East Timor national football team

This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, see East Timor women's national football team.

The East Timor national football team (Portuguese: Seleção Timorense de Futebol), recognized as Timor-Leste by FIFA,^[3] is the national team of East Timor and is controlled by the Federação de Futebol de Timor-Leste (FFTL). They joined FIFA on 12 September 2005.^[4]

East Timor

Nickname(s)	Lafaek (The Crocodiles) O Sol Nascente (The Rising Sun)
Association	Federação de Futebol de Timor-Leste
Confederation	AFC (Asia)
Sub-confederation	AFF (Southeast Asia)
Head coach	Simón Elissetche
Captain	Anizo Correia
Most caps	Anggisu Barbosa (30)
Top scorer	Rufino Gama (7)
Home stadium	Municipal Stadium of Dili
FIFA code	TLS
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	196 (24 October 2024)[1]
Highest	146 (June 2015)
Lowest	206 (October 2012)
First international
Sri Lanka 3–2 East Timor  (Colombo, Sri Lanka; 21 March 2003)[2]
Biggest win
Cambodia 1–5 East Timor  (Yangon, Myanmar; 5 October 2012)
Biggest defeat
East Timor 0–10 Saudi Arabia  (Dili, Timor Leste; 17 November 2015)
AFC Solidarity Cup
Appearances	1 (first in 2016)
Best result	Group stage (2016)
AFF Championship
Appearances	3 (first in 2004)
Best result	Group Stage (2004, 2018, 2020)

Timor-Leste's international debut was in the preliminary round of the 2004 AFC Asian Cup qualification in March 2003, when they lost 3–2 to Sri Lanka and 3–0 to Chinese Taipei.^[5] They also participated in the 2004 AFF Championship. Timor-Leste's participation in Southeast Asia's premier international football event in 2004 was announced after an Asian Football Confederation council meeting in Petaling Jaya. Although not yet a member of the AFC, the FFTL was invited to sit in on the meeting, where they were represented by FA president Francia Kalbuadi.

Timor-Leste won their first international match on 5 October 2012 against Cambodia with a score of 5–1.^[6]

History

Early history (2003–2017)

Football was established in East Timor during the Portuguese colonial era, when many of the locals and the Portuguese officials played amateur football. After Portugal ended its colonial rule, Indonesia invaded and occupied the island, which resulted in a long running battle against Jakarta-led forces. East Timor eventually gained independence from Indonesia in 2002.

The East Timor Football Federation was accepted as an associate member of AFC at the 20th AFC Congress in 2002. Their international debut came in March 2003 when they participated in the 2004 AFC Asian Cup qualification campaign for the 2004 AFC Asian Cup in China. Given their history, it was no surprise that they crashed out with defeats against the likes of Sri Lanka and Chinese Taipei. They then entered the regional competition for the first time in 2004 as they played in the 2004 AFF Championship as an invited member. They finished in last place, showing that they had a long way to go before they could compete even on the regional stage.

They again had no success in the 2007 AFF Championship qualification, with four heavy losses, including a 7–0 trouncing by the Philippines. The following year in the 2008 AFF Championship qualification, Timor-Leste surprisingly drew against Cambodia; this feat was reported in international news.

First win

In the 2012 AFF Championship qualification, the country's football federation (FFTL) reportedly selected their foreign based players, who played in Brazil, Portugal, Australia and elsewhere, to fortify the team as they also did at the 2011 SEA Games.^[7]

Emerson Alcântara leads East Timor to a famous 5–1 victory over Cambodia in their first ever win in their history.

On 5 October 2012, Timor-Leste won their first international match in a 5–1 victory against Cambodia with goals coming from Murilo de Almeida who scored a brace, Adelino Trindade and Alan Leandro.^[8] On 9 October 2012, the team won another match against Laos in the qualification round as Murilo de Almeida scored a penalty at 43' minutes of the first half of the match. Later Adelino Trindade extended the Timorese advantage with a header early in the second half and then Alan Leandro added the third goal on the 83rd minute.^[9] After winning the second match against Laos, head coach Emerson Alcântara stated "This is a win for the people of East Timor. They had to wait a long time for our team to win their first match in this competition but now we have two wins and this was an important victory for Timor-Leste. "I think that about 70 percent of people in Timor Leste are poor so it is very important to get this result for them because they love football and the people can get confidence and take pride in this result. It is very important for us to motivate our people and to help to change their lives."^[10] With a win needed in the final fixture, Timor-Leste subsequently lost to Brunei 2–1 and finished in third place in the group, one point away from runners-up of the group, Laos as they went on to qualify for the 2012 AFF Championship. In the 2014 AFF Championship qualification, Timor-Leste secured a victory against Brunei winning them 4–2 in the process. In the next match, they caused an upset to Myanmar on 14 October 2014 which ended up in a goalless draw but that wasn't enough as Timor-Leste didn't make it to the 2014 AFF Championship.

2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC second round

Timor-Leste then participated in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification first round facing Mongolia where on 12 March 2015, they secured their first ever win against a country outside of Southeast Asia in a 4–1 win at the National Stadium of East Timor. In the second leg, Timor-Leste travelled to Ulaanbaatar where they won 1–0 putting them on an aggregate of 5–2 seeing them advancing to the second round however on 12 December 2017, FIFA awarded both matches 3–0 to Mongolia due to Timor-Leste fielding numerous ineligible players. However, this was long after the Second round had been played, so Timor-Leste advanced and Mongolia were not reinstated. Timor-Leste were then grouped with Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Palestine and Malaysia in Group A. On 11 June 2015, Ramon Saro scored in the 90+3' minute stoppage time which cause a huge upsets to Malaysia in a 1–1 draw at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium which Timor-Leste got their first ever point in the campaign. On 8 October 2015 while playing at home, Ramon Saro break the deadlock as they lead against Palestine however in the dying minute of the match, Ahmad Abu Nahyeh equalise for Palestine in 1–1 draw as it gains media attention from the Southeast Asia region. However, Timor-Leste has to forfeited five of their group matches due to fielding numerous ineligible players. Since their last match against Saudi Arabia on 17 November 2015, Timor-Leste has been playing their home match overboard as their National Stadium of East Timor in Dili failed to meet FIFA standards which also see them finishing at the bottom of the table. During the 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification match, Timor-Leste played their home match at the Tan Sri Dato Haji Hassan Yunos Stadium in Johor Bahru playing against Malaysia.

Timor-Leste then participated in the 2016 AFC Solidarity Cup held in Kuching where they snatched a goalless draw against Nepal. They were also invited to the 2017 CTFA International Tournament where in the match against the Philippines, Silveiro Garcia scored the only goal in the match as Timor-Leste gains a win in the tournament.

Back-to-back AFF Championship tournament (2018–present)

Timor-Leste then qualified to the 2018 AFF Championship for the first time in 14 years winning the 2018 AFF Championship qualification against Brunei on an aggregate of 3–2. They will play their designated "home" match against Thailand at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok, while their home tie against the Philippines will be played at the Kuala Lumpur Stadium in Malaysia due to the incomplete floodlighting of the National Stadium of East Timor. Timor-Leste then qualified to the 2020 AFF Championship automatically after the withdrawal of Brunei in the qualification play-off.

During the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification – play-off round first leg match on 5 September 2024, João Pedro became the first player in the history of the national team to score a hat-trick in a 4–1 win over Mongolia while playing on neutral ground at the Kapten I Wayan Dipta Stadium held in Gianyar, Bali.

Naturalised players controversy

Since 2012 several Brazilian-born footballers, who are not of East Timorese descent and had not necessarily played in the East Timorese League, were expressly naturalised to raise the level of "Sol Nascente".^[11]

The country's recent history of naturalizing foreign players, mainly from Brazil such as Murilo de Almeida, Fellipe Bertoldo, Diogo Santos Rangel, Rodrigo Silva, Jairo Neto, Ramon Saro, Alan Leandro, Thiago Cunha, Juninho, Heberty and Jesse Pinto has been criticized by many, including native East Timorese players and fans.^[12][13]

In a match on 8 October 2015 against Palestine seven of the starting eleven for the Timorese line-up were naturalized Brazilians.^[14] Following the match the Palestinian Football Association made a complaint to FIFA stating that the naturalized Timorese players were not eligible to represent Timor-Leste under FIFA rules.^[15][16]

Following a concern from some Timorese who complained to the prime minister, the prosecutor general and the minister for justice regarding the naturalisation program, Timor Leste Football Federation (FFTL) decided to drop their overseas-born legion. It meant Timor-Leste would be without seven naturalised Brazilian players for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and 2019 AFC Asian Cup joint qualifiers match against United Arab Emirates on 12 November 2015.^[17] In that match, coach Fernando Alcântara played an all national line up including six who were under twenty, including Ervino Soares who was 16. Timor-Leste ended up losing the match 8–0. Alcântara took responsibility for the defeat although he also added that he had been forced to play such an inexperienced line-up by the FFTL.^[18]

The next match, Timor-Leste did even worse, suffering a record 0–10 home defeat to a strong Saudi Arabia side, who eventually qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

Jesse Pinto, an Australian-Timorese footballer, told reporters that the FFTL gives Brazilian players Timorese passports so that they can be registered as "Asian" players and meet the quotas of teams. Pinto also added that the FFTL often takes advantage of players from poor backgrounds, but that it often did not meet its promises of allowing players to travel back to Brazil to meet their families.^[19]

In December 2016, the FFTL was charged with using forged and falsified documents, fielding ineligible players and bringing the game into disrepute.^[20]

A decision was made on 20 January 2017 that East Timor is barred from participating in the qualification tournament for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup after being found to have fielded a total of twelve ineligible players in 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification matches and among other competitions.^[21]

Team image

Kit manufacturers

Period	Manufacturer
2008–2010	Tiger
2012	Nike
2013–2014	Mitre
2015–2017	Kubba Sportswear
2018–2024	Narrow
2024–	Oliver Sports

The team's kit manufacturer was Kubba Sportswear from June 2014 to February 2017.^[22]

Since 2018, the kits are made by Narrow, an Indonesian apparel. The home kit is red shirts, black shorts, and red socks, with black as a secondary color. The away kit all white.^[23] From 2008 to 2010, their away kits were yellow but at 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup qualification, the away kits changed back into all whites.^[24] Their kits were made by Nike in 2012. Previous kit makers include Mitre, Joma, Nike and Tiger.

Home stadium

Timor Leste's home ground is the National Stadium of East Timor in Dili. The stadium capacity is 5,000. The first official match played in the stadium was a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Mongolia on 12 March 2015. Timor-Leste played their last match at the National Stadium of East Timor against Saudi Arabia on 17 November 2015 and since then used their stadium as a neutral ground all over Asia.

Timor Leste national football team home stadiums
Image	Stadium	Capacity	Location	Last match
	National Stadium of East Timor	13,000	Dili	v   Saudi Arabia (17 November 2015; 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification)

Neutral venue

List of neutral venue grounds for East Timor in the FIFA World Cup qualifications, AFC Asian Cup qualifications and AFF Championship qualifications.

Timor Leste neutral home stadiums
Image	Stadium	Capacity	Location	Last match
	Bukit Jalil National Stadium	87,411	Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	v   Malaysia (11 June 2019; 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification)
	Kaohsiung National Stadium	55,000	Zuoying, Kaohsiung, Taiwan	v   Chinese Taipei (17 October 2023; 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification)
	Rajamangala Stadium	51,552	Bang Kapi, Bangkok, Thailand	v   Thailand (9 November 2018; 2018 AFF Championship)
	Tan Sri Dato Haji Hassan Yunos Stadium	30,000	Larkin, Johor Bahru, Malaysia	v   Malaysia (6 June 2016; 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification)
	Kuala Lumpur Stadium	18,000	Bandar Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	v   Philippines (17 November 2018; 2018 AFF Championship)
	Kapten I Wayan Dipta Stadium	18,000	Gianyar Regency, Bali, Indonesia	v   Mongolia (5 September 2024; 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification – play-off round)
	Track & Field Sports Complex	1,700	Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei	v   Brunei (8 November 2022; 2022 AFF Championship qualification)

Results and fixtures

Main article: Timor-Leste national football team results

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

2024

East Timor  v  Mongolia

5 September 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification – play-off round	East Timor	4–1	Mongolia	Gianyar, Indonesia[note 1]
15:30 UTC+8	João Pedro 3', 27', 52' Zenivio 58'	Report	Oyunbaataryn 34'	Stadium: Kapten I Wayan Dipta Stadium Referee: Daniel Elder (Australia)

Mongolia  v  East Timor

10 September 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification – play-off round	Mongolia	2–0 (3–4 agg.)	East Timor	Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
17:00 UTC+8	Daginaa 8' Amaraa 54'	Report		Stadium: MFF Football Centre Referee: Ali Berry (Lebanon)

Brunei  v  East Timor

8 October[25] 2024 ASEAN Championship qualification	Brunei	0–1	East Timor	Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
20:30 UTC+8				Stadium: Track & Field Sports Complex

East Timor  v  Brunei

15 October 2024 ASEAN Championship qualification	East Timor	0–0 (1–0 agg.)	Brunei	Chonburi, Thailand[note 2]
19:30 UTC+7				Stadium: Chonburi Stadium Referee: Torpong Somsing (Thailand)

East Timor  v  Thailand

8 December ASEAN Championship GS	East Timor	v	Thailand	Vietnam
				Attendance: TBA Referee: TBA

Malaysia  v  East Timor

11 December ASEAN Championship GS	Malaysia	v	East Timor	Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
20:45 UTC+8				Stadium: Bukit Jalil National Stadium Attendance: TBA Referee: TBA

East Timor  v  Singapore

14 December ASEAN Championship GS	East Timor	v	Singapore	Vietnam
				Attendance: TBA Referee: TBA

Cambodia  v  East Timor

17 December ASEAN Championship GS	Cambodia	v	East Timor	Phnom Penh, Cambodia
				Stadium: Phnom Penh Olympic Stadium

Coaching staff

As of May 2024

Position	Name
Technical director	Óscar Araya
Head coach	Simón Elissetche
Assistant coach	Francisco Ocampos
Goalkeeping coach	Enrique Zapata
Physiotherapist	Carlos Ortigoza
Media Officer	Néstor Lozano
Administrator	Jorge Guevara
Official	Martín Hurtado
Kitman	Javier Mosquera

Coaching history

As of May 2024

Manager	Period	Internationals
		G	W	D	L	%
José Luís	2004–2006	10	0	0	10	000.0
João Paulo Pereira	2007	2	0	0	2	000.0
Pedro Correia de Almeida	2007–2008	5	0	1	4	000.0
Clodoaldo	2010	3	0	0	3	000.0
Antonio Carlos Vieira	2011–2012	6	1	1	4	016.7
Emerson Alcântara	2012–2014	4	2	0	2	050.0
Manuel da Costa Soares	2015	1	1	0	0	100.0
Fábio Magrão	2015–2016	3	0	1	2	000.0
Emerson Alcântara	2015–2016	6	0	1	5	000.0
Simón Elissetche[26]	2017–2018	3	1	0	2	033.3
Norio Tsukitate	2018–2019	9	1	1	7	011.1
Fabiano Flora	2019–2020	0	0	0	0	!—
Fábio Magrão	2021–2022	9	0	1	8	000.0
Gopalkrishnan Ramasamy	2022–2023	2	1	0	1	050.0
Park Soon-tae	2023	2	0	0	2	000.0
Simón Elissetche	2024–	2	1	0	1	050.0

Players

Current squad

• The following players were called up for the 2024 ASEAN Championship qualification.^[27]
• Match dates: 8 and 15 October 2024
• Oppositions:  Brunei
• Caps and goals correct as of: 15 October 2024, after the match against  Brunei

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Georgino Mendonça	(2002-03-16) 16 March 2002 (age 22)	2	0	Life FC
12	1GK	Natalino Soares	(2000-12-25) 25 December 2000 (age 23)	1	0	Karketu Dili
20	1GK	Junildo Pereira	(2003-06-04) 4 June 2003 (age 21)	13	0	Assalam
2	2DF	Almerito	(1993-09-24) 24 September 1993 (age 31)	1	0	Assalam
4	2DF	Aniso Boavida	(2003-07-01) 1 July 2003 (age 21)	1	0	Lica-Lica Lemorai
5	2DF	João Panji	(2003-03-02) 2 March 2003 (age 21)	14	0	Assalam
11	2DF	Zenivio	(2005-04-22) 22 April 2005 (age 19)	11	1	Tanjong Pagar United
18	2DF	Sandro Quintão	(2003-01-01) 1 January 2003 (age 21)	1	0	Emmanuel
19	2DF	Yohanes Gusmão	(2000-04-01) 1 April 2000 (age 24)	12	0	Ponta Leste
22	2DF	Francisco da Costa	(1995-04-15) 15 April 1995 (age 29)	2	0	Assalam
23	2DF	Anizo Correia (captain)	(2003-05-23) 23 May 2003 (age 21)	12	0	Pyeongchang United
3	3MF	José de Andrade	(1999-12-20) 20 December 1999 (age 24)	0	0	Ponta Leste
6	3MF	Jhon Frith	(2002-07-17) 17 July 2002 (age 22)	15	2	ISI Dangkor Senchey
8	3MF	Claudio Osorio	(2002-09-26) 26 September 2002 (age 22)	4	0	Unattached
14	3MF	Kornelis Nahak	(2001-01-12) 12 January 2001 (age 23)	6	0	SLB Laulara
15	3MF	Santiago da Costa	(1999-04-13) 13 April 1999 (age 25)	5	0	Lalenok United
16	3MF	Freteliano	(2004-08-09) 9 August 2004 (age 20)	5	0	Emmanuel
7	4FW	Elias Mesquita	(2002-03-27) 27 March 2002 (age 22)	14	0	Indera
9	4FW	Olagar Xavier	(2003-05-18) 18 May 2003 (age 21)	9	0	Thimphu City
10	4FW	João Pedro	(1998-06-24) 24 June 1998 (age 26)	17	5	Angkor Tiger
13	4FW	Alexandro Bakhito	(2006-05-01) 1 May 2006 (age 18)	2	0	SLB Laulara
17	4FW	Mário Quintão	(2004-02-18) 18 February 2004 (age 20)	6	0	Emmanuel
21	4FW	Gali Freitas	(2004-12-31) 31 December 2004 (age 19)	13	2	PSIS Semarang

Recent call ups

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Pablo de Jesus	(2005-09-19) 19 September 2005 (age 19)	0	0	Ponta Leste	v.  Mongolia, 10 September 2024
GK	Filonito	(2004-11-16) 16 November 2004 (age 19)	3	0	SLB Laulara	v.  Chinese Taipei, 17 October 2023
DF	Filomeno Junior	(1998-06-21) 21 June 1998 (age 26)	21	0	Unattached	v.  Mongolia, 10 September 2024
DF	Orcelio	(2001-04-30) 30 April 2001 (age 23)	6	0	Karketu Dili	v.  Mongolia, 10 September 2024
DF	João Bosco	(2003-03-02) 2 March 2003 (age 21)	7	0	Ponta Leste	v.  Chinese Taipei, 17 October 2023
DF	Ricardo Bianco	(2006-01-15) 15 January 2006 (age 18)	2	0	Ponta Leste	v.  Chinese Taipei, 17 October 2023
DF	Fernando Carvalho	(2004-02-18) 18 February 2004 (age 20)	0	0	SLB Laulara	v.  Chinese Taipei, 17 October 2023
MF	Cristevão	(2004-01-16) 16 January 2004 (age 20)	8	0	Angkor City	v.  Chinese Taipei, 17 October 2023
MF	Alexandre Moreira	(2001-09-24) 24 September 2001 (age 23)	2	0	Emmanuel	v.  Chinese Taipei, 17 October 2023
MF	Luis da Silva	(2006-05-20) 20 May 2006 (age 18)	2	0	SLB Laulara	v.  Chinese Taipei, 17 October 2023
MF	Luis Pinto	(2001-05-08) 8 May 2001 (age 23)	2	0	Santa Cruz	v.  Chinese Taipei, 17 October 2023
MF	Miguel Kieran	(2000-09-01) 1 September 2000 (age 24)	1	0	Porto Taibesse	v.  Chinese Taipei, 17 October 2023
MF	Marques	(2007-02-25) 25 February 2007 (age 17)	0	0	SLB Laulara	v.  Chinese Taipei, 17 October 2023
FW	Mouzinho	(2002-06-26) 26 June 2002 (age 22)	12	3	Unattached	v.  Mongolia, 10 September 2024
FW	Lourenço Paulo	(2000-08-10) 10 August 2000 (age 24)	2	0	Assalam	v.  Chinese Taipei, 17 October 2023
FW	Luís Figo	(2005-04-17) 17 April 2005 (age 19)	2	0	Ponta Leste	v.  Chinese Taipei, 17 October 2023

Previous squads

• 2004 Tiger Cup squad
• 2016 AFC Solidarity Cup squad
• 2018 AFF Suzuki Cup squad
• 2020 AFF Suzuki Cup squad

Player records

See also: Timor-Leste national football team records and statistics

As of 10 September 2024^[28]

Players in bold are still active with Timor-Leste.

Most appearances

Rank	Name	Caps	Goals	Career
1	Anggisu Barbosa	30	4	2008–2016
2	Adelino Trindade	27	3	2010–2018
3	José Fonseca	26	0	2010–2017
4	Henrique Cruz	25	3	2015–2018
5	Nataniel Reis	23	1	2014–2018
6	Eusebio de Almeida	22	0	2007–2015
	Rufino Gama	22	7	2016–2022
	Nelson Viegas	22	1	2016–2022
9	Filomeno Junior	21	0	2018–present
10	Ramos Maxanches	20	0	2014–2016
	Filipe Oliveira	20	0	2014–2017

Top goalscorers

Rank	Name	Goals	Caps	Ratio	Career
1	Rufino Gama	7	22	0.33	2016–2022
2	Murilo de Almeida	6	7	0.86	2012–2014
3	João Pedro	5	17	0.29	2018–present
4	Chiquito do Carmo	4	16	0.25	2010–2016
	Anggisu Barbosa	4	30	0.13	2008–2016
6	Adélio Guterres	3	4	0.75	2006–2007
	Alan Leandro	3	5	0.6	2012
	Mouzinho	3	12	0.25	2019–present
	Emilio da Silva	3	12	0.25	2004–2012
	Henrique Cruz	3	25	0.12	2015–2018
	Adelino Trindade	3	27	0.11	2010–2018

Competition records

Main article: Timor-Leste national football team results

FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup										Qualification
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	F	A		Pld	W	D	L	F	A
1930 to 1974	Part of  Portugal									Part of  Portugal
1978 to 1998	Part of  Indonesia									Part of  Indonesia
2002	Not member of FIFA									Not member of FIFA
2006	Did not enter									Did not enter
2010	Did not qualify									2	0	0	2	3	11
2014										2	0	0	2	1	7
2018										10	2	2	6	7	37
2022										2	0	0	2	2	12
2026										2	0	0	2	0	7
2030	To be determined									To be determined
2034
Total	—	0/6	–	–	–	–	–	–		18	2	2	14	13	74

AFC Asian Cup

AFC Asian Cup										AFC Asian Cup qualification
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1956 to 1972	Part of  Portugal									Part of  Portugal
1976 to 1996	Part of  Indonesia									Part of  Indonesia
2000	Did not exist, under United Nations									Did not exist, under United Nations
2004	Did not qualify									2	0	0	2	2	6
2007 to 2015	Did not enter									Did not enter
2019	Did not qualify									14	2	2	10	9	47
2023	Disqualified									2	0	0	2	2	12
2027	To be determined									4	1	0	3	4	10
Total	—	—	–	–	–	–	–	–	21	3	2	16	17	73

AFC Challenge Cup

AFC Challenge Cup										AFC Challenge Cup qualification
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
2006	Did not participate									Selected but removed
2008	Did not enter									Did not enter
2010
2012
2014
Total	—	—	–	–	–	–	–	–		–	–	–	–	–	–

• 2006 – Was originally selected to take part, but was then replaced
• 2008 – Was selected to take part, but withdrew

AFC Solidarity Cup

AFC Solidarity Cup
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
2016	Group stage	6th	2	0	1	1	0	4
Total	Group stage	1/1	2	0	1	1	0	4

AFF Championship

AFF Championship										Qualification record
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1996	Part of Indonesia									Part of  Indonesia
1998
2000	Under United Nations									Under United Nations
2002
2004	Group stage	9th	4	0	0	4	2	18		No qualification
2007	Did not qualify									4	0	0	4	5	17
2008										4	0	1	3	4	9
2010										3	0	0	3	3	15
2012										4	2	0	2	10	6
2014										4	1	1	2	6	7
2016										3	0	0	3	4	7
2018	Group stage	10th	4	0	0	4	4	19		2	1	0	1	3	2
2020		10th	4	0	0	4	0	13		Opponents withdrew
2022	Did not qualify									2	1	0	1	3	6
2024	Qualified'									2	1	1	0	1	0
Total	Group stage	3/14	12	0	0	12	6	50		28	6	3	19	39	68

AFF Championship History
Season	Round	Opponent	Scores	Venue
2004	Group B	Malaysia	0–5	Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
		Thailand	0–8
		Philippines	1–2
		Myanmar	1–3
2018	Group B	Thailand	0–7	Bangkok, Thailand
		Indonesia	1–3	Jakarta, Indonesia
		Philippines	2–3	Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
		Singapore	1–6	Kallang, Singapore
2020	Group A	Thailand	0–2	Kallang, Singapore
		Myanmar	0–2
		Philippines	0–7
		Singapore	0–2

Lusofonia Games

Jogos da Lusofonia
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA
2006	Group stage	9th	0	0	0	2	0	10
2009	Did not enter
2014
Total	Group stage	1/3	0	0	0	2	0	10

Lusofonia Games
Date	Venue	Opponents	Score	Year
4 October 2006	Macau University of Science and Technology Sports Field	Mozambique U-20	0–5	2006 Lusofonia Games
6 October 2006		Angola U-20	0–5

Head-to-head record

See also: Timor-Leste national football team records and statistics

As of 8 October 2024^[29]

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	WPCT
Brunei	11	4	0	7	16	25	−9	36.36
Cambodia	9	1	2	6	17	23	−6	11.11
Chinese Taipei	6	0	0	6	3	17	−14	0.00
Hong Kong	2	0	0	2	3	11	−8	0.00
Indonesia	6	0	0	6	2	21	−19	0.00
Laos	7	1	0	6	9	18	−9	14.29
Malaysia	7	0	1	6	3	25	−22	0.00
Mongolia	4	3	0	1	9	4	+5	75.00
Myanmar	4	0	1	3	2	7	−5	0.00
Nepal	4	0	2	2	3	9	−6	0.00
Palestine	2	0	1	1	1	8	−7	0.00
Philippines	8	1	0	7	5	29	−24	12.50
Saudi Arabia	2	0	0	2	0	17	−17	0.00
Singapore	2	0	0	2	1	8	−7	0.00
Sri Lanka	1	0	0	1	2	3	−1	0.00
Thailand	3	0	0	3	0	17	−17	0.00
United Arab Emirates	2	0	0	2	0	9	−9	0.00
Total	80	10	7	63	76	251	−175	12.50

Source: Results

Notes

1. Timor-Leste will play their home game in Gianyar, due to the National Stadium in Dili failing to meet FIFA standards.
2. Timor-Leste will play their home game in Chonburi, due to the National Stadium in Dili failing to meet FIFA standards.

References

1. "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking". FIFA. 24 October 2024. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
2. "East Timor matches, ratings and points exchanged". World Football Elo Ratings: East Timor. Archived from the original on 23 November 2016. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
3. "Timor-Leste". FIFA.
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5. "Timor-Leste – Timor-Leste – Results, fixtures, squad, statistics, photos, videos and news – Soccerway". us.soccerway.com. Archived from the original on 13 September 2019. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
6. "Timor Leste cause upset; Myanmar win". ESPNStar.com. 5 October 2012. Archived from the original on 12 October 2012.
7. "KIMURA FOR LAOS' AFF SUZUKI CUP 2012 QUALIFYING CAMPAIGN". ASEAN Football. 23 May 2012. Archived from the original on 30 July 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
8. "Cambodia 1-5 Timor Leste". 5 October 2012. Archived from the original on 11 April 2013. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
9. "Timor Leste 3 Laos 1". Archived from the original on 11 October 2012. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
10. "Win dedicated to Timorese people". 10 October 2012. Archived from the original on 16 April 2018.
11. "How Timor-Leste, like others, (probably) flouted FIFA's eligibility rules". These Football Times. 29 November 2016. Archived from the original on 4 September 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
12. "Timor Leste naturalisation of Brazilian footballers criticized". Football Channel Asia. 3 October 2015. Archived from the original on 3 October 2015. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
13. Jack Kerr (1 October 2015). "Success Is No Longer Foreign to East Timor, but the Players Are". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 17 August 2018. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
14. Jack Kerr (8 October 2015). "East Timor Fields Seven Ex-Brazilians in Tie With Palestine". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 6 September 2017. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
15. Jack Kerr (16 October 2015). "Palestinians Protest East Timor's Use of Brazilian Players". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 12 December 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
16. "Is East Timor Illegally Putting Together a National Soccer Team With Brazilian Players?". Sports. 13 July 2015. Archived from the original on 4 September 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
17. "Timor Leste set to be without seven naturalised Brazilians for UAE clash". Football Channel Asia. 12 November 2015. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
18. Amith Passela (12 November 2015). "Coach Mahdi Ali cautions his players that tougher challenges await as UAE thrash East Timor to get World Cup qualification back on track". The National. Archived from the original on 16 November 2015. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
19. Jack Kerr (7 November 2015). "Darwin soccer player who captained Timor-Leste opens up on team's FIFA controversy". ABC. Archived from the original on 31 July 2016. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
20. Jack Kerr (9 December 2016). "East Timor Is Accused of Using Ineligible Players for Its Soccer Team". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 17 August 2018. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
21. "Federacao Futebol Timor-Leste expelled from AFC Asian Cup 2023". The-AFC.com. Archived from the original on 20 January 2017. Retrieved 20 January 2017.
22. "Timor Leste Football Federation sign Kubba sportswear contract".
23. "2017-18 Timor-Leste Away Shirt *BNIB*". Сlassic Football Shirts. Archived from the original on 30 July 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
24. "Timor-Leste national team". www.colours-of-football.com. Archived from the original on 4 September 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
25. "Champions Thailand learn fate at ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2024 official draw". 21 May 2024.
26. Bola.com (27 October 2017). "Former Persita Coach Officially Handles the Timor Leste National Team". bola.com (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 4 March 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
27. "Anúnsiu Lista Jogadores Timor-Leste". 8 October 2024.
28. "Timor-Leste". National Football Teams.
29. "Fixtures Results". eloratings. Archived from the original on 24 January 2022. Retrieved 30 January 2022.

External links

• Profile at FIFA.com (archived 6 June 2007)
• Profile at the-AFC.com
• Profile at AFF Suzuki Cup site (archived 11 October 2016)
• Profile at AFF site (archived 15 November 2010)
• Timor-Leste at National-Football-Teams.com
• 2012 AFF Suzuki Cup squad (archived 25 March 2013)