The Timor-Leste national football team represents East Timor. The team joined FIFA in 2005. This was just two years after its first international fixture against Sri Lanka.
Timor-Leste is one of the youngest and weakest teams in FIFA. Football became popular in the country during Portuguese colonial rule. The national football association formed in 2002. This was just two years after East Timor gained independence from Indonesia.
Timor-Leste first entered world cup qualification for the 2010 tournament. The team has of a plan to improve results. An open invitation was issued to players with East Timor connections to join. A number of foreign-born players are also approaching citizenship qualification. The football federation has designed a two-tier domestic set-up to boost footballing hopes.