STYLE GUIDE
First edition 07/09/2002
Disclaimer: we should remember that this guide should allow the maximum clarity for observers
of every different nationality. Of course, we must pick a language to use, and
English seems the obvious choice. Also, we will use only the Latin alphabet. But
other than these restrictions, we should respect each country's traditions of
player names, special characters etc.
GENERAL EXAMPLE
DD/MM/YYYY, City, Stadium, Attendance
Competition
COUNTRY 1 # (Scorer #')
COUNTRY 2 # (Scorer #')
Country 1 won 5-3 on penalties.
Country 1: Players.
Country 2: Players.
Referee: Name (Country).
Coaches: Country 1: Coach.
Country 2: Coach.
Cards: Country 1: Player [Y #'].
Country 2: Player [R #'].
Penalties: 1-0 Player, 1-1 Player, 2-1 Player, 2-1 Player (miss)...
Note: Match abandoned due to resignation of referee.
REAL EXAMPLE
18/01/1995, Utrecht, Nieuw Galgenwaard, 15000
Friendly International
NETHERLANDS 0
FRANCE 1 (Patrice Loko 45')
Netherlands: Ed de Goeij, Stan Valckx, Danny Blind [c] (Michael Reiziger 46'),
Wim Jonk, Frank de Boer, Aron Winter, Clarence Seedorf, Glenn Helder,
Arthur Numan (Edgar Davids 77'), Marc Overmars (Peter van Vossen 64'),
Michael Mols (Pierre van Hooijdonk 57').
France: Bernard Lama, Christian Karembeu (Lilian Thuram 88'), Laurent Blanc,
Marcel Desailly, Eric Di Meco, Jean-Michel Ferri, Eric Cantona [c],
Paul le Guen (Jocelyn Angloma 62'), Reynald Pedros, Patrice Loko,
Jean-Pierre Papin (Nicolas Ouédec 68').
Referee: Michel Piraux (Belgium).
Coaches: Netherlands: Guus Hiddink.
France: Aimé Jacquet.
Cards: None.
EXPLANATIONS
1) If the date is unknown, something of the form ??/01/1995 should be used.
2) If the city is in a different country from the teams (i.e. a neutral venue, then this
should be included in brackets after the city.
3) If the city is unknown, replace with the country, in brackets.
4) If the stadium or attendance is unknown, leave blank.
5) After the first 2 lines, the left column is twenty characters. The right column can be a
maximum of 75 characters. This makes a TOTAL width of 95 characters.
6) The country names should be given according to the list below - note that several countries
changed names over the years.
7) For scorers and line-ups players' full names should be given, but avoiding needlessly long
versions. I.e. Pelé rather than Edson Arantes do Nascimento.
8) For substitutions and goals, the minute should be given after the name. If the minute is
not known then it should be left out.
9) If the goal is a penalty, it should be given as e.g. (Ronaldo 67' pen). If more than one
goal is scored e.g. (Ronald Koeman 34' 86' pen). Similar for own goals e.g.
(Tommy Boyd 71' OG)
10) When the minutes are unknown, leave blank. If the minutes are unknown and a player
scores more than one, use e.g. (Hristo Stoichkov x2, Krassimir Balakov).
11) If a goal is scored in first half injury time (overtime), use 45+'. Similarly for
second half injury time use 90+', and 105+', 120+' for extra times.
12) If the captain is known, then [c] should appear after his name (and before a substitute).
13) The goalkeeper should be the first player, and the tradition is that he is followed by
defence, midfield and forwards.
14) If the substitutes are known, but the exact players which were removed are not known, then
this should be indicated in the 'Note'.
15) Only the referee should be given (not the assistants).
16) The coach's nationality should be specified if it is different from the team he coaches.
17) Cards should be given as the name, followed by: [Y #'] for a yellow, [R #'] for red,
[Y #' YR #'] for two yellows, and [Y #' R #'] for a yellow and a straight red.
18) Details of penalty shootouts should be given as shown. If the penalty is not a goal,
we should indicate it is a miss or a save (counting post and bar as a miss).
19) Additional important information should be noted. E.g. match abandoned etc.
COUNTRY NAMES
The versions of country names for use in this project.
The name of the country may depend on the date; for more details in such a case see the
history file. I have indicated the countries for which this applies.
Also the continent of a country (for footballing purposes) may depend on the date.
The usual disclaimer of not making any political statements etc applies!
For matches where one country plays with e.g. a youth team, use the common style.
E.g. ENGLAND U21, FRANCE OLYMPIC. If the exact opposition strength is unknown, use GERMANY XI.
COUNTRY CONTINENT (for footballing purposes) NAME CHANGES
Afghanistan Asia
Albania Europe
Algeria Africa
American Samoa Oceania
Andorra Europe
Angola Africa Portuguese West Africa before 15/08/1914.
Anguilla North and Central America and Caribbean
Antigua/Barbuda North and Central America and Caribbean
Argentina South America
Armenia Europe Part of USSR before 25/12/1991
Aruba North and Central America and Caribbean
Australia Asia (Oceania before 01/01/2006, except 1972-1978 (resigned from OFC))
Austria Europe
Azerbaijan Europe Part of USSR before 25/12/1991
Bahamas North and Central America and Caribbean
Bahrain Asia
Bangladesh Asia Part of East Pakistan before 26/03/1971
Barbados North and Central America and Caribbean
Belarus Europe Part of USSR before 25/12/1991
Belgium Europe
Belize North and Central America and Caribbean British Honduras before 01/06/1973
Benin Africa Dahomey before 30/11/1975
Bermuda North and Central America and Caribbean
Bhutan Asia
Bolivia South America
Bosnia/Herzegovina Europe Part of Yugoslavia before 03/03/1992
Botswana Africa Bechuanaland before 30/09/1966
Brazil South America
British Virgin Isl. North and Central America and Caribbean
Brunei Asia
Bulgaria Europe
Burkina Faso Africa Upper Volta before 04/08/1984
Burundi Africa
Cambodia Asia Khmer Republic 09/10/1970 - 05/01/1976 [It is general practice to ignore the name Kampuchea 05/01/1976 - 01/05/1989]
Cameroon Africa
Canada North and Central America and Caribbean
Cape Verde Africa
Cayman Islands North and Central America and Caribbean
Cent. African Rep. Africa
Chad Africa
Chile South America
China Asia PR China since 01/10/1949. Rep. China becomes Taiwan 08/12/1949
Christmas Island Oceania geographically part of Asia
Cocos/Keeling Isl. Oceania geographically part of Asia
Colombia South America
Comoros Africa
Congo Africa Sometimes referred to as Congo-Brazzaville
Cook Islands Oceania
Costa Rica North and Central America and Caribbean
Ivory Coast Africa Since October 1985, officially named Côte d'Ivoire.
Croatia Europe Part of Yugoslavia 29/10/1918 - 06/04/1941 and 02/12/1945 - 08/10/1991
Cuba North and Central America and Caribbean
Cyprus Europe See also Turkish Cyprus
Czech Republic Europe Part of Czechoslovakia 28/10/1918 - 01/01/1993, Bohemia before 28/10/1918
DR Congo Africa Zaire (27/10/1971 - 17/05/1997). Belgian Congo before 01/07/1960. Sometimes referred to as Congo-Kinshasa
Denmark Europe
Djibouti Africa French Afars/Issas before 27/06/1977, French Somaliland before 03/07/1967
Dominica North and Central America and Caribbean
Dominican Republic North and Central America and Caribbean
East Timor Asia Part of Indonesia 24/06/1976 - 19/10/1999
Ecuador South America
Egypt Africa Part of United Arab Rep. 22/12/1958 - 28/04/1964 [although from 28/09/1961 - 17/04/1963, it was just Egypt keeping the name]
El Salvador North and Central America and Caribbean
England Europe
Equatorial Guinea Africa
Eritrea Africa Part of Ethiopia 15/09/1952 - 24/05/1993
Estonia Europe Part of USSR 22/09/1944 - 06/09/1991
Eswatini Africa Swaziland before 19/04/2018
Ethiopia Africa
Faroe Islands Europe
Fiji Oceania
Finland Europe
France Europe
French Guiana North and Central America and Caribbean
Gabon Africa
Gambia Africa
Georgia Europe Part of USSR until 25/12/1991
Germany Europe Formerly divided into East and West, and also Saar (see below)
Ghana Africa Gold Coast before 06/03/1957
Gibraltar Europe
Greece Europe
Greenland Europe
Grenada North and Central America and Caribbean
Guadeloupe North and Central America and Caribbean
Guam Asia geographically considered part of Oceania
Guatemala North and Central America and Caribbean
Guinea Africa Part of French West Africa until 13/10/1946
Guinea-Bissau Africa Portuguese Guinea until 24/09/1973
Guyana North and Central America and Caribbean British Guiana before 26/05/1966
Haiti North and Central America and Caribbean
Honduras North and Central America and Caribbean
Hong Kong Asia Part of China since 01/07/1997
Hungary Europe
Iceland Europe
India Asia
Indonesia Asia Dutch East Indies before 20/09/1948
Iran Asia Persia before 21/03/1935
Iraq Asia
Ireland Europe Part of United Kingdom before 21/01/1919
Israel Europe since 1992 (Asia before 1976) Palestine before 14/05/1948
Italy Europe
Jamaica North and Central America and Caribbean
Japan Asia
Jordan Asia Transjordan before 03/04/1949
Kazakhstan Europe (Asia before Apr 2002) Part of USSR before 25/12/1991
Kenya Africa British East Africa before 23/07/1920
Kiribati Oceania Gilbert Islands before 12/07/1979 [Part of a single entity 'Gilbert and Ellice Islands' before 01/10/1975]
Kosova Europe Part of Yugoslavia before 19/10/1991 (declared independence, not recognized).
Kuwait Asia
Kyrgyzstan Asia Also known as Kyrgyz Republic. Part of USSR before 25/12/1991
Laos Asia Officially Lao PDR
Latvia Europe Part of USSR November 1944 - 06/09/1991
Lebanon Asia
Lesotho Africa Basutoland until 04/10/1966
Liberia Africa
Libya Africa
Liechtenstein Europe
Lithuania Europe Part of USSR 03/08/1940 - 06/09/1991
Luxembourg Europe
Macao Asia Also Macau. Part of China since 20/12/1999
Madagascar Africa
Malawi Africa Nyasaland before 06/07/1964.
Malaysia Asia Malaya before 16/09/1963
Maldives Asia
Mali Africa French Sudan before 22/09/1960, but part of Mali Federation (with Senegal) 04/04/1959 - 20/08/1960.
Malta Europe
Marshall Islands Oceania
Martinique North and Central America and Caribbean
Mauritania Africa
Mauritius Africa
Mexico North and Central America and Caribbean
Micronesia Oceania
Moldova Europe Part of USSR 28/06/1940 - 25/12/1991.
Monaco Europe
Mongolia Asia
Montenegro Europe Part of Serbia and Montenegro before 03/06/2006, part of Yugoslavia before 04/02/2003.
Montserrat North and Central America and Caribbean
Morocco Africa
Mozambique Africa
Myanmar Asia Burma before 18/06/1989
Namibia Africa South-West Africa before 12/06/1968
Nauru Oceania
Nepal Asia
Netherlands Europe
Netherlands Antil. North and Central America and Caribbean
New Caledonia Oceania
New Zealand Oceania
Nicaragua North and Central America and Caribbean
Niger Africa
Nigeria Africa
Niue Oceania
Norfolk Island Oceania
North Korea Asia DPR Korea since 03/09/1948
North Macedonia Europe Part of Yugoslavia 01/12/1918 - Apr 1941 and 02/12/1945 - 18/09/1991. Macedonia (often FYR Macedonia) before 12/02/2019
Northern Ireland Europe United Ireland before 18/06/1922
Northern Marianas Asia geographically considered part of Oceania
Norway Europe
Oman Asia
Pakistan Asia Part of India before 14/08/1947
Palau Asia geographically considered part of Oceania
Palestine Asia
Panama North and Central America and Caribbean
Papua New Guinea Oceania
Paraguay South America
Peru South America
Philippines Asia
Poland Europe
Portugal Europe
Puerto Rico North and Central America and Caribbean
Qatar Asia
Reunion Africa
Romania Europe
Russia Europe Part of USSR 30/12/1922 - 25/12/1991
Rwanda Africa
St. Helena
St. Kitts/Nevis North and Central America and Caribbean
St. Lucia North and Central America and Caribbean
Saint-Martin North and Central America and Caribbean Part of Guadeloupe
St. Vincent/Gren North and Central America and Caribbean
Samoa Oceania Western Samoa 01/01/1962 - 02/07/1997
San Marino Europe
Sao Tome/Principe Africa
Saudi Arabia Asia
Scotland Europe
Senegal Africa Part of Mali Federation 04/04/1959 - 20/08/1960.
Serbia Europe Part of Serbia and Montenegro before 05/06/2006, part of Yugoslavia before 04/02/2003.
Seychelles Africa
Sierra Leone Africa
Singapore Asia Part of Malaysia 16/09/1963 - 09/08/1965
Sint Maarten North and Central America and Caribbean Part of Netherlands Antilles
Slovakia Europe Part of Czechoslovakia 28/10/1918 - 15/03/1939 and 03/04/1945 - 01/01/1993
Slovenia Europe Part of Yugoslavia 01/12/1918 - 08/10/1991
Solomon Islands Oceania
Somalia Africa Divided into British Somaliland and Italian Somalia before 01/07/1960
South Africa Africa
South Korea Asia Republic of Korea since 15/08/1948
Spain Europe
Sri Lanka Asia Ceylon before 22/05/1972
Sudan Africa
Surinam North and Central America and Caribbean Also Suriname. Dutch Guiana before 25/11/1975
Sweden Europe
Switzerland Europe
Syria Asia Part of United Arab Rep. 22/02/1958 - 28/09/1961
Tahiti Oceania Officially French Polynesia (since 22/07/1957)
Taiwan Asia (Oceania 1975-1989) Also Republic of China, Chinese Taipei. Separate from PR China since 08/12/1949. Rejoined AFC on 15/8/89.
Tajikistan Asia Part of USSR before 25/12/1991
Tanzania Africa Tanganyika 20/07/1922 - 29/10/1964
Thailand Asia Siam before 23/06/1939
Tibet Asia Part of China
Togo Africa French Togoland before 27/04/1960
Tokelau Oceania
Tonga Oceania
Trinidad/Tobago North and Central America and Caribbean
Tunisia Africa
Turkey Europe
Turkish Cyprus Europe Also Northern Cyprus. Part of Cyprus [Republic only recognized by Turkey]
Turkmenistan Asia Part of USSR before 25/12/1991
Turks/Caicos Isl. North and Central America and Caribbean
Tuvalu Oceania Ellice Islands before 01/10/1975 [Part of Gilbert and Ellice Islands]
Uganda Africa
Ukraine Europe Part of USSR before 25/12/1991
UAE Asia Trucial States before 02/12/1971
US Virgin Islands North and Central America and Caribbean
USA North and Central America and Caribbean
Uruguay South America
Uzbekistan Asia Part of USSR before 25/12/1991
Vanuatu Oceania New Hebrides before 30/07/1980
Vatican City Europe Also The Holy See, Papal State
Venezuela South America
Vietnam Asia Divided into North and South 30/08/1945 - 02/07/1976 (see below)
Wales Europe
Wallis/Futuna Oceania Subordinate to New Caledonia
Western Sahara Africa Spanish Sahara until 26/02/1976. Partioned by Morocco and Mauritania, but Morocco annexes both parts 11/08/1979
Yemen Asia Divided into North and South until 22/05/1990
Zambia Africa Northern Rhodesia before 24/10/1964
Zanzibar Africa Part of Tanzania 27/04/1964
Zimbabwe Africa Southern Rhodesia before 23/10/1953, Rhodesia 23/10/1953 - 17/04/1980
Ex-countries:
Czechoslovakia Europe 28/10/1918 - 01/01/1993
East Germany Europe German DR 07/10/1949 - 03/10/1990
North Vietnam Asia DR Vietnam 30/08/1945 - 02/07/1976
North Yemen Asia Yemen Arab Rep. 27/09/1962 - 22/05/1990
Saar Europe 15/12/1947 - 01/01/1957
South Vietnam Asia Rep. Vietnam 30/08/1945 - 02/07/1976
South Yemen Asia PDR Yemen 30/11/1967 - 22/05/1990
United Arab Rep. Africa See Egypt
USSR Europe Also Soviet Union, 30/12/1922 - 25/12/1991
West Germany Europe FR Germany 07/09/1949 - 03/10/1990 (although Germany is still FR Germany)
Yugoslavia Europe 04/02/2003 - 05/06/2006 Serbia and Montenegro, 03/10/1929 - 04/02/2003 Yugoslavia, 01/12/1918 - 03/10/1929 Kingdom of Serbs/Croats/Slovenes