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Marshall Islands national soccer team

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Marshall Islands
Shirt badge/Association crest
AssociationMarshall Islands Soccer Federation (MISF)
ConfederationNone
Home stadiumMajuro Track and Field Stadium
FIFA codeMHL
First colours

The Marshall Islands national football team represents the Pacific island nation of the Marshall Islands in senior men's international football and is controlled by the Marshall Islands Soccer Federation. It hopes to become a member of the OFC and FIFA in the "coming years" and compete in official competitions of the organizations.[1] In an October 2023 interview with the Associated Press, Technical Director Lloyd Owers stated that the association was keeping all options open, including joining the Asian Football Confederation.[2]

History

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Prior to 2020, Marshall Islands Soccer Federation described themselves as the last country in the world without a national football team and one of the few sovereign nations globally to not be a member of FIFA and/or a regional governing body. The nation had virtually no soccer history, with sports such as baseball and basketball being played on the islands because of the nation's close ties to the United States.[3]

The Marshall Islands Soccer Federation was then founded on 31 December 2020.[4] In December the following year, the organization hired its first-ever Technical Director, British UEFA-licensed coach Lloyd Owers making the 13,000km journey to the country for the first time in the summer of 2023. Owers would be responsible for creating the soccer structure for the nation from youth programs to the senior national team.[5]

Shortly thereafter it was announced that the Marshall Islands may field its first-ever national team at the 2023 Micronesian Games for which the country would be host.[6] In January 2023, it was announced that, as one of several large soccer initiatives on the islands, it was the federation's goal to play its first match against another nation by 2024.[7] In March 2023, MISF President Shev Livai stated that there would be no football tournament at the 2023 Micronesian Games. The federation investigated the possibility of having football as part of the games but hotels on the islands were already fully booked.[8] Livai later admitted that the 2027 Pacific Games would be a more realistic possibility for a competitive national team debut.[9]

In January 2024, the Marshall Islands held its first meet-up of players that would comprise the spine of the national team setup as the nation prepared to play its first-ever match sometime later in the year.[10] On 14 March 2024, the Nauru Soccer Federation announced plans to organize a new subregional Micronesia Football Federation and hold a tournament for Micronesian islands to be played in summer 2025. Kiribati, Micronesia, Palau, Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands planned to participate, in addition to Nauru.[11]

Team image

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Kit

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From 3 March to 18 March 2023, the MISF ran a competition to determine a design for the team's first-ever kit. Over 150 designs were submitted from around the world.[12][unreliable source?] The federation than announced the four finalists the following month.[13][unreliable source?] The winning design was announced on 19 September 2023, and was created by Micael Altarimano from Argentina. Marshall Islands has since revealed its first football shirt, signing a kit deal with PlayerLayer, who make Forest Green Rovers apparel which in hopes that the Marshallese players will wear during their inaugural match by July or August 2024. It was immediately available for purchase in the federation's online store.[14][unreliable source?] The kits are produced from recycled plastic in hopes of raising awareness of climate change.[15]

Stadium

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The national stadium of the Marshall Islands is the Majuro Track and Field Stadium in the capital, Majuro. Originally built as a venue for the 2023 Micronesian Games, it has become the home stadium of the nation and is a vital piece of infrastructure for the association's plans to join the Oceania Football Confederation and FIFA.[16][17]

Players

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With a population of 60,000, the Marshall Islands has a small population from which to draw. However, an additional 20,000 to 30,000 Marshallese citizens live in United States, predominantly in Hawaii and Arkansas. The soccer federation has stated that ideally the team's foundation would be players based in the Marshall Islands and supplemented by members of the diaspora.[15] By September 2023, the MISF had hired Pat McStay as Head of US Recruitment. His job would be to ensure that anyone of Marshallese descent in the United States had a local contact. He also aimed to hold identification camps at locations around the country in 2024.[18]

References

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  1. ^ Poole, Harry (October 10, 2023). "Marshall Islands: The last country on Earth without a national football team". BBC Sport. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  2. ^ Carbine, Melanie (October 30, 2023). "Coach hired, team still required: Soccer's status in the Marshall Islands is a work in progress". Associated Press. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  3. ^ Rogers, Martin (July 16, 2018). "Marshall Islands rare nation untouched by soccer's sprawling reach". USA Today. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
  4. ^ Whitehead, Jacob (November 12, 2021). "The Marshall Islands: The last country on Earth without a football team". The Athletic. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  5. ^ Bjerkevoll, Ole (December 23, 2022). "Marshall Islands hire first ever technical director". Football in Oceania. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  6. ^ Ewart, Richard (February 27, 2020). "Small beginnings as Marshall Islands sets out to join the world soccer family". ABC. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
  7. ^ Webb, Matt. "Bringing football to the Marshall Islands". Marshall Islands Soccer Federation. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  8. ^ Hamilton, Tom (March 27, 2023). "The Marshall Islands are trying to build a soccer team, but their dreams extend far beyond sport". ESPN. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  9. ^ Fennell, Jordan; Ewart, Richard (March 22, 2023). "World media's romantic vision masks reality of task ahead for Marshall Islands Soccer Federation". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  10. ^ Walley, Justin. "The first ever Marshall Islands Soccer Federation national team meet up". Twitter (X). Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  11. ^ Bjerkevoll, Ola (March 14, 2024). "Nauru appoint former Premier League player". Football in Oceania. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  12. ^ Nugraha, Dewa. "Historic-Marshall Islands Launch Competition for Nation's First-Ever Football Kit". footyheadlines.com. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  13. ^ "First-Ever Kit of Nation-4 Marshall Islands 2023 Home Kit Finalists Announced - Vote Now". footyheadlines.com. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  14. ^ "First-Ever Marshall Islands Kit Released". footyheadlines.com. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  15. ^ a b Whitehead, Jacob. "Marshall Islands revisited: The Englishmen taking football to the last country on Earth without a team". The Athletic. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  16. ^ Long, Dan (January 12, 2023). "Marshall Islands: Lloyd Owers appointed technical director of last country without a national football team". Sky Sports. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
  17. ^ TFC (July 25, 2022). "Future Marshall Islands Stadium". TFC Stadiums. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
  18. ^ Carbine, Melanie (September 13, 2023). "New Majuro Sports Team Raises Interest in Soccer for Marshallese Worldwide". Chikin Melele: Marshallese News from Arkansas. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
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