The Montserrat national football team represents the small Caribbean island of Montserrat in the CONCACAF football region. Football is the second most popular sport in Montserrat, after cricket. The team plays at the Blakes Estate Stadium, near the village of Look Out. The Montserrat football team was formed in 1973, and has entered the World Cup qualifiers since the 2002 edition, being eliminated in the first round on each occasion.
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Nickname(s) | Emerald Boys | ||
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Association | Montserrat Football Association | ||
Confederation | CONCACAF (North America) | ||
Sub-confederation | CFU (Caribbean) | ||
Head coach | Willie Donachie[1] | ||
Captain | Lyle Taylor | ||
Most caps | Alex Dyer Dean Mason (21) | ||
Top scorer | Lyle Taylor (10) | ||
Home stadium | Blakes Estate Stadium | ||
FIFA code | MSR | ||
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FIFA ranking | |||
Current | 178 1 (25 August 2022)[2] | ||
Highest | 165 (August 2014) | ||
Lowest | 206 (January 2011 – January 2012, June 2012, August – September 2012) | ||
First international | |||
Saint Lucia 3–0 Montserrat (Saint Lucia; 10 May 1991) | |||
Biggest win | |||
Montserrat 7–0 British Virgin Islands (Fort-de-France, Martinique; 9 September 2012) | |||
Biggest defeat | |||
Bermuda 13–0 Montserrat (Hamilton, Bermuda; 29 February 2004) |
Due to the heavy volcanic activity on the island since 1995, the team has only played a handful of matches, and most of those have been away from home. Their only victories were against neighboring Anguilla in the qualifying tournament of the 1995 Caribbean Cup, winning 3–2 at home and 1–0 away. Apart from one draw against Anguilla, all their other matches before 2018 have been lost. Since then, however, Montserrat has proven more competitive.
On June 30, 2002, the day of the 2002 World Cup Final, Montserrat, then the lowest ranked team in the world, played against the second lowest team, Bhutan, in a friendly match known as "The Other Final", but lost 4–0.
The Montserrat national team is one of the newest in international football, having played its first senior match on 10 May 1991 during the 1991 Caribbean Cup tournament. The team suffered a 0–3 defeat to Saint Lucia at the Vieux Fort National Stadium in Saint Lucia. The team played their next match at the same venue, securing a 1–1 draw with Anguilla. Montserrat again entered the Caribbean Cup the following year but were once more knocked out in the group stage, with heavy defeats by Saint Kitts and Nevis and Antigua and Barbuda. They were drawn against the same two teams for the 1994 Caribbean Cup, but again left the tournament at the group stage, conceding 17 goals in just two matches. In 1994, the Montserrat Football Association (MFA) was formed. Like all other Caribbean football teams, the MFA became a member of CONCACAF.
On 26 March 1995, Montserrat played their first ever home international match. They defeated Anguilla 3–2 in Plymouth, achieving their first win. The team beat Anguilla again in the next fixture to ensure progress to the Second Qualifying Round of the 1995 Caribbean Cup. The 1–0 win in the second leg would be their only clean sheet in international football and their most recent victory for the next seventeen years. The side exited the competition in the next stage, losing 0–20 on aggregate over two legs against Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Soon afterwards, the Soufrière Hills volcano became active and the eruptions destroyed Plymouth, the capital of Montserrat, severely disrupting all football on the island.[3] Despite the lack of football action, the MFA became a full FIFA member in 1996. However, it was a further three years before the Montserrat team played another international fixture. This was mostly because many of the island's footballers had emigrated away from the area, many of them to England.[citation needed]
After a four-year hiatus, the team entered the 1999 Caribbean Nations Cup. They were knocked out in the preliminary round of the tournament, losing 1–6 over two legs to the British Virgin Islands. Due to the volcanic activity, Montserrat had been unable to enter the FIFA World Cup 1998 tournament, so their entry to the 2002 World Cup was their first; but it was not a success as they were defeated 0–3 away by the Dominican Republic. In the second leg, played in Trinidad and Tobago, the team lost 1–3 loss in front of only 50 spectators. In 2001, the MFA visited The Football Association to raise money for a new stadium. The Blakes Estate Stadium was opened near the village of Look Out. The team's next match was on 30 June 2002, the day of the World Cup Final, when Montserrat played Bhutan in a game known as "The Other Final". The friendly match between the two lowest-ranked teams in the world ended with a 4–0 win for Bhutan in front of 15,000 fans in Thimphu.
Montserrat entered the World Cup qualifiers once more for the 2006 competition, but again lost in the first qualifying round, this time losing 0–20 on aggregate to Bermuda. In the first leg at the Bermuda National Stadium they lost 0–13, their heaviest-ever defeat. The second leg, a 0–7 loss, was the first international match played at the team's new ground and was watched by 250 supporters. Montserrat then competed in the 2005 Caribbean Cup, but once more failed to progress past the preliminary round. In 2008, they were defeated 1–7 by Suriname in the first qualifying round of the 2010 World Cup. The match was played in Macoya because neither team's stadiums met FIFA standards.
A friendly against a Network Rail XI was played at Charlton Athletic's Valley stadium in London on May 19, 2012, ending in a 4–4 draw.
Montserrat achieved their first victory since 1995 and their first ever victory since joining FIFA, beating the British Virgin Islands 7–0 in a 2012 Caribbean Championship qualifying match, held in Martinique.[4]
Montserrat's fortunes changed dramatically in 2018 with the arrival of Willie Donachie and launch of the CONCACAF Nations League. The side won three of their four qualifying games, but missed out on qualification for the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup on goal difference after Nicaragua scored with 25 minutes to go against Barbados.[5] The team went on to take second place in their group in the inaugural season with two wins, draws, and losses each, thus keeping their place in the second tier.
The poor results of the team has seen them often frequenting the lower end of the FIFA World Rankings. The loss to Bhutan in "The Other Final" saw them fall to #203 in the rankings, becoming worst-ranked side in the world. After the addition of another two teams to FIFA, Montserrat achieved a new low of #205 between July and October 2004. In July 2006, they achieved a record high rank of #196 but they fell back down to #198 the following month. Success in the qualifying tournament for the CONCACAF Nations League and the first edition of the league proper saw them rise to #184.[6]
The team have also languished at the lower reaches of the unofficial World Football Elo Ratings, which ranks teams directly based on their match results.
Since the team's first match in 1991, Montserrat have usually worn a first-choice kit of green, either plain green[7] or green and white hoops.[8] Currently, the away kit is red jersey, shorts and socks.
The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
4 June Nations League | Montserrat | 1–2 | Guyana | Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic |
19:30 UTC−4 | Clifton 21' | Glasgow 61', 71' | Stadium: Estadio Olímpico Félix Sánchez Referee: Jefferson Escobar (Honduras) |
7 June Nations League | Haiti | 3–2 | Montserrat | Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic |
17:00 UTC−4 | Report | Stadium: Estadio Olímpico Félix Sánchez Referee: David Gómez (Costa Rica) |
11 June Nations League | Montserrat | 3–2 | Bermuda | Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic |
19:30 UTC−4 | Report | Stadium: Estadio Olímpico Félix Sánchez Referee: Adonis Carrasco (Dominican Republic) |
14 June Nations League | Bermuda | Cancelled | Montserrat | Devonshire Parish, Bermuda |
19:00 UTC−3 | Report | Stadium: Dame Flora Duffy National Sports Centre Referee: Drew Fischer (Canada) |
25 March Nations League | Montserrat | v | Haiti | Montserrat |
Stadium: To be determined |
28 March Nations League | Guyana | v | Montserrat | Guyana |
Stadium: To be determined |
Position | Name | Notes |
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Manager | Willie Donachie | |
Assistant Manager | George Dublin | |
Goalkeeping Coach | TBD | |
Head Physiotherapist | Paul Morgan |
The following players were called up to the squad for the 2022–23 CONCACAF Nations League B matches against Guyana on 5 June 2022, Haiti on 7 June 2022 and Guyana on 12 and 14 June 2022.
Caps and goals correct as of 12 June 2022, after the game against Haiti.
No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
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1 | 1GK | Corrin Brooks-Meade | (1988-03-19) 19 March 1988 (age 34) | 16 | 0 | Free agent |
13 | 1GK | Kymani Nelson | (2004-03-04) 4 March 2004 (age 18) | 3 | 0 | Barking Abbey School |
23 | 2DF | Dean Mason | (1989-02-28) 28 February 1989 (age 33) | 21 | 0 | Free agent |
22 | 2DF | Craig Braham-Barrett | (1988-09-01) 1 September 1988 (age 34) | 18 | 0 | Tonbridge Angels |
2 | 2DF | Michael Williams | (1988-02-05) 5 February 1988 (age 34) | 17 | 0 | Free agent |
19 | 2DF | Nathan Pond | (1985-01-05) 5 January 1985 (age 37) | 11 | 2 | Bamber Bridge |
6 | 2DF | Lucas Kirnon | (2003-10-25) 25 October 2003 (age 18) | 1 | 0 | Salford City |
12 | 3MF | Alex Dyer | (1990-06-11) 11 June 1990 (age 32) | 21 | 0 | Wealdstone |
11 | 3MF | James Comley (vice-captain) | (1991-01-24) 24 January 1991 (age 31) | 18 | 1 | Dulwich Hamlet |
10 | 3MF | Brandon Comley | (1995-11-18) 18 November 1995 (age 26) | 16 | 0 | Walsall |
17 | 3MF | Adrian Clifton | (1988-12-12) 12 December 1988 (age 33) | 15 | 6 | Maidenhead United |
4 | 3MF | Kaleem Simon | (1996-07-08) 8 July 1996 (age 26) | 8 | 1 | Free agent |
16 | 3MF | Brandon Barzey | (1999-07-27) 27 July 1999 (age 23) | 3 | 0 | Hampton & Richmond Borough |
3 | 3MF | Lewis Duberry | (2003-03-07) 7 March 2003 (age 19) | 2 | 0 | Witham Town |
5 | 3MF | Jarrel Kirnon | (2003-12-07) 7 December 2003 (age 18) | 0 | 0 | Romulus |
12 | 3MF | Sydney Mendes | (2003-07-02) 2 July 2003 (age 19) | 0 | 0 | Hartpury University |
8 | 4FW | Bradley Woods-Garness | (1986-06-26) 26 June 1986 (age 36) | 16 | 4 | Free agent |
7 | 4FW | Spencer Weir-Daley | (1985-09-05) 5 September 1985 (age 37) | 16 | 3 | Pinchbeck United |
9 | 4FW | Lyle Taylor (captain) | (1990-03-29) 29 March 1990 (age 32) | 13 | 10 | Nottingham Forest |
20 | 4FW | Massiah McDonald | (1990-08-20) 20 August 1990 (age 32) | 13 | 0 | Shepshed Dynamo |
12 | 4FW | Seigel Rodney | (2003-10-02) 2 October 2003 (age 18) | 0 | 0 | Gloucester City |
The following players have been called up to the Montserrat squad in the last 12 months.
Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
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CONCACAF Gold Cup record | |||||||||
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Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | |
1991 | Did not qualify | ||||||||
1993 | Did not enter | ||||||||
1996 | Did not qualify | ||||||||
1998 | Did not enter | ||||||||
2000 | Did not qualify | ||||||||
2002 | |||||||||
2003 | Withdrew | ||||||||
2005 | Did not qualify | ||||||||
2007 | Did not enter | ||||||||
2009 | |||||||||
2011 | Did not qualify | ||||||||
2013 | |||||||||
2015 | |||||||||
2017 | Did not enter | ||||||||
2019 | Did not qualify | ||||||||
2021 | |||||||||
Total | 0 titles | 0/16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
CONCACAF Nations League record | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Division | Group | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | P/R | Rank |
2019−20 | B | B | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 20th | |
2022–23 | B | B | To be determined | |||||||
Total | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 20th | |||
Against | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | GF | GA | GD | % Won |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Anguilla | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 7 | −1 | 50% |
Antigua and Barbuda | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 20 | −14 | 0% |
Aruba | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 100% |
Barbados | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | −5 | 0% |
Belize | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 8 | −4 | 33% |
Bermuda | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 20 | −20 | 0% |
Bhutan | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | −4 | 0% |
Bonaire | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
British Virgin Islands | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 6 | +2 | 33% |
Cayman Islands | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 100% |
Curaçao | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | −1 | 0% |
Dominican Republic | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 | −4 | 25% |
El Salvador | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 | −4 | 0% |
Martinique | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | −5 | 0% |
Saint Kitts and Nevis | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 29 | −27 | 0% |
Saint Lucia | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 33% |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 27 | −27 | 0% |
Suriname | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 14 | −12 | 0% |
U.S. Virgin Islands | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 100% |
Total | 45 | 9 | 7 | 29 | 45 | 167 | −122 | 20% |
Note: teams in italic indicates that teams are not FIFA members.
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