Bermuda Football Association (BFA) president Mark Wade boasts an admiration for Jamaica’s achievements, especially their historic performances and advancement in international football, that is not only personal but rooted in a hope for Bermuda to achieve similar success.

Simply put, Wade is on a clear mission to elevate Bermuda’s football programmes to the heights reached by nations like Jamaica on the global stage.

With only an historic 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup appearance under their belts, Wade believes emulating Jamaica’s success as the Caribbean’s number one team across both genders is not far-fetched, provided his island—with a population of just over 63,000—takes the necessary steps to ensure the continued improvements of their men’s and women’s programmes.

The success of Jamaica’s men’s programme across the region and internationally includes Gold Cup runner-up finishes, Copa America appearances, and the famous 1998 World Cup appearance. These are complemented by Under-17 World Cup appearances in 1999 and 2011, as well as an Under-20 World Cup appearance in 2001.

Meanwhile, the women’s programme has achieved back-to-back World Cup appearances, including a knockout stage run at last year’s edition, as well as runner-up finishes in the Concacaf Women’s Championships.

“Bermuda is very small. We only have 63,000 people, so being able to have relationships with bigger countries like Jamaica and countries who've had good performances on the international stage into a World Cup in three different age groups, we want to do the same thing. And having these types of relationships and being able to hear the different discussions that have gone on with the minister of sport [Olivia Grange] and so on and so forth, can only bode well for us, and I can take some information back to Bermuda,” Wade told SportsMax.Tv during a recent visit to Jamaica with Concacaf President Victor Montagliani.

As Wade discussed his vision, he pointed out Jamaica’s recent initiatives, such as their athlete insurance programme, which provides crucial coverage for players’ health and wellbeing. For Wade, such a programme could be transformative for Bermuda, where athletes have traditionally faced limited insurance options.

“So here in Jamaica you had a programme where three-year-olds were playing football. So we've done that in Bermuda as well. But one of the things that we found that was interesting in our discussion was that Jamaica has an insurance programme for athletes, and that's something; maybe I'll go back and press our sports minister to kind of put it into place because that's very important for our athletes,” Wade shared.

Beyond financial stability, Wade expressed his excitement for the future of Bermuda’s men’s and women’s programmes, as he pointed out that the last few years have been filled with incremental progress.

In fact, Wade sees this as a pivotal moment to capitalize on that momentum, especially with a strategic plan in place that they are currently working towards fulfilling with the necessary backing.

“I think our prospects are really good. Our women, and I think this might be a really controversial thing to say, but our women are doing a lot better than our men in terms of their performances on the international stage. So we're trying to close that gap a little bit. We had a team that did very well in the Under-14 Challenge series, so we're hoping to kind of build on that. Our goal, as stated in our strategic plan, is for Bermuda to make it to a World Cup final in any gender and any age group,” Wade, who has been at the helm for the past eight years, stated.

“That is our strategic goal, and that's what we're working towards. In Bermuda, our biggest supporter is FIFA and closely followed by our government and then Concacaf, so we're able to kind of manage those funds, primarily because most of our staff are volunteers, so we have been able to efficiently use the money that we do get to get things done,” he ended.

Concacaf president Victor Montagliani has underscored the significance of the Nations League, particularly for players from the smaller islands in the Caribbean, as it provides them with a platform to compete against higher-level opposition and develop their skills on the international stage.

Montagliani, who was on a visit to the island, along with Bermuda and St Lucia Football Association presidents Mark Wade and Lyndon Cooper, believes that the tournament, which started in 2018, has been a game-changer for the region, offering crucial opportunities for exposure and growth that may have otherwise been limited.

In fact, the Canadian emphasized the role it plays in not only improving the competitiveness across the confederation but also in attracting heritage players to the Caribbean islands in particular.

“You've had coaches coming to want to coach here; you have players who never would have thought of playing for a country that they play for having the opportunity. Why? Because up until the Nations League, all you can offer them is one game every four years or two games every four years. That's not much of an international career. Now a player can play in the Nations League, can go to the Gold Cup, obviously a World Cup qualifying, and they have more of a body of work to attach themselves,” Montagliani said during a press conference at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel on Wednesday.

Jamaica in Nations League action against Honduras.

“And at the end, the player wants to sell himself or herself because, don't forget, we also have it on our women's programme in terms of our road to the Women’s Gold Cup, which is in essence the Nations League. So, if you play five, six internationals a year versus one, you're going to be seen more, and so you see more players wanting to play international football because of it,” he added.

Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz have used the tournament to test their mettle against the region’s best teams—United States, Canada, Mexico, and Panama.

However, for other Caribbean nations like St Lucia, Bermuda, St Kitts and Nevis, and even Suriname, who will contest the quarterfinal stage for the first time, the Nations League has been a vital part of their football development, as it assists in nurturing young players who will form the core of their squad for years to come.

Montagliani pointed out that this kind of consistent international exposure is invaluable for teams aspiring to qualify for major tournaments like the World Cup or the Gold Cup.

“I know a lot of my presidents say all the time that they're getting calls from guys saying, ‘My dad was from wherever, and I play in League One or the championship.’ So it's really opening the doors to more players, more coaches, but also to more aspirations for the local players,” Montagliani reasoned.

“I just saw a great story about a 14-year-old goalie making his debut for Turks and Caicos in the Nations League group, so what I'm saying is that it gives an aspiration to a young player to say, ‘If Michail Antonio is playing at West Ham and he's playing for Jamaica now, that could be me down the road,” he shared.

Suriname celebrate their Nations League quarterfinal feat.

However, when it comes to the prospect of Jamaica hosting a future tournament or a knockout round of the Concacaf Nations League, Montagliani tempered expectations. He acknowledged that while Jamaica is a football-loving nation with passionate support, the infrastructure—most notably the National Stadium—currently isn’t up to the standard required to host a tournament of such magnitude.

“First and foremost, the National Stadium needs to be at the level that it sounds like it wants to be at. After having those discussions today (Wednesday), they tell me it's about a three- to four-year window here (for the Stadiums development). So when that happens, we can have those conversations,” he declared.

“But the reality is, just like FIFA, FIFA lives on one competition, the World Cup... that's 95% of its budget. Concacaf’s Gold Cup is about 80% of our budget. So the reality is, it's okay to move it around as it relates to a game or two, maybe even a group, but to have the significant majority of it outside a market that doesn't generate top dollar is not only unrealistic, but it's irresponsible as well. So we need to balance both,” Montagliani noted.

Montagliani went on to compare Jamaica’s situation with the Dominican Republic, in particular, as the Spanish-speaking Caribbean nation is further ahead in terms of infrastructure development, resulting in its hosting numerous club and youth tournaments.

“What's happened is that through One Concacaf funding and through FIFA, you're starting to see a lot of other nations that didn't have any facilities now having facilities as well. So it's not a bad thing, because back in the days, you only maybe had two or three of our member associations having the ability to host a U-17, and that was great for Jamaica.

“But now you have a lot of member associations that have that ability to do it, and we're spreading it around. Not to say that we would not host here (in Jamaica), but now we have more options, which is a sign of early development,” Montagliani stated.

Cayman Islands players celebrate a goal in the Nations League.

He continued: “We are building our own facility in the Dominican Republic, the home of football, where we will have pitches and a small little stadium and facilities. So, you know, we're going to be using that as well for events. The good thing about that is that we can go anywhere now, and so it pushes you (Jamaica) to build your standards.

“Before, if you were the only one in town and you had no incentive to really push the standards to a top, top level, that’s fine, but now you almost have to, because if you don't, you won't even get looked at in the RFP process. But the good news is that we no longer limit it to two or three options.”

As Concacaf continues to expand the reach and impact of the Nations League, Montagliani reiterated his commitment to ensuring that all member nations, regardless of size, have access to opportunities that will help them grow.

“Having our One Concacaf programme increases not only funding but also accountability and responsibility. You can't just keep giving people fish; you need to teach them how to fish as well, and I think we've done a good job with that. In the end, it's always about the football, and really, one of the biggest successes I think that turned around this organisation is the Nations League,” he ended.

Concacaf president Victor Montagliani has praised Jamaica’s recent achievements in football, highlighting the success of both the senior men’s and women’s national teams as evidence that the island’s football is in a strong position.

Montagliani, who is currently on a visit to the island, along with Bermuda and St Lucia Football Association presidents Mark Wade and Lyndon Cooper, expressed optimism about Jamaica's football future, particularly with the announcement of much-anticipated upgrades to the National Stadium.

The Reggae Boyz are set to contest the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals against United States in November and are pushing to secure a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Meanwhile, the Reggae Girlz made history with back-to-back appearances at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, reaching the knockout stage last year, a feat that solidified their standing as one of the top teams in the region.

These accomplishments, Montagliani believes, are key indicators of the country’s footballing growth.

“Obviously, I am very excited to be back in Jamaica; we know the success that's been happening on the field, starting with your two senior teams. Obviously, the men who've now qualified for the Nation's League quarterfinal in November and obviously your women's team that has qualified for the last two Women's World Cups is obviously favoured to qualify for the next one with arguably the best player in the world [Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw] playing for them,” Montagliani said during a press conference at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel on Wednesday.

Concacaf president Victor Montagliani accepts a specially designed jersey from JFF president Michael Ricketts.

“So things are looking really good in that gold and green jersey that's being worn in our region. Even your youth teams have been very successful, U-20 and U-17, and obviously the talent has always been here since, I think the momentum of the 98 (1998 World Cup accomplishment) in terms of how things were being done. I think in the last few years, with the opportunities that the players are having through our Concacaf competitions, you're seeing things now come to fruition here in Jamaica in terms of the success both on the women's side and on the men's side,” he added.

In addition to commending the on-field success, Montagliani expressed delight at the news that Jamaica's National Stadium is set for much-needed upgrades. He hinted that the improvements could open the door for future Concacaf tournaments to be hosted on the island, a move that would further cement Jamaica’s position as a football hub in the Caribbean.

The renovation project, to be done in phases, will see the capacity of the National Stadium increase from 28,500 to 35,000. 

“It was announced publicly yesterday (Tuesday) in terms of the major renovations that are going into your National Stadium; that put a smile on my face because, as you know, we brought for the first time ever into really the Caribbean and really outside of North America; we brought a Gold Cup game here in Jamaica in 2019 with tremendous success. But the reality is now the standards of international competitions, and when I say international competitions, I don't mean just at the FIFA level. I mean even at the Concacaf level.

“The standards are getting higher and higher with respect to what is expected by audiences both at the stadium and also those watching on TV and ultimately the players that are playing in it. So now that there's major renovations to bring the National Stadium to an international level bodes well for the future of both the JFF and Jamaica itself as a country, to bring events here,” Montagliani reasoned.

(from left) JFF president Michael Ricketts; Concacaf president Victor Montagliani; Lyndon Cooper, St Lucia FA president; Bermuda FA president Mark Wade, and JFF general secretary Dennis Chung share a photo opportunity.

“Whether it be regional events or even at the ultimate international level, and so we look forward to it. We told the minister [Olivia Grange] that we're here to help them in any technical way we can when they're going through the processes of design and all that. Because that's part of our job to make sure that if they're going to do it, they build it the right way. And so very excited about that,” he shared.

The president also reaffirmed Concacaf’s commitment to supporting Jamaica’s footballing infrastructure and working closely with the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) to help develop the sport at all levels.

“Any decision that is made is always done for the good of the game, with the good of the game being first and foremost the players and obviously everything else that surrounds the players, coaches, administrators, and referees. After seeing the facility in Mona, I see that that spirit lives well here in Jamaica, which puts a smile on my face,” Montagliani said.

He continued: “Obviously Concacaf is here to support football. The JFF is obviously an important part of our family, and I'm also very pleased that we were joined today by two other presidents from Bermuda and St. Lucia.

“As you see by our logo, we changed it because it was very important for us to start not only talking but walking and sounding like a family. And that circle of 41 member associations represented by 41 diamonds is illustrated in this collaborative day. I'm very proud to be here, and we will continue to support the JFF and Jamaica to reach the heights that they deserve to reach.”