The

sport Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, ...

of football in the country of

Kiribati Kiribati (), officially the Republic of Kiribati ( gil, ibaberikiKiribati),Kiribati
''The Wor ...

is run by the

Kiribati Islands Football Federation The Kiribati Islands Football Association, formerly the Kiribati Islands Football Federation, is the governing body of football in Kiribati, established in 1980. It organises the nation's football league, the Kiribati National Championship, as w ...

. The sport is popular in the country, likely originating with their previous British rule, and has been played on the islands since 1979 at the latest, with their participation in the

1979 Pacific Games The 1979 South Pacific Games, held at Suva in Fiji from 28 August to 8 September 1979, was the sixth edition of the South Pacific Games. Participating countries Nineteen Pacific nations or territories attended: Sports There were 18 sports co ...

. The association administers the national men's football team and national women's football team as well as national football. For national football there is primarily the

Kiribati National Championship The Kiribati National Championship is the top division of competitive football in the nation of Kiribati, founded in 2002 by the Kiribati Islands Football Association, the nations football governing body. The association and the National Champion ...

, where there's evidence as early as 1984 for the men and 2002 for the women. This covers the whole country, though far flung

Kiritimati Kiritimati (also known as Christmas Island) is a Pacific Ocean atoll in the northern Line Islands. It is part of the Republic of Kiribati. The name is derived from the English word "Christmas" written in Gilbertese according to its phonolog ...

do not always compete, likely due to financial constraints. In 2021 there was an additional Tarawa Champions League, won by SB Lyke It, though no representative was sent to the

OFC Champions League The OFC Champions League, also known as the O-League, is the premier men's club soccer competition in Oceania. It is organised by the OFC, Oceania's football governing body. Beginning as the Oceania Club Championship (1987–2006), it has been ...

References

{{Oceania in topic, Football in