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Montserrat national football team facts for kids

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This page is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Montserrat women's national football team.
Quick facts for kids
Montserrat
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s) Emerald Boys
Association Montserrat Football Association
Confederation CONCACAF (North America)
Sub-confederation CFU (Caribbean)
Head coach Willie Donachie
Captain Lyle Taylor
Most caps Alex Dyer
Dean Mason (21)
Top scorer Lyle Taylor (10)
Home stadium Blakes Estate Stadium
FIFA code MSR
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 200 Steady (7 February 2019)
Highest 165 (August 2014)
Lowest 206 (January 2011 – January 2012, June 2012, August – September 2012)
Elo ranking
Current 214 Increase 11 (3 March 2019)
Highest 107 (February 1950)
Lowest 233 (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 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.

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.

History

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. 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.

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.

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. 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.

World rankings

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.

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.

Colours

Since the team's first match in 1991, Montserrat have usually worn a first-choice kit of green, either plain green or green and white hoops. Currently, the away kit is red jersey, shorts and socks.

Recent results and forthcoming fixtures

Main page: Montserrat national football team results

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

2022

2023

Coaching staff

Position Name Notes
Manager Scotland Willie Donachie
Assistant Manager Antigua and Barbuda George Dublin
Goalkeeping Coach TBD
Head Physiotherapist Northern Ireland Paul Morgan

Coaching history

  • England Paul Morris (2000–2002)
  • Antigua and Barbuda William Lewis (2002–2004)
  • England Scott Cooper (2004)
  • Montserrat Ruel Fox (2004)
  • Montserrat Cecil Lake (2008)
  • Montserrat Kenny Dyer (2008–2013)
  • Antigua and Barbuda Lenny Hewlett (2013–2015)
  • Scotland Willie Donachie (2018–)

Current squad

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
1 1GK Corrin Brooks-Meade (1988-03-19) 19 March 1988 (age 35) 16 0 Free agent
13 1GK Kymani Nelson (2004-03-04) 4 March 2004 (age 19) 3 0 England Barking Abbey School
23 2DF Dean Mason (1989-02-28) 28 February 1989 (age 34) 21 0 Free agent
22 2DF Craig Braham-Barrett (1988-09-01) 1 September 1988 (age 34) 18 0 England Tonbridge Angels
2 2DF Michael Williams (1988-02-05) 5 February 1988 (age 35) 17 0 Free agent
19 2DF Nathan Pond (1985-01-05) 5 January 1985 (age 38) 11 2 England Bamber Bridge
6 2DF Lucas Kirnon (2003-10-25) 25 October 2003 (age 19) 1 0 England Salford City
12 3MF Alex Dyer (1990-06-11) 11 June 1990 (age 32) 21 0 England Wealdstone
11 3MF James Comley (vice-captain) (1991-01-24) 24 January 1991 (age 32) 18 1 England Dulwich Hamlet
10 3MF Brandon Comley (1995-11-18) 18 November 1995 (age 27) 16 0 England Walsall
17 3MF Adrian Clifton (1988-12-12) 12 December 1988 (age 34) 15 6 England Maidenhead United
4 3MF Kaleem Simon (1996-07-08) 8 July 1996 (age 26) 8 1 United Arab Emirates Fleetwood United
16 3MF Brandon Barzey (1999-07-27) 27 July 1999 (age 23) 3 0 England Hampton & Richmond Borough
3 3MF Lewis Duberry (2003-03-07) 7 March 2003 (age 20) 2 0 England Witham Town
5 3MF Jarrel Kirnon (2003-12-07) 7 December 2003 (age 19) 0 0 England Romulus
12 3MF Sydney Mendes (2003-07-02) 2 July 2003 (age 19) 0 0 England 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 England Pinchbeck United
9 4FW Lyle Taylor (captain) (1990-03-29) 29 March 1990 (age 33) 13 10 England Nottingham Forest
20 4FW Massiah McDonald (1990-08-20) 20 August 1990 (age 32) 13 0 England Shepshed Dynamo
12 4FW Seigel Rodney (2003-10-02) 2 October 2003 (age 19) 0 0 England Gloucester City

Recent call-ups

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

Player records

Players in bold are still active with Montserrat.

Competitive record

FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup record FIFA World Cup qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
Uruguay 1930 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member
Italy 1934
France 1938
Brazil 1950
Switzerland 1954
Sweden 1958
Chile 1962
England 1966
Mexico 1970
West Germany 1974
Argentina 1978
Spain 1982
Mexico 1986
Italy 1990
United States 1994
France 1998 Did not enter Did not enter
South Korea Japan 2002 Did not qualify 2 0 0 2 1 6
Germany 2006 2 0 0 2 0 20
South Africa 2010 1 0 0 1 1 7
Brazil 2014 2 0 0 2 3 8
Russia 2018 2 0 1 1 3 4
Qatar 2022 4 2 2 0 9 4
Canada Mexico United States 2026 To be determined To be determined
Total – 0/22 – – – – – – 13 2 3 8 17 49

CONCACAF Gold Cup

CONCACAF Gold Cup record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA
United States 1991 Did not qualify
MexicoUnited States 1993 Did not enter
United States 1996 Did not qualify
United States 1998 Did not enter
United States 2000 Did not qualify
United States 2002
MexicoUnited States 2003 Withdrew
United States 2005 Did not qualify
United States 2007 Did not enter
United States 2009
United States 2011 Did not qualify
United States 2013
CanadaUnited States 2015
United States 2017 Did not enter
United StatesCosta RicaJamaica 2019 Did not qualify
United States 2021
Total 0 titles 0/16 0 0 0 0 0 0

CONCACAF Nations League

CONCACAF Nations League record
Year Division Group Pld W D* L GF GA P/R Rank
United States 2019−20 B B 6 2 2 2 4 5 Same position 20th
2022–23 B B To be determined
Total 6 2 2 2 4 5 20th

Caribbean Cup

Caribbean Cup record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA
Barbados 1989 Did not enter
Trinidad and Tobago 1990 Did not enter
Jamaica 1991 Did not qualify
Trinidad and Tobago 1992 Did not qualify
Jamaica 1993 Did not enter
Trinidad and Tobago 1994 Did not qualify
Cayman Islands Jamaica 1995 Did not qualify
Trinidad and Tobago 1996 Did not enter
Antigua and Barbuda Saint Kitts and Nevis 1997 Did not enter
Jamaica Trinidad and Tobago 1998 Did not enter
Trinidad and Tobago 1999 Did not qualify
Trinidad and Tobago 2001 Did not qualify
Barbados 2005 Did not qualify
Trinidad and Tobago 2007 Did not enter
Jamaica 2008 Did not enter
Martinique 2010 Did not qualify
Antigua and Barbuda 2012 Did not qualify
Jamaica 2014 Did not qualify
Martinique 2017 Did not enter
Total 0 Titles 0/19 0 0 0 0 0 0

Head-to-head record

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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