Here’s a look at the Saint Martin national football team (the French side of the island), often nicknamed the “Saint Swallows”:
Team Overview
Association: Ligue de Football de Saint‑Martin (LFSM), founded in 1986, operating under CONCACAF as a non‑FIFA member .
Coach: Stéphane Auvray
Captain: Yannick Bellechasse (most capped, 28)
Top Scorer: Axel Raga (11 goals) .
Status: Not recognized by FIFA, therefore not eligible for World Cup qualification—but fully eligible for CONCACAF and CFU competitions .
Competitive History & Recent Results
First competitive match: 3–0 win over British Virgin Islands in 1990 Caribbean Cup qualifiers .
Participation in Caribbean Cup qualifiers and first CONCACAF Nations League run in 2019: lost all four matches, finishing bottom of the group and entering League C .
Historic milestone: Qualified for Nations League B for the first time, after defeating Bonaire 4–0 in 2023 .
Recent match summary (2024):
Nov 18: Saint Martin 3–0 Grenada (away win)
Nov 15: Lost 0–5 vs Curaçao
Oct 14: Won 4–0 at St Lucia
Oct 11: 1–2 vs St Lucia
Contributing goal scorers include Axel Raga and Keelan Lebon .
Infrastructure & Stadium
Home Stadium: Stade Thelbert Carti (Quartier‑d’Orléans), capacity ~2,500, artificial turf. Hosts national team matches as well as club games (e.g. Orléans Attackers FC) .
Regional Tournaments & Recent Success
Pelican Cup: Launched in 2025 and hosted by Saint Martin. The national team won the inaugural edition by beating Anguilla and Saint Kitts & Nevis in a round‑robin format. Manager Jean‑Claude Darcheville debuted during the tournament .
