March 1998 | 24 November 2012 | Friendly | Guam | 0–8 |
| Kennedy Izuka | 14 years and 242 days | 27 March 1998 | 24 November 2012 | Friendly | Guam | 0–8 |
| Enrico del Rosario | 15 years and 119 days | 21 March 1997 | 18 July 2012 | 2013 EAFF East Asian Cup | Guam | 1–3 |
| Jehn Joyner | 15 years and 144 days | 9 October 1997 | 2 March 2013 | 2014 AFC Challenge Cup |  Nepal | 0–6 |
| Scott Kim | 15 years and 155 days | 22 June 1997 | 24 November 2012 | Friendly | Guam | 0–8 |
Note: It is possible that Michael Barry may also have made a senior international appearance in the teams 1–1 Marianas Cup match against Guam in 2010 aged 14 years and 251 days, which would make him the eighth youngest debutant in history. However, although it is known that he was named in the match squad, it is not known whether he actually played in the game.[58]
In addition to being the national team to have given the most senior team debuts to under sixteen players, they are also the team to have given the most international caps to players aged over 40, of the 88 players confirmed to have played an international football match after their fortieth birthdays, 11 of them are from the Northern Mariana Islands. Of these playersWesley Bogdan is the nation's current oldest player when he made his first senior international appearance in 2007 EAFF Championship qualifying match against Guam aged 48 years and 243 days.[58] Only two players have made international appearances at an older age:Greek midfielderGiorgos Koudas, who played in a 2–0 defeat toYugoslavia in 1995 aged 48 years and 301 days and Barrie Dewsbury, who played inSark's 16–0 loss toGreenland at the2003 Island Games aged 52 years and 11 days.[58]
| Name | Age | Birth date | Appearance date | Competition | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wesley Bogdan | 48 years and 243 days | 1 August 1958 | 1 April 2007 | 2008 EAFF Championship / Marianas Cup | Guam | 0–9 |
| Vince Stravino | 43 years and 320 days | 16 May 1963 | 1 April 2007 | 2008 EAFF Championship / Marianas Cup | Guam | 0–9 |
| David Dueñas | 43 years and 94 days | 11 December 1965 | 15 March 2009 | 2010 EAFF Championship |  Mongolia | 1–4 |
| Daniel Westphal | 42 years and 355 days | 5 April 1970 | 6 March 2013 | 2014 AFC Challenge Cup |  Bangladesh | 0–4 |
| Bruce Berline | 42 years and 176 days | 7 October 1964 | 1 April 2007 | 2008 EAFF Championship / Marianas Cup | Guam | 0–9 |
| Dale Roberts | 42 years and 144 days | 22 October 1966 | 15 March 2009 | 2010 EAFF Championship | Mongolia | 1–4 |
| Christopher Guerrero | 41 years and 301 days | 1 July 1966 | 27 April 2008 | 2008 EAFF Championship / Marianas Cup | Guam | 2–3 |
| José Dueñas | 41 years and 207 days | 20 August 1967 | 15 March 2009 | 2010 EAFF Championship | Mongolia | 1–4 |
| Mike Hall | 41 years and 106 days | 16 December 1965 | 1 April 2007 | 2008 EAFF Championship / Marianas Cup | Guam | 0–9 |
| Greg Elliott | 40 years and 247 days | 15 October 1969 | 19 June 2010 | Marianas Cup | Guam | 1–1 |
| Tyce Mister | 40 years and 15 days | 10 March 1967 | 25 March 2007 | Marianas Cup | Guam | 2–3 |
The Northern Mariana Islands have only entered three formal international competitions, theAFC Challenge Cup, theEAFF East Asian Championship and theMicronesian Games. As non-FIFA members seeking admission, they are not yet entitled to enter theFIFA World Cup. The Marianas Cup is not noted as a separate competition in this section as it is the name given to a perennial trophy contested each time the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam meet.
The team were eligible to enter theAFC Asian Cup through the AFC Challenge Cup from 2011. However, they did not enter the2010 AFC Challenge Cup so they did not qualify. In failing to qualify for the2014 AFC Challenge Cup, they also failed to qualify for the2015 AFC Asian Cup.
| AFC Asian Cup | AFC Asian Cup qualification | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GS | GA | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | |
 1956 | Not a member of the AFC | Not a member of the AFC | |||||||||||||
 1960 | |||||||||||||||
 1964 | |||||||||||||||
 1968 | |||||||||||||||
 1972 | |||||||||||||||
| 1976 | |||||||||||||||
 1980 | |||||||||||||||
 1984 | |||||||||||||||
 1988 | |||||||||||||||
| 1992 | |||||||||||||||
 1996 | |||||||||||||||
 2000 | |||||||||||||||
 2004 | |||||||||||||||
  2007 | |||||||||||||||
| 2011 | Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||
 2015 | Did not qualify | AFC Challenge Cup | |||||||||||||
| 2019 | Did not enter** | Did not enter** | |||||||||||||
| 2023 | |||||||||||||||
 2027 | Excluded | Excluded | |||||||||||||
| Total | — | 0/18 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
**: As the first two rounds ofqualifying for the 2019 and2023 AFC Asian Cups were also the first two rounds of qualifying for the2018 and2022 FIFA World Cups, the Northern Mariana Islands were ineligible. Starting with thequalifying playoff round of the 2027 Asian Cup, they are allowed to qualify for the Asian Cup only.
Having been accepted as an associate member in 2009, the Blue Ayuyus attempted to qualify for the AFC Challenge Cup once, in 2013. They were unsuccessful in qualification, losing all three matches without scoring a goal. The AFC Challenge Cup was discontinued by the AFC, with all nations now entering qualifying for the Asian Cup due to the expansion of the Asian Cup to the 24-nation format from the 16-nation one after the 2015 edition.[59][60]
| AFC Challenge Cup | Qualification record | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GS | GA | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | |
| 2006 | Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||
 2008 | |||||||||||||||
 2010 | |||||||||||||||
| 2012 | |||||||||||||||
 2014 | Did not qualify | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 19 | ||||||||
| Total | — | 0/5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 19 | |
TheEAFF E-1 Football Championship is the primary source of competitive football for the Northern Mariana Islands since they reemerged onto the international scene and were accepted as a member of the EAFF. They have attempted to qualify for each edition of the EAFF E-1 Championship since they were admitted to the federation, each time without success.
| East Asian Football Championship Finals | Preliminary competition | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | ||
| East Asian Football Championship | ||||||||||||||||
| 2003 | Not a member of the EAFF | Not a member of the EAFF | ||||||||||||||
| 2005 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2008 | Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 12 | |||||||||
| 2010 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 12 | ||||||||||
| EAFF East Asian Cup | ||||||||||||||||
| 2013 | Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 8 | |||||||||
| 2015 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 10 | ||||||||||
| EAFF E-1 Football Championship | ||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | Did not qualify | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 19 | |||||||||
| 2019 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 14 | ||||||||||
| 2022 | Did not participate | Not held | ||||||||||||||
| 2025 | Did not participate | Did not participate | ||||||||||||||
| Total | — | 0/8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 12 | 75 | ||
Micronesia made their international debut at the1998 Micronesia Games, though the tournament was not a formal part of the games, merely an exhibition. The formal name of the football tournament was the W.C.T.C. Shell Soccer Exhibition. The team were successful, winning the tournament, but have not entered since, although football has only sporadically been included in the games program.
| Micronesian Games record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GS | GA |
| 1998 | Champions | 1st | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 43 | 5 |
 2014 | Did not enter | |||||||
| 2018 | ||||||||
 2024 | No football tournament | |||||||
 2026 | To be determined | |||||||
| Total | 1 Title | 1/4 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 43 | 5 |
| Micronesian Cup record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA |
 1999 | Third place | 3rd | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| Total | Runners-up | 1/1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| Marianas Cup record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA |
| 2007 | Runners-up | 2nd | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 12 |
| 2008 | Runners-up | 2nd | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 2010 | Champions | 1st | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2012 | Runners-up | 2nd | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 |
Remembering that only the tournaments that the senior national teams participated are counted.
The Northern Mariana Islands, although a member of theEast Asian Football Federation are not members of FIFA and so are not ranked. Additionally, although full members of the AFC, they have yet to be included on their ranking list of member associations.
The islands have been seeking FIFA membership since October 2021.[38]
 | This graph was using thelegacy Graph extension, which is no longer supported. It needs to be converted to thenew Chart extension. |
The team has steadily fallen down the Elo ratings since their first official game against international opposition versus Guam in the 1998 Micronesian Games, from a starting point of 214 to their current position of 238.[61] This is in part due to performance that has seen them gain only one win and one draw since their reemergence on the international scene in 2007 and part due to the fact that they have always been at or near the bottom of the rankings in a period where a number of new competing nations have emerged. Currently their ranking of 238 confirms their status as one of the world's worst senior international football teams.[62] They are ranked directly below their fellow non-FIFA teams ofKiribati andTibet but abovePalau, though this is perhaps somewhat skewed by the fact that all three of these teams are essentially in hibernation having not competed internationally for a number of years.[62] The nearest FIFA affiliated team to them isEastern (American) Samoa, who are ranked 237th.[62]
Up to matches played on 22 December 2024.
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | WPCT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Samoa | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 100.00 |
| Bangladesh | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | −4 | 0.00 |
 Chinese Taipei | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | −7 | 0.00 |
| Fiji | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | −10 | 0.00 |
| Guam | 17 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 19 | 58 | −39 | 11.76 |
 Macau | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 16 | −10 | 20.00 |
| Micronesia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | −7 | 0.00 |
| Mongolia | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 25 | −24 | 0.00 |
| Nepal | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | −6 | 0.00 |
| Palau | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 | +11 | 100.00 |
 Palestine | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | −9 | 0.00 |
| Pohnpei | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 2 | +9 | 100.00 |
 Tahiti | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | −5 | 0.00 |
 Tuvalu | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 0.00 |
| Yap | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | +8 | 100.00 |
| Total | 38 | 7 | 3 | 28 | 63 | 155 | −92 | 18.42 |
Gold medal (1): 1998| National teams | |
|---|---|
| League system | |
