The Madagascar national football team, nicknamed Barea after the island's zebu, is the national team of Madagascar and is controlled by the Malagasy Football Federation. It has never qualified for the finals of the World Cup. It took part in its first Africa Cup of Nations in 2019. Among its biggest wins was a 1âÂÂ0 home victory over Egypt in the qualification rounds of the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations until being surpassed by a recent 2âÂÂ0 win over Nigeria in the group stage of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. Reflecting the official name of the country at the time, the team was known as the Malagasy Republic national football team between 1958 and 1975.
Madagascar made its debut in 1947 in a home match against Mauritius which was lost 2âÂÂ1. The game was part of a Triangulaire tournament between Madagascar, Mauritius and Reunion. Madagascar's second match was at home to Reunion and saw their first ever win, 4âÂÂ2. The triangular tournament was staged every year until 1958, and Madagascar's highest-scoring game was on 13 July 1953 when they beat Reunion 6âÂÂ4 at home. Their worst loss was on 31 July 1952 when they lost 7âÂÂ0 to Mauritius in Reunion.
Madagascar played against opposition different from Mauritius or Reunion for the first time in 1960, as part of a tournament between French-speaking nations held on the island. In their first match on 15 April 1960 they beat the Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) 6âÂÂ1. The second game was a quarter-final against France's amateur side on 17 April and was lost 2âÂÂ1. On 19 April Madagascar beat the Congo 8âÂÂ1 in the third-place play-off.
In April 1963, Madagascar entered another competition for French-speaking countries, this time in Senegal, and was placed in a group with Dahomey (now Benin), Liberia and Chad. They opened with a 1âÂÂ0 win over Dahomey on 11 April, and then beat Chad 2âÂÂ1 on 13 April and Liberia 3âÂÂ1 on 15 April. In the semi-finals, Madagascar were beaten 2âÂÂ1 by Tunisia on 19 April, and then lost 4âÂÂ1 to France's amateur team in the third-place play-off on 21 April.
In September 1963 the Triangulaire between Madagascar, Reunion and Mauritius was reinstated for the first time since 1958. On 15 September they beat Reunion 6âÂÂ1 at home, and on 18 September drew 1âÂÂ1 to Mauritius in a home game which was abandoned.
On 16 October 2018, Madagascar qualified to the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in their history, after they won 1âÂÂ0 against Equatorial Guinea. During their debut match against Guinea on 22 June 2019, Anicet Abel scored Madagascar's first-ever AFCON goal and secured their first point of the competition with a 2âÂÂ2 draw against Guinea. The team defeated Burundi in their second match and followed it up with a 2âÂÂ0 victory over the Super Eagles of Nigeria to top Group B. Then Madagascar advanced to quarter-finals after beating DR Congo in the round of 16. The team's successful performance was coined by pundits as the Iceland of Africa, resembling the shockingly successful debut of Iceland in UEFA Euro 2016. However, Madagascar's dream ended abruptly after suffering a 0âÂÂ3 defeat at the hand of another former champion, Tunisia.
The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
The following players were called up for the friendly against Equatorial Guinea on 17 November 2025.
Caps and goals updated after the match against Chad on 8 September 2025.
The following players have been called up for Madagascar in the last 12 months and are still eligible to represent.