Football in the Maldives comprises association football, futsal and related forms of the game played throughout the inhabited islands and resort communities of the Maldives. Association football is administered nationally by the Football Association of Maldives (FAM), which was founded in 1982 and became affiliated with FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in 1986. FAM is also a member of the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF).
The men's senior national team has won the SAFF Championship twice, in 2008 and 2018, defeating India in both finals. Its best finish in an AFC senior finals tournament was third place at the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup, hosted by the Maldives. Maldivian clubs have represented the country in Asian club competitions including the Asian Club Championship, AFC Cup, AFC President's Cup and AFC Challenge League.
History Organised national league football began in 1983. Before the national league, regional competitions—including leagues in Malé and Gan—were played. FAM was established the previous year and joined FIFA and the AFC in 1986.
The first recorded senior men's international was against Seychelles at the 1979 Indian Ocean Island Games. The national team's rise within South Asia included runners-up finishes in the regional championship before its first SAFF title in 2008. The Maldives hosted the AFC Challenge Cup in 2014, using the National Football Stadium in Malé and the Addu Football Stadium in Hithadhoo.
Women's representative football developed later. The women's national team was formed in 2003 and played its first official international against Myanmar on 1 October 2004. The team reached the semi-finals of the 2016 SAFF Women's Championship and won a bronze medal at the 2019 South Asian Games. Domestic women's football is organised through the FAM Women's League or Women's Football Championship, with competition names and formats varying by season.
Futsal developed through island, city, workplace and resort tournaments before becoming more formally integrated into FAM's national programme. In 2026 FAM announced a National Futsal League and staged an Atoll Futsal Championship involving island teams. The Maldives won the inaugural SAFF Futsal Championship in 2026.
Governance Football Association of Maldives FAM is responsible for the laws and regulation of organised football under its jurisdiction, national teams, domestic competitions, referee and coach development, player registration, club licensing, disciplinary processes, grassroots programmes and international representation. At international level it operates within FIFA, the AFC and SAFF. As of September 2026, former Maldives international Ahmed Thariq was president of FAM.
FIFA provisionally suspended former FAM president Bassam Adeel Jaleel in June 2024 while ethics proceedings examined alleged misuse of FIFA funds and other alleged violations. FIFA later intervened in the association's administration during a period of financial and governance difficulties.
Regional and local organisation Because the country is dispersed across numerous atolls and islands, football is also organised by local councils, island and atoll committees, clubs, schools, employers and resort operators. Their competitions do not all form part of the national promotion pyramid. FAM's proposed or introduced nationwide structure links atoll championships to northern, central and southern regional leagues, followed by a Dhivehi Premier League qualification stage.
League system The Dhivehi Premier League is the top men's national division. It replaced the former Dhivehi League after being established in December 2014. The number of clubs and relegation arrangements have changed between seasons; the 2025–26 competition had ten clubs.
The FAM league-structure diagram circulated in 2026 describes the following pathway:
Stage North Central / Malé South Qualification Local entry Atoll championships for Haa Alif, Haa Dhaalu, Shaviyani, Noonu, Raa, Baa, Lhaviyani Atoll championships for Kaafu, Alif Alif, Alif Dhaalu, Vaavu, Meemu, Faafu and Dhaalu; separate Malé third division Atoll championships for Thaa, Laamu, Gaafu Alif, Gaafu Dhaalu, Gnaviyani and Seenu — Zonal stage North Zone 1 (HA, HDh, Sh) and North Zone 2 (N, R, B, Lh) Central Zone 1 (K, AA, ADh) and Central Zone 2 (V, M, F, Dh); Malé second division South Zone 1 (Th, L, GA) and South Zone 2 (GDh, Gn, S) Two leading teams from each numbered zone advance to its regional league Regional stage North League Central League and Malé League South League Regional champions enter DPL qualification National stage Dhivehi Premier League qualification and Dhivehi Premier League Diagram states that the best four qualification teams are promoted and the bottom two DPL teams are directly relegated to their respective regional leagues; seventh and eighth enter qualification
This format should be described as a season-specific FAM structure rather than a permanent pyramid until the applicable competition regulations and implementation dates are published.
Domestic club competitions Competition Type Scope and status Dhivehi Premier League League Men's senior national top division; successor to the Dhivehi League Second Division / Malé League League or qualifying tier The name and relationship to the national top division have varied by season Third Division Entry division Traditionally provides a route into the Malé second-tier competition Maldives FA Cup Knockout cup National senior cup, first held in 1988; editions have not been played every year Maldives President's Cup End-of-season cup Competition involving leading league clubs; eligibility and format have varied Maldivian FA Charity Shield Super cup Season-opening match, normally between designated league and cup winners Cup Winners' Cup Cup Competition revived in 2026 for leading domestic cup winners or selected clubs FAM Women's League / Women's Football Championship Women's league Principal FAM-organised senior women's club competition Youth leagues and championships Youth FAM competitions at age-group levels including under-14, under-16, under-17 and under-19 categories, depending on season Atoll Championships Regional qualifiers Island representative teams compete within northern, central and southern regions
The most historically prominent clubs include New Radiant S.C., Victory Sports Club, Club Valencia and Maziya S&RC. Other top-flight or nationally prominent clubs have included Club Eagles, VB Sports Club, TC Sports Club, Green Streets, United Victory, Buru Sports Club and Odi Sports Club. Championship totals should be maintained in the individual competition articles because club identities, renamed competitions and disputed early seasons require season-by-season sourcing.
Futsal competitions Futsal competition in the Maldives takes place at national, atoll, island, workplace and resort level. Major or recurring competitions have included:
FAM Futsal Atoll Championship, launched in 2026 with atoll phases and a national pathway; Club Maldives Cup, a major employer and corporate-team futsal tournament; Golden Futsal Challenge, a nationwide island-team tournament using atoll and zone stages; Resort League, contested by teams representing resorts; 18/30 Women's Futsal Fiesta and other women's competitions; youth, school, university, council and community futsal tournaments staged across the islands.
These events are organised by different entities. The Club Maldives Cup, Golden Futsal Challenge and Resort League should not be described as FAM national championships unless a season's rules establish that status. MatchFoari is a useful results database for these competitions, but contemporary independent news coverage is preferable for Wikipedia citations.
National teams and international competition Senior men's football The Maldives has entered qualification for the FIFA World Cup and AFC Asian Cup but, as of September 2026, had not reached either finals tournament. Its World Cup qualifying record through the 2026 cycle was 42 matches, nine wins, four draws and 29 defeats, with 45 goals scored and 143 conceded.
Competition Participation and best performance FIFA World Cup Entered Asian qualification; never qualified for the finals as of 2026 AFC Asian Cup Entered qualification; never qualified for the finals as of 2026 AFC Challenge Cup Participated in multiple editions; third place as host in 2014 SAFF Championship Champions in 2008 and 2018 South Asian Games Participated in men's football, generally as a youth/under-23 side after age restrictions were adopted Asian Games Participated using the applicable under-23 team and over-age-player rules Indian Ocean Island Games The 1979 tournament produced the senior team's first recorded international
Notable results include a 0–0 draw against South Korea in 2006 World Cup qualification and a 10–0 win over Sri Lanka at the 2013 SAFF Championship. Ali Ashfaq scored six goals against Sri Lanka and finished the 2013 tournament with ten.
Women's and youth football The women's national team has participated in AFC Women's Asian Cup qualification, Olympic qualification, the SAFF Women's Championship, the South Asian Games and, by invitation, the 2004 AFF Women's Championship. Its best SAFF Women's Championship performance was a semi-final in 2016, and it won South Asian Games bronze in 2019.
FAM also fields men's under-23, under-20, under-19, under-17 and other age-group teams, and women's youth teams, in FIFA, AFC and SAFF competitions. Entries differ by cycle; a list should therefore be tied to particular editions rather than implying uninterrupted participation.
Futsal The men's national futsal team participates in AFC Futsal Asian Cup qualifying and regional events. It won the inaugural SAFF Futsal Championship in 2026 after an unbeaten campaign. A national women's futsal team was assembled for the first time in 2026.
Maldivian clubs in international competition Maldivian champions and cup representatives have competed in several generations of AFC club football. These include the Asian Club Championship and Asian Cup Winners' Cup, followed by the AFC Champions League qualifying rounds, AFC Cup, AFC President's Cup and AFC Challenge League. Allocation has depended on AFC club-licensing and competition-ranking rules.
New Radiant, Victory, Club Valencia, VB Sports Club and Maziya are among the clubs with repeated Asian appearances. New Radiant's run to the 2005 AFC Cup semi-finals is among the country's strongest performances in an AFC club competition. Maziya later became a regular Maldivian representative in the AFC Cup and entered AFC Challenge League qualifying after the AFC competition restructure.
Maldivian clubs have also played invitational regional competitions, most notably the POMIS Cup (President of Maldives Invitational Soccer Cup), which brought foreign clubs to the Maldives. Such invitational tournaments are distinct from official AFC club competitions.
Stadiums and grounds The Maldives does not have a single readily accessible, authoritative public register identifying every football and futsal ground. Many islands have council-owned football pitches and outdoor futsal courts, while facilities may be rebuilt, renamed or used without spectator seating. The table therefore lists nationally significant or repeatedly documented venues and is not exhaustive.