Gibraltar football celebrates ten years in FIFA

Ten years on this day, May 13, back in 2016, Gibraltar was admitted as a FIFA member with the words, “the vote is closed, congratulations,” following a vote by FIFA members on Gibraltar’s application.

Gibraltar became the 211th member of the association.

Michael Llamas, at the time president of the association, made what is now a milestone statement: “The point is that our children, who will be the first generations of Gibraltarians to grow up with FIFA membership, will be able to feel part of the family of world football,” as he spoke at the 66th FIFA Congress in Mexico City in 2016.

On this day, ten years on, Gibraltar’s football community can look back at what has been a rollercoaster ride that few would ever be willing to give up. From being described as a “pub team” to seeing Gibraltar’s national team win their first official competitive group match, and from there to a Gibraltar football club qualifying for the group stages of the Conference League and recording its first victory at that level, football in Gibraltar has seen many chapters open, with others also closing.

Among the chapters to close is that of Victoria Stadium, whose demolition marks the end of an era and the start of a new one, as Gibraltar looks to construct its national stadium without looking back at what stood there before.

A new chapter also began this year, with the last of the Gibraltar national squads beginning to play official competitive football under the FIFA banner, as the women’s national team competed in World Cup qualifiers for the first time.

As Mr Llamas pointed out ten years ago, Gibraltar was opening its doors to a new generation of players. A decade down the road, we also mark the departure from football of generations who came before, notably with players such as Lee Casciaro now looking towards hanging up his boots on the international stage having recorded the feat of playing into his forties.

As one of the oldest football associations in the world Gibraltar's football history is long. However, it is very much an infant making its way through its first steps in international football, with many lessons yet to learn, and just as many achievements to complete. And even more young Gibraltarian players who will look forward of dreaming of one day "maybe" becoming a World Cup winner, a dream which is within their grasp and not mere fiction which can never be realised as it was back on May 12 2016, ten years and a day ago.
Ironically, Gibraltar's first international as it enters into the start of its second decade in FIFA will see its men's national team play two sides, the British Virgin Islands and Cayman Islands in June. Two sides whose teams they could have played against in the Island Games, if circumstances had existed, but which they have as yet never played as FIFA members.