The Caribbean Football Union ( CFU ) is the representative organization for football associations in the Caribbean . It represents 25 FIFA member nations, as well as 6 territories that are not affiliated with FIFA . The Union was established in January 1978 and its member associations compete in the CONCACAF region.
31-538: The Major League Soccer Player Combine was a four-day annual showcase, that occurred every January until its discontinuation in 2020. The present Player Combine features four teams composed of invitees, usually who play on youth national teams or were standout players on premier college soccer teams. In November 2013, the Caribbean Football Union and Major League Soccer came to an agreement where all 31 CFU members could put forward player candidates between
62-667: A Caribbean XI entertained Brazilian São Paulo FC and a year later a 'Caribbean Selection' played against the national team of Trinidad and Tobago. Since the formation of the CFU, games have typically taken place in Port of Spain . In August 1993, CFU President Jack Warner ruled out the possibility of merging the Caribbean nations into one national football team, similar to the West Indies cricket team . He said: "There seems to be some myth outside there that
93-710: A Caribbean regional governing body as a sub-group within CONCACAF be the first order of business, Raymond introduced the initiative in August 1977 in Port of Spain, Trinidad, that eventually led to the formation of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU). The CFU was inaugurated on January 28, 1978, in Port-au-Prince , Haiti, as the Caribbean region's governing football body and a sub-group within CONCACAF. A previous effort to establish
124-785: A Caribbean regional governing body was the British Caribbean Football Association (BCFA) in January 1957, with the Trinidad & Tobago FA's President Ken Galt as the BCFA's president, and the TTFA's Secretary Eric James as General Secretary, and in 1959, a representative BCFA team toured the UK. In May 2013, under the direction of Damien E. Hughes, the CFU relocated their offices from Port-of-Spain, Trinidad to Kingston, Jamaica . In August 2015, Hughes
155-422: A Caribbean team is the answer to football in the region. I have never heard anything so ludicrous," said Warner, "If to reach a [FIFA] World Cup have to be considered by size, why haven't China ever made it. The simple fact is, we must take whatever seems to be our liabilities and make them our assets. Being small is never a liability in this sport". There have been three presidents (and three acting presidents) of
186-404: A private meeting between CFU officials was leaked to the public. This footage showed President Jack Warner informing the delegates who had received envelopes that the funds within were for their personal use, stating,"If you're pious, you should go to church." An investigation initiated by FIFA examined the actions of over 30 CFU representatives and resulted in the resignation of the CFU president,
217-596: The CONCACAF Gold Cup . The Caribbean Club Championship was the championship for Caribbean club teams. The winner qualified for the CONCACAF Champions' Cup from 1997 and until 2008, and from 2008–09 until 2016–17, the top 3 clubs qualified for a preliminary round of the CONCACAF Champions League . Since 2017, the winner of the rebranded Caribbean Club Championship qualified for the knockout stage of
248-497: The Caribbean Football Union $ 250k US dollars. The commissioner and Chief Executive of the league was New York -based Brazilian Jorge Campos, the owner of the St. Lucia based All Stars franchise. The Caribbean Major League Football company was registered in Barbados. The newly re-branded competition was delayed from March, to April, to May and delayed again to August 1995. The competition
279-408: The CFU since its foundation: There have been seven general secretaries of the CFU since its foundation: As of 23 July 2016 : Caribbean Professional Football League The Caribbean Professional Football League was a short-lived association football competition spanning several Caribbean nations. The aim of the competition was to introduce professional standard football to
310-578: The CONCACAF Champions League. The CONCACAF Caribbean Cup is the latest announced regional competition. Previously the CFU had organised a pan-Caribbean league, the Caribbean Professional Football League ; it was active between 1992 and 1994. No outright winner or champion emerges from this competition as it is not a competitive championship. A Caribbean national team has played several exhibition fixtures. In 1987
341-458: The CPFL as a "shabby league" and blamed poor organisation. In some cases, matches were delayed on the date they were scheduled to be played. Harold Taylor, a competition organiser and the Caribbean Football Union secretary said that the problem with the competition is lack of promotion and as a result "no one cares" about it, he also said that he hadn't attended a game. Jack Warner claim in 2005, that
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#1732856207209372-753: The Caribbean as a whole because we recognize the region for its talent, but at the same time we also recognize they have challenges in terms of distances and their capabilities from island to island. Francisco Marcos However, the plans for a Caribbean League were cancelled when USL merged the First Division and Second Division into the unified USL Pro which operates as Tier 3 in the American soccer pyramid . In September 2010 USL invited three Caribbean teams to join USL Pro ; Antigua Barracuda FC , Club Atletico River Plate Puerto Rico , and Sevilla FC Puerto Rico with
403-461: The Caribbean region. The participating teams were franchises created by local businessmen and the teams featured full international players. Players such as Theodore Whitmore and Rodney Jack participated in the competition. The league proved to be problematic and the Kingston Gleaner reported that it had made "significant losses" before the end of the inaugural competition. In June 1993,
434-590: The Commissioner of the North American Soccer League (NASL), about ownership of a Caribbean franchise within the NASL, and instead, Woosnam proposed the formation of a Caribbean Professional League. Acting on Woosnam's advice, and with assistance from former England player-turned businessman Jimmy Hill and his company World Sports Academy, plus the recommendation of former FIFA President Sir Stanley Rous , that
465-528: The Jamaican press reported that the CPFL had "toiled miserably in its second year and come under fire from competing teams who have incurred heavy financial losses brought on by inefficient organization". Christopher Ziadie, a player and director at the Kingston Lions franchise revealed that it had lost JMD $ 1.7m in two years and that in some cases less than 50 people would attend a game. Ziadie went on to describe
496-610: The USL branding in Puerto Rico and other Caribbean nations. The USL suggested that a minimum of four PRSL teams would be included in the new division. The idea of expansion had come to the fore following the formation of Puerto Rico Islanders and Antigua Barracuda , both were the first professional soccer club in their respective country. Bermuda Hogges of Bermuda participate in the USL's Premier Development League . Puerto Rican team Sevilla FC Juncos revealed that they were looking at
527-598: The age of 18 and 22 to be entered into the combine. The Caribbean candidates would be vetted at a Caribbean combine event taking place in Antigua in January 2014. Caribbean Football Union The CFU runs multiple competitions, including the CFU Club Shield , CONCACAF Caribbean Cup , and youth challenge series. The formation of the Caribbean Football Union is credited to former Trinidad and Tobago national footballer Patrick Raymond. In 1976, he approached Phil Woosnam ,
558-627: The competition in 1998 and 2000. There have been calls for a new trans-border Caribbean Super League to be created in the wake of the Caribbean Professional Football League. In March 2010, the American United Soccer Leagues company were considering operating a league in the Caribbean region. USL announced that it had held talks with the Puerto Rico Soccer League (PRSL) with regards to expanding
589-545: The decision was made to split the teams into three groups of four. The competition never took place. Two years after the collapse of the Caribbean Professional Football League, the CFU Club Championship was created by the Caribbean Football Union led by Jack Warner. The tournament acts as a qualifying competition for the CONCACAF Champions Cup for Caribbean club teams. Warner's own club Joe Public FC won
620-584: The intention of adding at least two more teams; Puerto Rico United and Indios de Mayaguez FC . The Puerto Rico Islanders chose to play in the NASL instead. The Puerto Rico Islanders announced that they would not be competing in the 2013 and latterly the 2014 NASL season, instead they had chosen to go on hiatus. Meanwhile, in the tier below, the USL Pro team, Antigua Barracuda completed three consecutive seasons where they finished sixth, eleventh and thirteenth position in
651-460: The league folded because they "could not depend on the vagaries of the airlines in the region". In October 1994, the competition was re-branded as Caribbean Major League Football . Hopes were high for the competition and it was reported that the television rights to show the competition in USA and Canada for the competition were to be sold for $ 1.5m US dollars. CMLF Chairman Kelly Pierre also said that he
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#1732856207209682-562: The league. The Barracudas folded following the 2013 USL Pro season . Bermuda Hogges, the other Caribbean Football Union affiliated team in the US announced their withdrawal from the Premier Development League due to financial difficulties. In October 2013 Jeffrey Webb suggested that a professional league in the Caribbean was needed to raise the competitiveness of national teams from the Caribbean Football Union . A task force which
713-565: The level of financing and travel.". Damien Hughes , the Caribbean Football Union CEO stated that any Caribbean Super League would need permission from CONCACAF and national associations and advised Anderson to make contact to discuss his proposals. It will start because of a new $ 20 million kit sponsor. It will be a three-month season starting at the end of May. It is expected that the league will include marquee players from South America Central America , and Europe . Although
744-486: The majority of the league will be made up of domestic based players. The fixture for the new league will be played on Fridays, Saturdays and Wednesdays. The Friday and Saturday games will be played in Trinidad and Tobago whereas games on Wednesday will be moved all across the different Caribbean islands . The season will be preceded by a three-month combine and trial period with players trying out for spots and to facilitate
775-536: The possibility of playing in the league in 2011 whilst their reserve team continue to play in the local Puerto Rican league. [Expanding USL in] The Caribbean has made a lot of sense to us all along, and we go all the way back to 1995 when the Puerto Rico Islanders, in their first inception, first joined USL. As the Islanders became a force on and off the field, it became more and more sensible to start looking at
806-488: The suspension of the organization's vice-presidents and staff, and the resignation of several national football association staff. The CFU Championship was a tournament for national teams in the region active between 1978 and 1988. It was sometimes referred to as the CFU Nations Cup. The Caribbean Cup was the international cup for the Caribbean between 1989 and 2017; the top 4 teams in the tournament used to qualify for
837-571: Was charged with determining the feasibility of a Caribbean Pro League was convened in Montego Bay , Jamaica on November 7 and 8. Chris Anderson, a Trinidadian businessman with experience in sports marketing through his PlusOne company, created the Barbados-registered Caribbean Football Trust Limited (CFTL)' company. A press release was created citing the creation of Major League Futbol , although little detail
868-503: Was given. Anderson stated that he has been considering the proposals since 2002. Anderson is seeking sponsors to raise $ 3m USD for prize money and hopes to see 20 clubs participate in the league from 2015 onwards. The Jamaican Football Federation's Horace Burrell stated that "there is no infrastructural development across the Caribbean to accommodate such a football competition in a structured way" and that there "is so much that needs to be done before we can start looking at that, such as
899-446: Was in talks with Asian and European businesses. Despite the reports, funding was short and The CFU and CMLF had a dispute over the organisation of competition. Warner announced that the CFU wanted to re-take control of the competition as he felt "the professional league is needed for the Caribbean's success in football". Warner also said that the CMLF had defaulted on several loans and owed
930-536: Was replaced by Antiguan Neil Cochrane. Cochrane announced that several jobs would be moved from Jamaica to Antigua and a smaller headquarters would be rented. The union was embroiled in a scandal in May 2011 after several representatives of Caribbean Football Associations had been given brown paper envelopes containing US$ 40,000. The incident was reported to the CONCACAF general secretary Chuck Blazer . The next day, footage from
961-424: Was set to be a sixteen-team championship but due to spiraling costs the format was changed. The sixteen teams were divided into two zones where teams could play up to three fixtures in a week at a host nation to keep travel costs down. The CFU President (and Simpaul Travel company owner) Jack Warner was unhappy with the arrangement. By August, four teams had pulled out of the competition leaving twelve teams remaining,