Cook Islands

Cook Islands

The Cook Islands national football team represents a small Pacific island nation of around 17,000 people and is affiliated with both FIFA and the Oceania Football Confederation. Established in the 1970s, the team is administered by the Cook Islands Football Association and plays home fixtures at the National Stadium in Avarua, Rarotonga. Due to the country's small population, the Cook Islands rarely advances beyond the group stage in OFC Nations Cup competition and has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup. The squad relies heavily on locally based players with limited overseas experience. Despite these challenges, football continues to grow on the islands, driven by youth development programmes and increased regional engagement, making the Cook Islands a passionate if modest participant in Oceanian football.