They are nicknamed The Sugar Boyz due to the sugar cultivation on the island of St. Kitts.[3]
History
Beginnings (1938–1990)
Saint Kitts and Nevis played their first match on 18 August 1938, against Grenada, a match that ended in a 2–4 defeat.[4] They participated in the Leeward Islands Tournament from 1949 however had to wait until 1979 to play their first official matches, in the qualifying rounds for the 1979 CFU Championship, losing twice to Jamaica, both results finishing 2–1.[5] They would again fail to qualify for the final phase of the 1983 CFU Championship after advancing due to Jamaica's withdrawal, eliminated by Martinique, who won 12–0 on aggregate.[6]
In the Caribbean Cup, the Sugar Boyz did not repeat the successes of the '90s and could only qualify to the final phase of the 2001 Caribbean Cup, although they did not advance beyond the group phase.[19] They have not returned to a final phase since that edition.[20]
2010–present
Theo Wharton made his debut for St. Kitts and Nevis in 2016
Qualifying directly to the second round of the 2014 qualifiers, Saint Kitts and Nevis was drawn in Group D along with Canada, Puerto Rico and Saint Lucia.[21] They finished in 3rd place, with 7 points.[22] It was only defeated by Canada in Toronto (4–0).[23] In the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, Saint Kitts and Nevis defeated the Turks and Caicos Islands in the first round by a lofty aggregate 12–4[24] before falling in the second phase, at the hands of El Salvador, 6–3 on aggregate, but not before obtaining a 2–2 draw at home.[25] In November 2015, they played 2 friendlies against European teams, Andorra (1–0) and Estonia (0–3).[26]Devaughn Elliott scored the only goal in the victory over Andorra, becoming the first St. Kitts and Nevis player to score against a European side.[27] The result was also the first away victory for a CFU team over a European side on their home soil.[28]
In October 2016, it reached its highest ranking in the FIFA world ranking (73rd place)[29] thanks to its good performance in the 2nd round of the 2017 Caribbean Cup of Nations qualifiers.[30] However, two defeats against French Guiana (0–1)[31] and Haiti at home (0–2 a.e.t.) stopped the Sugar Boyz in the 3rd round of these qualifiers.[32] The year ends with a 1–1 draw in Basseterre against Estonia on November 19, 2016, in a friendly match, one year after playing against the same team in Tallinn.[33]
In June 2017, the team went on a second European tour and played Armenia on June 4 in Yerevan[34] and Georgia three days later in Tbilisi.[35] Both games ended in equally bad losses, 5–0 and 3–0, respectively.[34][35] St. Kitts and Nevis continued its pattern of international tours and travels in August 2017 to Mumbai to meet Mauritius and India in a friendly tournament, the 2017 Hero Tri-Nation Series. Both matches ended in draws acquired by the same score of one goal each.[36][37]
The Sugar Boyz played Andorra again on March 25, 2022, six and a half years after their first confrontation, for a friendly match in Andorra la Vella. This time the Principality's selection won against Saint Kitts and Nevis on its home stadium (1–0).[38]
They qualified for their first ever CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2023.[10]
^Cruickshank, Mark; Courtney, Barrie; Garin, Erik; Morrison, Neil (12 April 2018). "CFU Championship 1979". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 19 August 2025. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
^Cruickshank, Mark; Courtney, Barrie; Garin, Erik (20 December 2012). "CFU Championship 1983". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 19 August 2025. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
^McKain, Chris; Díaz Rubio, Julián; Goloby, James (21 August 2004). "Copa Caribe 2001". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 20 August 2025. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
^Horne, Patrick (19 June 2015). "FIFA'S GOOD MOVE". Caribbean Life. Archived from the original on 20 August 2025. Retrieved 19 August 2025. El Salvador and St. Kitts/Nevis played to a 2-2 draw in St. Kitts, but El Salvador scored a 4-1 victory at home to finished with a 6-3 aggregate.