Sint Maarten

Football is being played on Sint Maarten since the year 1960, however the Sint Maarten Soccer Association (SMSA) was official founded on June 14, 1985 as the official recognized football association of the island Sint Maarten, now country Sint Maarten. Sint Maarten played their first official International game during the inauguration of the CFU Caribbean Cup in 1989 after being accepted as a member. In 2002 the SXMFF became an associated member of the CONCACAF and a full member in 2013. Before October 10, 2010, Sint Maarten was part of the Netherlands Antilles, associated to the Netherlands Antilles Olympic Committee (NAOC) and also a member of the Netherlands Antilles Football Union (NAVU). However, due to the geographical location of Sint Maarten, approximately 910 kilometers away from the rest of the Netherlands Antilles countries, and divided by water, created a big disadvantage for Sint Maarten to play an active role within the NAVU, compared to the other Netherlands Antilles countries (Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao). Those days Curacao was the main island of the Netherlands Antilles on which all official offices were housed including the FIFA membership office. Furthermore, they enjoyed all benefits and recognition from all the International governing bodies. After the constitutional change of the Netherlands Antilles on October 10, 2010, Sint Maarten and Curacao opted to be a self-governing country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius chose to be a Dutch constituency within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Curacao kept the FIFA membership Bonaire and Sint Maarten were left out of any affiliation to FIFA.