The Belize national football team represents Belize in international football and is controlled by the Football Federation of Belize, a member of the Central American Football Union of CONCACAF.
 | |||
| Nickname(s) | The Jaguars The Unbelizeables | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Football Federation of Belize (FFB) | ||
| Confederation | CONCACAF (North America) | ||
| Sub-confederation | UNCAF (Central America) | ||
| Head coach | Carlos Slusher | ||
| Captain | Charles Tillett | ||
| Most caps | Deon McCaulay (63) | ||
| Top scorer | Deon McCaulay (28) | ||
| Home stadium | FFB Stadium | ||
| FIFA code | BLZ | ||
| |||
| FIFA ranking | |||
| Current | 179  3 (24 October 2024)[1] | ||
| Highest | 114 (April–June 2016) | ||
| Lowest | 201 (November 2007 – January 2008) | ||
| First international | |||
 British Honduras 1–0 Honduras  (British Honduras; 19 February 1928) as Belize  El Salvador 3–0 Belize  (San Salvador, El Salvador; 29 November 1995) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
Belize 7–1 Nicaragua  (Belize City, Belize; 17 April 2002) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
 Costa Rica 7–0 Belize (San José, Costa Rica; 17 March 1999)  Mexico 7–0 Belize (Monterrey, Mexico; 21 June 2008) | |||
| Gold Cup | |||
| Appearances | 1 (first in 2013) | ||
| Best result | Group stage (2013) | ||
Although Belize has never qualified for a FIFA World Cup tournament, it has once qualified for a CONCACAF Gold Cup championship in 2013, in which they were eliminated in the group stage. Belize has also competed in the sub-regional Central American Cup championship in which their best result was fourth place in 2013. The nickname for the players of the national team is the "Jaguars".
History
editOverview
editNamed British Honduras whilst under British colonial rule, the country's first international game came on February 19, 1928, beating Honduras 1–0. Following independence, Belize's first game came on December 8, 1983, in a 2–0 loss against Canada in Belize.[3] Although Belize gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1981 (and many of the UK's current colonies have international teams), Belize did not begin to regularly play international football until 1995. It made its debut at the 1995 UNCAF Nations Cup and was eliminated in the first round after losing to El Salvador and Costa Rica.
Belize has never qualified for the World Cup but finished fourth in the 2013 Copa Centroamericana. Their fourth-place finish in the 2013 Copa Centroamericana gave Belize its first qualification to a major international competition, that being the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
June 2011 suspension by FIFA
editOn June 15, 2011, Belize kicked off its 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign against minnows Montserrat, winning 2–5 away in a match played in the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva, Trinidad. However, the return which was scheduled for June 19 was postponed by FIFA when they suspended the FFB due to governmental interference.[4]
Team image
editIn February 2023 the Football Federation of Belize unveiled a new logo that would represent Belize’s national teams. Created by Rolando Ramirez, the new logo prominently features a Jaguar, the nickname of the team. The FFB hoped that the new image would promote unity and pride in the Belize football community.[5]
Rivalries
editThe Belizean footballers often say that their rivals is the Guatemalan national team
Stadium
editFFB Stadium in Belmopan is the home stadium for the Belize national football team. Prior to this stadium, Belize had no facilities that met FIFA specifications. Apart from this Belize has many fields to play on but with no facilities for the players.
Results and fixtures
editThe 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
2023
edit| 17 November 2023–24 Nations League | Belize | 1–0 | | Belmopan, Belize |
| 20:00 UTC−6 |
|
Report | Stadium: FFB Stadium Referee: Jefferson Escobar (Honduras) |
| 21 November 2023–24 Nations League | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 3–0 | | St. George's, Grenada |
| 15:00 UTC−4 | Report | Stadium: Kirani James Athletic Stadium Referee: Kimbell Ward (St. Kitts and Nevis) |
2024
edit| 21 March Friendly | Belize | 1–1 | | Belmopan, Belize |
| 19:30 UTC−6 |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: FFB Stadium |
| 24 March Friendly | Belize | 3–0 | | Belmopan, Belize |
| 18:00 UTC−6 | Report | Stadium: FFB Stadium |
| 8 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification | Belize | 0–4 | | Belmopan, Belize |
| 20:00 UTC−6 | Report | Stadium: FFB Field Referee: Bryan López (Guatemala) |
| 11 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification | Guyana | 3–1 | | Wildey, Barbados |
| 18:00 UTC−4 | Report |
|
Stadium: Wildey Turf Referee: Reon Radix (Grenada) |
| 7 September 2024–25 CONCACAF Nations League | Turks and Caicos Islands | 0–4 | | Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands |
| 15:00 UTC−4 | Report | Stadium: TCIFA National Academy Referee: Cleon Culley (Barbados) |
| 10 September 2024–25 CONCACAF Nations League | Belize | 1–0 | | Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands |
| 15:00 UTC−4 | Polanco |
Report | Stadium: TCIFA National Academy Referee: Steffon Dewar (Jamaica) |
| 9 October 2024–25 CONCACAF Nations League | Anguilla | 0–1 | | Belmopan, Belize |
| 20:00 UTC−6 | Report |
|
Stadium: FFB Stadium Attendance: 522 Referee: Ray Torres (Puerto Rico) |
| 15 October 2024–25 CONCACAF Nations League | Belize | 3–0 | | Belmopan, Belize |
| 20:00 UTC−6 | Report | Stadium: FFB Stadium Referee: Victor Rivas (United States) |
| 14 November 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup qualification play-in | Belize | v | | Belmopan, Belize |
| 19:00 UTC−6 | Report | Stadium: FFB Stadium |
| 19 November 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup qualification play-in | French Guiana | v | | Paramaribo, Suriname |
| 20:00 UTC−3 | Stadium: Dr. Ir. Franklin Essed Stadion |
2025
editCoaching staff
edit| Name | Nat | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Carlos Slusher | Head coach | |
| Horace Arboleda | Technical director | |
| Jack Striders | Technical director | |
| Peter Jones | Assistant Head coach | |
| Kent Gabourel Sr. | Goalkeeping coach | |
| Shaun Woodmac | Physical Trainer | |
| Thomas Rivars | Physiotherapist |
Coaching history
editSince the creation of the national team in 1995, several coaches have been in charge of managing Belize. From 1995 to 1996, Winston Michael was appointed as Belize's first ever manager. As of January 2012[update], the Belize national football team has had 11 managers.
| Manager | Period in charge | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995–1996 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0.0 | |
| 1999–2000 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0.0 | |
| 2001 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 60.0 | |
| 2003 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | |
| 2003–2006 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0.0 | |
| 2006–2007 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.0 | |
| 2008 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50.0 | |
| 2008 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0.0 | |
| 2008–2009 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0.0 | |
| 2010–2012 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 28.6 | |
| 2012–2013 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 20.0 | |
| 2013 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | |
| 2013–2014 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0.0 | |
| 2014–2015 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.0 | |
| 2015–2016 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 50.0 | |
| 2016–2018 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0.0 | |
| 2018–2019 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 50.0 | |
| 2019–2020 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 33.3 | |
| 2020–2021 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 33.3 | |
| 2022–2024 | 17 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 17.6 | |
| 2024-Present | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 100.0 |
Players
editCurrent squad
editThe following players were called up for the 2024–25 CONCACAF Nations League C matches against Anguilla and Turks and Caicos Islands on 12 and 15 October 2024.[6]
Caps and goals correct as of 15 October 2024, after the match against Turks and Caicos Islands.
Recent call-ups
editThe following players have been called up within the past 12 months.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Woodrow West | 19 September 1985 | 46 | 0 | v. | |
| GK | Earl Dyck | 21 October 2003 | 0 | 0 | v. | |
| GK | Luisito Cunil | 1 November 1989 | 0 | 0 | v. | |
| GK | Mateo Can | 0 | 0 | v. | ||
| DF | Donell Arzú | 27 September 1999 | 9 | 0 | v. | |
| DF | Ashley Torres | 15 September 1985 | 6 | 0 | v. | |
| DF | Aldin Forman | 16 March 1999 | 1 | 0 | v. | |
| DF | Devin Garbutt | 5 May 2007 | 1 | 0 | Unattached | v. |
| DF | Richard Gillett | 0 | 0 | v. | ||
| DF | Everal Trapp | 22 January 1987 | 55 | 0 | v. | |
| DF | Eugene Martínez | 20 October 1997 | 15 | 2 | v. | |
| DF | Jahron Myvette | 9 May 1995 | 7 | 0 | v. | |
| DF | Deshawon Nembhard | 8 October 1994 | 12 | 1 | v. | |
| DF | Allan Barillas | 13 January 1999 | 6 | 0 | v. | |
| DF | Makonnan Clare | 29 August 1994 | 4 | 0 | v. | |
| DF | Dedron Baptist | 0 | 0 | v. | ||
| DF | Collin Westby | 19 February 1995 | 8 | 0 | v. | |
| DF | Kyle Flowers | 24 March 1993 | 3 | 0 | v. | |
| DF | Alence Ayala | 24 April 1999 | 1 | 0 | v. | |
| MF | Delone Torres | 14 June 1994 | 6 | 0 | v. | |
| MF | Warren Moss | 13 October 1999 | 13 | 1 | v. | |
| MF | Nana Mensah | 19 January 1989 | 30 | 1 | v. | |
| MF | Jovaunn Ramos | 24 March 2002 | 7 | 0 | v. | |
| MF | Alwin Zelaya | 29 August 2001 | 2 | 0 | v. | |
| MF | Eldon Reneau | 22 May 2003 | 11 | 1 | v. | |
| FW | Jaheim Mena | 23 February 2006 | 2 | 0 | v. | |
| FW | Latrell Middleton | 3 November 1999 | 1 | 0 | v. | |
| FW | Carlos Bernárdez | 28 December 1992 | 16 | 4 | v. | |
| FW | Horace Ávila | 18 September 1999 | 11 | 1 | v. | |
| FW | Michael Salazar | 15 November 1992 | 23 | 3 | v. | |
| FW | Félix Martínez | 9 July 2005 | 1 | 1 | v. | |
| FW | Gilroy Thurton | 7 September 1993 | 7 | 0 | v. | |
| FW | Angelo Cappello | 27 January 2002 | 7 | 1 | v. | |
Records
edit- As of 15 October 2024[7]
- Players in bold are still active with Belize.
Most appearances
edit| Rank | Player | Caps | Goals | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deon McCaulay | 63 | 28 | 2007–2022 |
| 2 | Elroy Smith | 61 | 6 | 2004–2019 |
| 3 | Ian Gaynair | 57 | 2 | 2007–2022 |
| 4 | Evral Trapp | 55 | 0 | 2010–present |
| 5 | Woodrow West | 46 | 0 | 2008–present |
| 6 | Dalton Eiley | 41 | 0 | 2005–2019 |
| Daniel Jiménez | 41 | 2 | 2008–2019 | |
| 8 | Harrison Róchez | 40 | 5 | 2004–2019 |
| 9 | Trevor Lennan | 37 | 1 | 2005–2019 |
| 10 | Elroy Kuylen | 33 | 6 | 2009–2019 |
Top goalscorers
edit| Rank | Player | Goals | Caps | Ratio | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deon McCaulay | 28 | 63 | 0.44 | 2007–2022 |
| 2 | Jordy Polanco | 6 | 30 | 0.2 | 2015–present |
| Elroy Kuylen | 6 | 33 | 0.18 | 2009–2019 | |
| Elroy Smith | 6 | 61 | 0.1 | 2004–2019 | |
| 5 | Dion Frazer | 5 | 8 | 0.63 | 2000–2008 |
| Harrison Róchez | 5 | 40 | 0.13 | 2004–2019 | |
| 7 | Carlos Bernárdez | 4 | 16 | 0.25 | 2019–present |
| Krisean Lopez | 4 | 30 | 0.13 | 2018–present | |
| 9 | Norman Nuñez | 3 | 11 | 0.27 | 1995–2005 |
| Vallan Symms | 3 | 20 | 0.15 | 2000–2011 | |
| Michael Salazar | 3 | 23 | 0.13 | 2013–present |
Competitive record
editFIFA World Cup
edit| FIFA World Cup | FIFA World Cup qualification | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
| 1930 to 1978 | Part of |
Part of | |||||||||||||
| 1982 and 1986 | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | |||||||||||||
| 1990 and 1994 | Did not enter | Declined participation | |||||||||||||
| Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | |||||||||
| 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 10 | ||||||||||
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | ||||||||||
| 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 11 | ||||||||||
| 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 17 | 13 | ||||||||||
| 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 6 | ||||||||||
| 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 5 | ||||||||||
| To be determined | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7 | |||||||||
| To be determined | |||||||||||||||
| Total | 0/9 | 31 | 8 | 6 | 17 | 38 | 66 | ||||||||
CONCACAF Gold Cup
edit| CONCACAF Championship & CONCACAF Gold Cup record | Qualification record | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
| Part of |
Part of | |||||||||||||||
| 1985 | Not a CONCACAF member | Not a CONCACAF member | ||||||||||||||
| 1989 | Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||||||||||
| Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | ||||||||||
| 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||||
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 12 | |||||||||||
| 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 7 | |||||||||||
| Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||||
| Did not qualify | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | ||||||||||
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7 | |||||||||||
| 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 | |||||||||||
| 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | |||||||||||
| Group stage | 12th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 11 | Squad | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 4 | ||
| Did not qualify | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 | ||||||||||
| 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 10 | |||||||||||
| 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 3 | |||||||||||
| 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 12 | |||||||||||
| 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 10 | |||||||||||
| Total | Group stage | 1/18 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 11 | — | 49 | 5 | 5 | 39 | 34 | 100 | |
CONCACAF Nations League
edit| CONCACAF Nations League record | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| League | Finals | ||||||||||||||||||
| Season | Division | Group | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | P/R | Finals | Result | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad | |
| 2019−20 | B | A | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 12 | Ineligible | ||||||||||
| 2022–23 | B | D | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 10 | |||||||||||
| 2023–24 | B | C | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 7 | |||||||||||
| 2024–25 | C | B | To be determined | ||||||||||||||||
| Total | — | — | 18 | 4 | 2 | 12 | 13 | 29 | — | Total | 0 Titles | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| CONCACAF Nations League history | |
|---|---|
| First match | (5 September 2019; Cayenne, French Guiana) |
| Biggest win | (14 November 2019; Belmopan, Belize) (12 September 2023; Remire-Montjoly, French Guiana) |
| Biggest defeat | (10 October 2019; Belmopan, Belize) |
| Best result | — |
| Worst result | — |
Copa Centroamericana
edit| Copa Centroamericana record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| Did not enter | ||||||||
| Group stage | 6th | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | |
| Preliminary round | 7th | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Group stage | 6th | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 12 | |
| 6th | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 7 | ||
| Did not enter | ||||||||
| Group stage | 7th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | |
| 7th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7 | ||
| 7th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 | ||
| 7th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | ||
| Fourth place | 4th | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 4 | |
| Group stage | 7th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 | |
| 6th | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 10 | ||
| Total | Fourth place | 10/13 | 30 | 1 | 6 | 23 | 19 | 69 |
The 1995 tournament in El Salvador saw Belize's international debut. They played the hosts in their first-ever international on November 29 in Group A. El Salvador won 3–0 with all goals coming in the second half.[8] On December 1, Belize scored their first-ever international goal as they lost 2–1 to Costa Rica and were eliminated from the tournament. Both other teams advanced to the semi-finals and were defeated there, Costa Rica's conqueror Honduras beat Guatemala in the final.
Head-to-head record
editUpdated on 15 October 2024 after match against Turks and Caicos Islands[9]
Positive Record Neutral Record Negative Record
| Opponent | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 | |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 | |
| 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | |
| 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | |
| 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 14 | −13 | |
| 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 18 | −17 | |
| 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 9 | −6 | |
| 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 0 | |
| 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 6 | 29 | −23 | |
| 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 4 | +2 | |
| 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 11 | 0 | |
| 13 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 10 | 23 | −13 | |
| 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | –2 | |
| 10 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 4 | 24 | −20 | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | −9 | |
| 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 4 | +4 | |
| 13 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 19 | 25 | –6 | |
| 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 10 | −7 | |
| 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 | |
| 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | −1 | |
| 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 7 | –1 | |
| 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | +12 | |
| 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | −5 | |
| Total | 116 | 30 | 21 | 65 | 120 | 213 | −93 |
References
edit- ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking". FIFA. October 24, 2024. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
- ^ Elo rankings change compared to one year ago. "World Football Elo Ratings". eloratings.net. November 13, 2024. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
- ^ "World Football Elo Ratings: Belize". Elo Ratings. Archived from the original on October 27, 2020. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
- ^ Suspension of the Football Federation of Belize – FIFA
- ^ Iglesias, Rubén Morales. "Unleashing the power of The Jaguars: Football Federation of Belize reveals new Belize National Football Team logo by Rolando Ramirez". Breaking Belize News. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- ^ "Belize Senior Men's National Team". Instagram. Football Federation of Belize - FFB.
- ^ "Belize". National Football Teams. Archived from the original on April 19, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
- ^ "Belize - List of International Matches". Archived from the original on April 20, 2009. Retrieved 2010-11-24.
- ^ "World Football Elo Ratings: Belize". Elo Ratings. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
External links
edit- Official website of the Football Federation of Belize
- Belize at FIFA.com (archived 4 June 2007)
- Belize national football team on Instagram