Montserrat national football team
Nickname(s) | Emerald Boys | ||
---|---|---|---|
Association | Montserrat Football Association | ||
Confederation | CONCACAF (North America) | ||
Sub-confederation | CFU (Caribbean) | ||
Head coach | Lee Bowyer | ||
Captain | Lyle Taylor | ||
Most caps | Alex Dyer (36) | ||
Top scorer | Lyle Taylor (13) | ||
Home stadium | Blakes Estate Stadium | ||
FIFA code | MSR | ||
| |||
FIFA ranking | |||
Current | 181 1 (28 November 2024)[1] | ||
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 | |||
British Virgin Islands 0–7 Montserrat (Fort-de-France, Martinique; 9 September 2012) | |||
Biggest defeat | |||
Bermuda 13–0 Montserrat (Hamilton, Bermuda; 29 February 2004) | |||
The Other Final | |||
Appearances | 1 (first in 2002) | ||
Best result | Runners-Up (2002) |
The Montserrat national football team represents Montserrat in international football. Football is the second most popular sport in Montserrat, after cricket. The team plays at the Blakes Estate Stadium. 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.
Due to the volcanic activity on the island from 1995 to 2010, 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 were losses. Since then, however, Montserrat has proven more competitive.
On 30 June 2002, the day of the 2002 World Cup final, Montserrat, then the lowest ranked team in the world, played against the second lowest ranked team, Bhutan, in a friendly match known as "The Other Final"; losing 4–0.
History
[edit]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 3–0 defeat against Saint Lucia. The team's next match was against Anguilla; securing a 1–1 draw. Montserrat once again entered the Caribbean Cup the following year, but were once more knocked out in the group stage, with heavy defeats against Saint Kitts and Nevis and Antigua and Barbuda. They were drawn against the same two teams in the 1994 Caribbean Cup, again being eliminated in the tournament's group stage, conceding 17 goals in two matches. In 1994, the Montserrat Football Association (MFA) was formed. Like all other football teams based in the Caribbean, the MFA became a member of CONCACAF.
On 26 March 1995, Montserrat played their first ever home international match. They defeated Anguilla 3–2, thus achieving their first win. The team beat Anguilla again in the next fixture, to ensure progression to the Second Qualifying Round of the 1995 Caribbean Cup. The 1–0 win in the second leg, was 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 20–0 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 life on the island.[3] Despite the lack of football action, the MFA became a member of FIFA in 1996. However, it was a further three years before the Montserrat team played another match. This was mostly because many of the island's footballers had emigrated from the area, many of them to England.[3]
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 6–1 to the British Virgin Islands. Due to the volcanic activity on the island, 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 6–1 by the Dominican Republic. In 2001, the MFA visited The Football Association to raise money for a new stadium. Shortly after this the Blakes Estate Stadium was opened. 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 20–0 against Bermuda. Montserrat then competed in the 2005 Caribbean Cup, but once more failed to progress past the preliminary round. In 2008, they were defeated 7–1 by Suriname in the first qualifying round of the 2010 World Cup.
The team played a friendly match against a Network Rail XI 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.
Montserrat's fortunes changed dramatically in 2018 with the arrival of Willie Donachie and the launch of the CONCACAF Nations League.[3] The side won three of their four qualifying games, but missed out on qualification for the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup on goal difference. 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.
Following Willie Donachie, in 2022 Matt Lockwood took over for a spell as head coach and technical director, supported in March 2023 by assistant coaches Craig Easton and David Preece.[4][5] Just months later on September 8, Lee Bowyer took over as the Montserrat manager and Steve Gallen is the assistant. In their first game they beat Barbados with a 99th-minute winner to go second in their CONCACAF Nations League group.
World rankings
[edit]Due to the team's poor results, they have often been at the lower end of the FIFA World Rankings. The loss to Bhutan in "The Other Final" saw them fall to 203rd in the rankings, becoming the worst-ranked side in the world. After the addition of another two teams to FIFA, Montserrat achieved a new low of 205th between July and October 2004. In July 2006, they achieved a record high rank of 196th, but then fell to 198th 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 184th.[6]
The team have also languished in the lower reaches of the unofficial World Football Elo Ratings, which ranks teams directly based on their match results.
Colours
[edit]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 a red jersey, shorts and socks.
Results and fixtures
[edit]The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
Win Draw Loss Fixture
2024
[edit]21 March Training Friendly | Montserrat | 4–0 | Club Costa City | La Nucia, Spain |
17:00 (CET) | Stadium: La Nucia Football Center |
5 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification | Nicaragua | 4–1 | Montserrat | Managua, Nicaragua |
20:00 UTC−6 | Report (FIFA) Report (CONCACAF) |
|
Stadium: Estadio Nacional de Fútbol Attendance: 14,320 Referee: Tori Penso (United States) |
9 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification | Montserrat | 1–3 | Panama | Managua, Nicaragua |
19:00 UTC−6 |
|
Report (FIFA) Report (CONCACAF) |
Stadium: Estadio Nacional de Fútbol Referee: Ismael Alexander Cornejo (El Salvador) |
5 September 2024–25 Nations League | Montserrat | 1–4 | El Salvador | Rincon, Bonaire |
16:00 UTC−4 |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Stadion Antonio Trenidat Referee: Benjamín Pineda (Costa Rica) |
8 September 2024–25 Nations League | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 2–0 | Montserrat | Rincon, Bonaire |
16:00 UTC−4 | Report | Stadium: Stadion Antonio Trenidat Referee: Rubiel Vázquez (United States) |
10 October 2024–25 Nations League | Bonaire | v | Montserrat | Montserrat |
--:-- UTC−6 | Stadium: TBD |
13 October 2024–25 Nations League | Montserrat | v | Bonaire | Montserrat |
--:-- UTC−6 | Stadium: TBD |
14 November 2024–25 Nations League | Montserrat | v | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | El Salvador |
--:-- UTC−6 | Stadium: TBD |
17 November 2024–25 Nations League | El Salvador | v | Montserrat | El Salvador |
--:-- UTC−6 | Stadium: TBD |
2025
[edit]Coaching staff
[edit]Position | Name | Notes |
---|---|---|
Manager | Lee Bowyer | |
Assistant Manager | Ignatius Reid | |
Goalkeeping Coach | Raheem Jefferson | |
Head Physiotherapist | Robinson Plymouth |
Coaching history
[edit]- Paul Morris (2000–2002)
- William Lewis (2002–2004)[9][10]
- Scott Cooper (2004)
- Ruel Fox (2004)
- Cecil Lake (2008)
- Kenny Dyer (2008–2013)
- Lenny Hewlett (2013–2015)
- Willie Donachie (2018–2022)
- Matt Lockwood (2023)
- Lee Bowyer (2023–)
Players
[edit]Current squad
[edit]The following players were called up to the squad for the 2024–25 CONCACAF Nations League B matches against Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on 14 November 2024 and El Salvador on 17 November 2024.[11]
Caps and goals correct as of 17 November 2024, after the game against El Salvador.
No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | GK | Trent Carter-Rogers | 23 April 2006 | 6 | 0 | Hanwell Town |
13 | GK | Corrin Brooks-Meade | 19 March 1988 | 23 | 0 | Unattached |
4 | DF | Nico Gordon | 28 April 2002 | 12 | 0 | North Texas |
5 | DF | Donervon Daniels | 24 November 1993 | 8 | 1 | Walsall |
6 | DF | Mackye Townsend-West | 1 August 2003 | 3 | 0 | Ware |
16 | DF | Jernade Meade | 15 October 1992 | 15 | 0 | St Ives Town |
21 | DF | Lucas Kirnon | 25 October 2003 | 12 | 0 | Thompson Rivers WolfPack |
22 | DF | Vashirn Roache | 7 July 2005 | 0 | 0 | Hartpury College |
3 | MF | Lewis Duberry | 7 March 2003 | 9 | 0 | Kings Langley |
8 | MF | Brandon Comley | 18 November 1995 | 22 | 0 | Walsall |
18 | MF | Alex Dyer | 11 June 1990 | 36 | 0 | Wealdstone |
20 | MF | Mylan Benjamin | 21 September 2004 | 8 | 0 | Unattached |
7 | FW | Brandon Barzey | 27 July 1999 | 17 | 4 | Hemel Hempstead Town |
11 | FW | Seigel Rodney | 2 October 2003 | 5 | 0 | Pigotts SC |
12 | FW | Dominic Richmond | 18 March 2006 | 10 | 1 | Unattached |
17 | FW | Ashley Boatswain | 19 April 2005 | 6 | 1 | Ipswich Town |
19 | FW | Josiah Dyer | 24 September 2004 | 9 | 1 | Barnsley |
Recent call-ups
[edit]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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GK | Kymani Nelson | 4 March 2004 | 6 | 0 | Unattached | v. Panama, 9 June 2024 |
DF | Dean Mason | 28 February 1989 | 28 | 0 | Free agent | v. Bonaire, 10 October 2024 |
DF | Craig Braham-Barrett | 1 September 1988 | 29 | 0 | AFC Whyteleafe | v. Bonaire, 10 October 2024 |
DF | Lenni Cirino | 25 January 2003 | 4 | 0 | Clitheroe | v. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 8 September 2024 |
DF | Raff Cirino | 3 February 2007 | 2 | 0 | Fleetwood Town | v. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 8 September 2024 |
DF | Joey Taylor | 18 August 1997 | 23 | 1 | Ashford United | v. Panama, 9 June 2024 |
DF | Jeriel Dorsett | 4 May 2002 | 7 | 0 | Reading | v. Panama, 9 June 2024 |
MF | James Comley | 24 January 1991 | 23 | 1 | Hampton & Richmond Borough | v. Bonaire, 10 October 2024 |
MF | Kaleem Simon | 8 July 1996 | 18 | 3 | Gulf United | v. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 8 September 2024 |
MF | Sydney Mendes | 2 July 2003 | 0 | 0 | Unattached | v. Barbados, 24 November 2023 |
MF | Mark Rogers | 6 May 2002 | 0 | 0 | Free agent | v. Barbados, 24 November 2023 |
FW | Lyle Taylor | 29 March 1990 | 20 | 13 | Cambridge United | v. Bonaire, 10 October 2024 |
FW | Jamie Allen | 25 May 1995 | 15 | 0 | Workington | v. Bonaire, 10 October 2024 |
FW | Bradley Woods-Garness | 26 June 1986 | 19 | 4 | Unattached | v. Bonaire, 10 October 2024 |
FW | Adrian Clifton | 12 December 1988 | 23 | 6 | Hayes & Yeading United | v. Barbados, 24 November 2023 |
Player records
[edit]- As of 17 November 2024[12]
- Players in bold are still active with Montserrat.
Most appearances
[edit]Rank | Player | Caps | Goals | Career |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Alex Dyer | 36 | 0 | 2011–present |
2 | Craig Braham-Barrett | 29 | 0 | 2018–present |
3 | Dean Mason | 28 | 0 | 2012–present |
4 | Adrian Clifton | 23 | 6 | 2015–present |
Joey Taylor | 23 | 1 | 2018–present | |
James Comley | 23 | 1 | 2015–present | |
Corrin Brooks-Meade | 23 | 0 | 2015–present | |
8 | Brandon Comley | 22 | 0 | 2018–present |
9 | Lyle Taylor | 20 | 13 | 2015–present |
10 | Bradley Woods-Garness | 19 | 4 | 2012–present |
Top goalscorers
[edit]# | Player | Goals | Caps | Ratio | Career |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Lyle Taylor | 13 | 20 | 0.65 | 2015–present |
2 | Adrian Clifton | 6 | 23 | 0.26 | 2015–present |
3 | Jay'lee Hodgson | 4 | 7 | 0.57 | 2011–2014 |
Bradley Woods-Garness | 4 | 19 | 0.21 | 2012–present | |
Brandon Barzey | 4 | 17 | 0.24 | 2022–present | |
6 | Vladimir Farrell | 3 | 12 | 0.25 | 2000–2010 |
Spencer Weir-Daley | 3 | 18 | 0.17 | 2015–2023 | |
Kaleem Simon | 3 | 18 | 0.17 | 2021–present | |
9 | Marlon Campbell | 2 | 3 | 0.67 | 2012 |
Ellis Remy | 2 | 6 | 0.33 | 2010–2014 | |
Nathan Pond | 2 | 13 | 0.15 | 2019–2023 |
Competitive record
[edit]FIFA World Cup
[edit]FIFA World Cup | Qualification | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
1930 to 1994 | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | |||||||||||||
1998 | Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||
2002 | Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6 | ||||||||
2006 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 20 | |||||||||
2010 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | |||||||||
2014 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 8 | |||||||||
2018 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | |||||||||
2022 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 4 | |||||||||
2026 | To be determined | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 7 | ||||||||
2030 | To be determined | ||||||||||||||
2034 | |||||||||||||||
Total | – | 0/7 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 15 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 19 | 56 |
CONCACAF Gold Cup
[edit]CONCACAF Gold Cup record | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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 | |||||||||
2023 | |||||||||
Total | – | 0/17 | – | – | – | – | – |
CONCACAF Nations League
[edit]CONCACAF Nations League record | |||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
League | Finals | ||||||||||||||||||
Season | Division | Group | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | P/R | Finals | Result | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad | |
2019–20 | B | B | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 2021 | Ineligible | |||||||||
2022–23 | B | B | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 14 | 2023 | ||||||||||
2023–24 | B | B | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 14 | 2024 | ||||||||||
2024–25 | B | A | To be determined | 2025 | |||||||||||||||
Total | — | — | 18 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 19 | 33 | — | Total | 0 Titles | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Caribbean Cup
[edit]Caribbean Cup record | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA |
1989 | Did not enter | |||||||
1990 | ||||||||
1991 | Did not qualify | |||||||
1992 | ||||||||
1993 | Did not enter | |||||||
1994 | Did not qualify | |||||||
1995 | ||||||||
1996 | Did not enter | |||||||
1997 | ||||||||
1998 | ||||||||
1999 | Did not qualify | |||||||
2001 | ||||||||
2005 | ||||||||
2007 | Did not enter | |||||||
2008 | ||||||||
2010 | Did not qualify | |||||||
2012 | ||||||||
2014 | ||||||||
2017 | Did not enter | |||||||
Total | 0 Titles | 0/19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Head-to-head record
[edit]- As of 14 November 2024[13]
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 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 9 | −2 | 66% |
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 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 33.33% |
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 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 | −3 | 40% |
El Salvador | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 10 | −7 | 0% |
Guyana (will be played in June 2025) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
Martinique | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | −5 | 0% |
Nicaragua | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 0% |
Panama | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 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 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 31 | −30 | 0% |
Suriname | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 14 | −12 | 0% |
U.S. Virgin Islands | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 100% |
Total | 55 | 13 | 7 | 35 | 59 | 188 | −129 | 23.63% |
Note: teams in italic are not FIFA members.
Historical kits
[edit]
2000s Home
|
2000s Away
|
2012 Home
|
2012 Away
|
2014 Home
|
2014 Away
|
2016 Home
|
2016 Away
|
2018 Home
|
2019 Home
|
2020 Home
|
2020 Away
|
References
[edit]- ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking". FIFA. 28 November 2024. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
- ^ Elo rankings change compared to one year ago. "World Football Elo Ratings". eloratings.net. 8 December 2024. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
- ^ a b c "The world's worst team reinvented after disaster". Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
- ^ "'It's stripping football right back to what everyone fell in love with, taking it back to its roots.'". Belfast News Letter. 23 March 2023. Archived from the original on 19 May 2023. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
- ^ Temple, Alan. "EXCLUSIVE: Former Dundee United ace Craig Easton opens up on shock international adventure in the Caribbean — alongside ex-Dens Park hero". Archived from the original on 10 April 2023. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
- ^ FIFA.com. "The FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking - Ranking Table". www.fifa.com. Archived from the original on 15 July 2018. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
- ^ "The Montserrat Miracle Men March On". PressFrom – UK. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
- ^ FIFA.com. "2018 FIFA World Cup Russia – Teams – Montserrat – Profile". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 28 February 2019. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
- ^ "2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan ™". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 16 November 2007. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
- ^ "CNNSI.com – CNNSI.com's complete coverage of the FIFA World Cup – Bhutan routs Montserrat in 'other final' – Sunday June 30, 2002 05:39 AM". Sports Illustrated. 30 June 2002. Archived from the original on 14 October 2012. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
- ^ "Final Squad". Instagram. Montserrat Football Association. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
- ^ "Montserrat". National Football Teams.
- ^ "World Football Elo Ratings". www.eloratings.net. Archived from the original on 30 June 2018. Retrieved 3 June 2019.