| Association | Nauru Soccer Federation (NSF) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Confederation | N/A | ||
| Head coach | Charlie Pomroy | ||
| Home stadium | New Nauru Stadium | ||
| FIFA code | NRU | ||
| |||
TheNauru national soccer team is a proposednational team to represent thePacific island nation ofNauru insoccer. It is under the auspices of theNauru Soccer Federation which is not a member of theOFC andFIFA.[1]
Currently under construction for the2026 Micronesian Games, Nauru'snational stadium will be theNew Nauru Stadium in theMeneng District’s interior plateau, also known asTopside. Previously, the home ofsoccer in Nauru was theDenig Stadium.[2][3]
The Nauru Soccer Federation had reportedly applied for membership in both theOFC andFIFA but was denied, presumably because of a lack of infrastructure and league system.[4] In 2009 the Nauruan Minister of Sport Rayong Itsimaera indicated that the island nation desired to become a member of FIFA and the OFC and the organizations wanted to accept them, but reiterated that there were challenges preventing Nauru from joining both bodies.[5]
Previously, Nauru had never played any official international matches. However, a Nauruan representative team had played twice,[6] including a 2–1 victory overphosphate miners representing theSolomon Islands in 1994.[7] The second match featured a Nauru selection playing refugees from theNauru Regional Processing Centre at theDenig Stadium in 2014 in recognition ofWorld Refugee Day.[8][9]
After a long hiatus, the Nauru Soccer Association was relaunched in 2018. In 2020, the association’s vice-president, Kaz Cain, announced that Nauru was considering creating its first-ever official national side for a tournament inHawaii in 2021.[10] After issues caused by theCOVID-19 pandemic, the association was relaunched in 2023 as the Nauru Soccer Federation under theNauru Olympic Committee umbrella. The federation intended to build a grassroots soccer culture on the island and field its first-ever official national team.[1]
In December 2023, EnglishmanCharlie Pomroy was appointed by Head of Nauru Soccer Federation Gareth Johnson as Nauru’s first-ever national team head coach.
Nauru's goal was to join the likes of theFederated States of Micronesia and theMarshall Islands in increasing participation in the sport in their countries.[11] Joining Pomroy in Nauru's project werePaul Watson and acting NSA president, local Kaz Cain. The team’s first jersey was also expected to be available to the public sometime in 2024.[12][13] Johnson stated: "If we do not play at least one match in a Nauru kit I will see 2024 as a failure."[14][15]
In March 2024, the Nauru Soccer Federation announced that they had signed a deal with Stingz Sportswear, who had just designed and manufactured kits for Micronesia, to produce the Nauru jersey.Hong Kong-basedGiordano International had also joined the project as the team's main sponsor, providing funding for the team's kits and matchday apparel. The kit design was expected to be announced in the weeks following the announcement, as Stingz and the NSF were finalizing a new logo for the federation.[16]
Later that month, the association announced that it was in discussions with theFootball Federation American Samoa to travel to the territory to face theAmerican Samoa national team as part of a smallfriendly tournament.[17] In addition to shirt sales, the federation planned to document the team's journey with a film similar to American Samoa's ownNext Goal Wins. With enough funding, the team could afford to bring in players of Nauruan heritage fromAustralia to supplement the squad.[18] On 14 March 2024, former Premier League strikerDave Kitson was announced as Nauru's first ever national team manager, in addition to a role as international ambassador.[19]
After plans to play American Samoa were scrapped, discussions began withReading XL FC about the team traveling to Nauru to be the nation's first opponent. TheUnited Kingdom-based club was founded to improve the players' physical fitness.[20] Reading XL FC then began fundraising for the trip with a goal of £50,000. In addition to setting up aGoFundMe, the club pursued other options, including a corporate sponsor and a documentary deal with a large television network.[21]
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Team manager |  Dave Kitson |
| Head coach | Charlie Pomroy |
Charlie Pomroy (2023–present)
