Football in Burundi has been affected by the civil war that broke out in 1993. Before that, Burundi had been doing well.

The football club Vital'o reached the final of the most prestigious African competition; Inter FC reached the semifinal.

Just two nights before the war broke out in Burundi, the national team was in Guinea to play the host in the second leg of the play offs to qualify for the African Nations Cup. The Burundian youth team reached the semi final of the African Nations Youth Cup as well as qualifying in the World Youth Championship in Qatar.