Jamaica’s strategy to establish itself in world football

Author of a fantastic start to the season with Olympique de Marseille, Mason Greenwood will soon be able to re-experience the joys of international football. However, it will not be with England, his native country, with which he had his first selection on September 5, 2020, 12 minutes against Iceland as part of the League of Nations, but perhaps with the Jamaica, where his father is from. A FIFA rule today authorizes him to change his sporting nationality, since he was under 21 years old during his last selection and has not had more than three matches with the Three Lions.

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Considered one of the greatest hopes in English football, Mason Greenwood had already received several advances from the Jamaican Federation in recent years, without him following through. If his arrival on this new match sheet is partly explained by his personal situation, with the accusations of rape and domestic violence to which he was subjected, closing the door to England on him, she also reveals today a much broader strategy of the small Caribbean country.

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Seduction operations

It is, in fact, not uncommon to see the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) making appeals to its dual nationals. In 2021, during the qualifying campaign for the World Cup in Qatar, Michail Antonio and Liam Moore finally decided to join the Reggae Boyz. More recently, Demarai Gray, former Everton striker, also chose to join Jamaica. Often motivated by a lack of playing time in major European teams, more and more players are now taking the plunge. “ The importance of dual nationals has been increasing over the last decade. Their role is today considerable in the eleven type », explains Daniel Blake, sports journalist at the Jamaican daily The Gleanerhas Foot Market.

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This strategy is actually not new. Already during the 1998 World Cup, the Reggaes Boyz included six players from the Afro-Caribbean community in the United Kingdom. Among them, Chelsea defender Franck Saintclair, Wimbledon midfielder Robert Earle and Derby County striker Deon Burton. Despite these reinforcements in terms of recruitment, Jamaica failed to advance beyond the group stage after three defeats against Argentina (5-0), Croatia (3-1) and Japan (2-1). It was, moreover, the last time that the country managed to qualify for the most prestigious international competition. Nothing to discourage the federation which has continued its efforts over the years.

One of the main goals of this plan remains, in fact, to raise the level of play of the national team by recruiting players playing in more competitive championships. Many Jamaican dual nationals play these days in European leagues (Premier League, Championship, etc.), or American leagues (MLS), which allows them to bring experience and professionalism that local players do not always benefit from. According to the International Organization for Migration, “the Jamaican diaspora is one of the largest in the world» and is estimated “to more than three million people“. Which offers, in fact, a rather substantial breeding ground for the JFF.

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The 2026 World Cup as a goal

This recruitment policy also aims to be able to once again set foot on the grounds of a World Cup. “ It is obvious that qualification for this competition remains the number 1 objective for the federationsays Daniel Blake. This is the pinnacle for most nations, especially small countries like Jamaica who do not have the same resources as the world’s footballing elite “. To be able to return to the famous tournament, the selection is also counting on the arrival of a new coach: Steve McClaren. The former coach of Middlesbrough and Newcastle, recently arrived on the bench of the Caribbean country, will have the main task of integrating all the newcomers.

«Players like Michail Antonio, Ethan Pinnock and Bobby Reid have shown their qualities in what is arguably the biggest league in the world (the Premier League, editor’s note), but it’s not enough to put them on the pitch and wait let them do magic. We must put in place a real tactical system and alchemy between them. There is still work to be done on this subject», comments Daniel Blake. Expanding the number of selections for the next edition of the competition could, moreover, do well for the country, often stuck in the last round of the qualifiers. As a reminder, in 2026, 6 to 8 places will be granted to the CONCACAF zone, compared to only 4 in 2022. Enough to suggest a bright footballing future in the tropics.