Guadeloupe is an overseas department of the French Republic. The Guadeloupe national football team cannot play in FIFA competitions such as the world cup as they are not FIFA affiliated. Citizens of Guadeloupe are French citizens so are eligible to play for the France national football team. The Guadeloupe national football team is a member of the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football and so can compete in tournaments organised by that governing body. An example of this is the Gold Cup where they have competed well, reaching the semi-final in 2007 and were defeated by Mexico.

The Guadeloupe national football team actually have a long history in international football. They played their first international fixture in 1934 when they were defeated 6-0 by Martinique. This fixture was also their joint biggest defeat alongside an 8-2 defeat in 1975 to the same team. Their biggest win came as recently as 2001 when they defeated the US Virgin Islands 11-0.

Guadeloupe is a Caribbean island but it is also part of the European Union. It is comprised of two islands and has suffered regularly from hurricanes over the years. It’s economy depends on tourism as well as subsidies and imports from France. Football is the most popular sport in the country. Several internationally famous players have parents from the country such as Thierry Henry, William Gallas, Lillian Thuram and Louis Saha.