There has been a significant growth in the sport in recent years, as traditionally football has played a very small role in Puerto Rico.
It is said that the sport was played during Spanish colonial times, mostly by soldiers in the field in front of El Morro.
[5] After a four-year absence, the Puerto Rican national team re-emerged on 16 January 2008, with a 2–0 victory in a friendly match against Bermuda.
[6] This was played in preparation for a World Cup qualifier against the Dominican Republic, scheduled for 26 March 2008, which Puerto Rico won 1–0.
[7] Club football had been a very limited affair involving a handful of amateur teams in several separate leagues.
The Puerto Rico Islanders joined the North American Soccer League, which is the new second tier of football in the United States.