Jamaican national soccer team / world championships

Jamaica
Jamaica

World Cup record goalscorer:	Theodore Whitmore (2)
World Cup record players:	9 players (3 each)
Rank :	60
Balance sheet
3 World Cup games 1 win 0 draw 2 defeats 3: 9 goals
statistics
First World Cup game Jamaica 1: 3 Croatia Lens ( FRA ); June 14, 1998
Biggest World Cup win Jamaica 2: 1 Japan Lyon ( FRA ); June 26, 1970
Biggest World Cup defeat Jamaica 0: 5 Argentina Paris ( FRA ); June 21, 1998
successes
World Championship
Participation in the finals	1 ( first : 1998 )
Best results	Preliminary round 1998
Best placements in the countries that host the FIFA World Cup
(Status: after the 2018 World Cup )

The article contains a detailed description of the Jamaican national soccer team at soccer world championships. The national team of Jamaica has only taken part in a world championship so far. In the all-time World Cup table, Jamaica is currently in 60th place, making it the worst-placed team with a win.

overview

year	Host country	Participation until ...	Last opponent	Result	Trainer	Comments and special features
1930	Uruguay	not participated				Not a sovereign state and not a member of FIFA
1934	Italy	not participated				Not a sovereign state and not a member of FIFA
1938	France	not participated				Not a sovereign state and not a member of FIFA
1950	Brazil	not participated				Not a sovereign state and not a member of FIFA
1954	Switzerland	not participated				Not a sovereign state and not a member of FIFA
1958	Sweden	not participated				Not a sovereign state and not a member of FIFA
1962	Chile	not participated				Independence and admission to FIFA only after qualifying for the World Cup
1966	England	not qualified				In the qualification in the 2nd round to Mexico and Costa Rica failed, but could not qualify either.
1970	Mexico	not qualified				In the qualification in the first round to Honduras and again Costa Rica failed, but they could not qualify in the end.
1974	Germany	withdrawn
1978	Argentina	not qualified				In the qualification in the first round failed to Cuba , which could not qualify either.
1982	Spain	not participated
1986	Mexico	withdrawn or excluded
1990	Italy	not qualified				In the qualifying in the preliminary round at the US failed.
1994	United States	not qualified				In the qualification in the second round at El Salvador and Canada failed, but which also could not qualify eventually.
1998	France	Preliminary round	Mexico , Argentina , Japan	22nd	René Simões	Retired as third party
2002	South Korea / Japan	not qualified				In the qualifying in the CONCACAF final round of Costa Rica , Mexico and the United States failed.
2006	Germany	not qualified				The USA and Panama failed in qualifying in the third , which also failed to qualify.
2010	South Africa	not qualified				In the qualifying in the third round to Honduras and Mexico failed.
2014	Brazil	not qualified				The USA, Costa Rica, Honduras and Mexico failed in qualifying in the fourth round.
2018	Russia	not qualified				In qualifying , the team only had to intervene against Nicaragua in the third round . Due to the more goals scored, the fourth round was reached. There, Costa Rica , Panama and Haiti were the opponents. On the penultimate matchday, Jamaica missed qualifying for the fifth round.

Statistics (data including 2018: 21 World Championships; percentages are rounded)

• No FIFA member: 7 times (33%; 1930, 1934, 1938, 1950, 1954, 1958 and 1962)
• Participation waiver or excluded: 3 × (14%; 1974, 1982 and 1986)
• Unqualified: 10 × (48%; 1966, 1970, 1978, 1990, 1994, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018)
• Sports qualification: 1 × (5% or 10% of the attempts)
  • Preliminary round: 1 × (5%; 1998)

World Championships 1930 to 1962

The Jamaica Football Federation was founded in 1910, but Jamaica was a British crown colony until 1962 and the association was only accepted into FIFA in the year of independence . Therefore, the national team, which had already played its first international match in 1925, could not take part in the first seven World Cup tournaments.

1966 World Cup in England

Jamaica took part in qualifying for the World Cup in England for the first time. On January 16, 1965, the team met in their first World Cup qualifier in Kingston , Cuba and won 2-0. The next game against the Netherlands Antilles was won 2-0. With a 0-0 in the second leg, the Jamaicans were already qualified for the second round, so that the 1: 2 defeat in Cuba could be absorbed. In the second round, however, Mexico , which qualified for the World Cup, and Costa Rica were stronger. Only in the last home game against Costa Rica was a point won.

1970 World Cup in Mexico

Since Mexico was automatically qualified for the World Cup in their own country , the CONCACAF teams were entitled to another starting place. 12 teams competed for this. Jamaica failed in the first round to Honduras and Costa Rica again, but ultimately they also failed to qualify. Jamaica lost all four games.

World Cup 1974 in Germany

In qualifying for the first World Cup in Germany , Jamaica was supposed to play against the Netherlands Antilles, but withdrew.

1978 World Cup in Argentina

On the qualification for the World Cup in Argentina Jamaica then took part again, but failed in the first round of Caribbean Zone by two losses to Cuba, which in the second round of Haiti failed. Haiti also failed to qualify in the last round.

1982 World Cup in Spain

In 1980, Hurricane Allen wreaked havoc in Jamaica and international matches came to a standstill. On the qualification for the World Cup in Spain Jamaica therefore did not take part again.

1986 World Cup in Mexico

On the qualification for the second World Cup in Mexico Jamaica did not participate. According to RSSSF qualifying statistics , Jamaica, which was supposed to face Canada, withdrew. Jamaica has been excluded, according to FIFA.

1990 World Cup in Italy

In qualifying for the second World Cup in Italy , Jamaica initially eliminated Puerto Rico with two wins in the qualifying round , but then failed to the USA . After a 0-0 home game, the second leg was lost 5-1. The USA could then qualify for the World Cup for the first time after 1950.

1994 World Cup in the United States

The qualification for the World Cup in the USA went a little better . In the first round, Jamaica prevailed again with two wins against Puerto Rico and then against Trinidad & Tobago . In the second round, however, El Salvador and Canada were stronger, but ultimately they couldn't qualify.

1998 World Cup in France

In qualifying for the second World Cup in France , Jamaica was finally able to qualify. In the preliminary round, Suriname and Barbados were eliminated. In the semi-final round, Jamaica was group winners ahead of Mexico, Honduras and St. Vincent and the Grenadines . It was the first time that a game was won against Mexico. In the final round, Mexico was stronger again, but finished third behind the USA in qualifying for the World Cup.

In France, Jamaica met newcomer Croatia in their first World Cup match and lost 3-1. These meetings allowed Robbie Earle in the 45th minute with the first Jamaican World Cup goal of the interim compensation. A 5-0 defeat then followed against former world champions Argentina. In the last group game against World Cup newcomers Japan, however, the first World Cup victory was achieved 2-1. Theodore Whitmore scored both goals. As a third party, Jamaica said goodbye to the World Cup for at least 20 years.

World Championship 2002 in Japan and South Korea

The qualification for the first World Cup in Asia was then again unsuccessful. Jamaica only had to intervene in the CONCACAF intermediate round and finished second behind Honduras, but ahead of El Salvador and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and was thus qualified for the CONCACAF final round. In this it was only enough for fifth place behind Costa Rica, Mexico and the USA, which qualified as well as Honduras. Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago were left behind.

World Cup 2006 in Germany

The qualification for the second World Cup in Germany was again not successful. This began for Jamaica in the second round with a draw and a win against Haiti . The team finished the third round in third behind the USA and Panama, leaving only El Salvador behind. The progress to the next round was gambled away by a 1-1 draw in the last game in the USA.

World Cup 2010 in South Africa

Jamaica was also unable to qualify for the first World Cup in Africa . The qualification started for Jamaica in the second round with two wins (7-0 and 6-0) against the Bahamas, whereby the third round was reached. In this one, Honduras and Mexico were stronger. Only Canada could leave the Jamaicans behind. Jamaica only had to give way to the Mexicans tied on points because of their better goal difference.

2014 World Cup in Brazil

Jamaica was also unable to qualify for the second World Cup in Brazil . In the third round , for which Jamaica was automatically qualified, the team prevailed behind the USA in front of the Guatemalans tied on points, as Jamaica had the better goal difference this time. Antigua and Barbuda only played the points supplier in the group. The first win against the USA was in the home game against the USA.

The fourth round was then only finished as the group bottom behind the USA, Costa Rica and Honduras, which qualified directly, Mexico, which also qualified via the intercontinental games against New Zealand , and Panama . It was also of no use that the Jamaicans hired the German Winfried Schäfer as their new national coach after half of the qualifying round , who succeeded Theodore Whitmore after he had resigned after two draws and four defeats.

World Cup 2018 in Russia

Jamaica could also not qualify for the first World Cup in Russia . In qualifying , Jamaica only had to intervene in the third round and met Nicaragua in the first and second leg in late August / early September 2015 . After a 2: 3 home defeat, the away game was won 2: 0 and the fourth round was reached due to the more goals scored. This was carried out as a group stage. As of November 2015, Costa Rica , Panama and Haiti were the opponents. After a 2-0 defeat against Panama on September 2, 2016, Jamaica had no chance to qualify for the fifth round and ultimately for the World Cup. After the end, national coach Winfried Schäfer was replaced by his predecessor Theodore Whitmore .

Ranking of the Jamaican World Cup players with the most appearances

01. Nine players with three stakes in a tournament

Ranking of the Jamaican World Cup players with the most World Cup goals

01. Theodore Whitmore - 2 goals

02. Robbie Earle - 1 goal

Players banned from World Championships

In the only World Cup participation so far, no Jamaican was banned.

Share of players playing abroad in the World Cup squad

When they first participated, there were seven legionnaires born in England and playing in England, but two of them played for Portsmouth FC in the Football League First Division , the second English division.

Year (games)	Number (countries)	Players (stakes)
1998 (3)	7 (in England)	Deon Burton (3), Robbie Earle (3), Marcus Gayle (1), Paul Hall (3), Darryl Powell (2), Fitzroy Simpson (3), Frank Sinclair (3)

Games

• Jamaica has played three World Cup games so far. One was won and two lost.
• Jamaica never took part in the opening game, never played against the hosts, later world champions and defending champions.
• As a newcomer, Jamaica met two newcomers to the World Cup: Croatia and Japan.

All World Cup games
No.	date	Result	opponent		venue	occasion	Remarks
1.	06/14/1998	1: 3	Croatia	*	Lens ( FRA )	Preliminary round	First game against Croatia
2.	06/21/1998	0: 5	Argentina	*	Paris ( FRA )	Preliminary round	First game against Argentina
3.	06/26/1998	2: 1	Japan	*	Lyon ( FRA )	Preliminary round	First game against Japan

The losses were the highest to date against Croatia and Argentina and the win against Japan was the only win against Japan so far.

See also

• Football World - Statistics - Jamaica on fifa.com
• rsssf.com: "Jamaica - Details of World Cup Qualifiers" (as of March 23, 2003)

References and footnotes

1. ↑ The placements from 5th place onwards were determined by FIFA without any placement games. See: All-time FIFA World Cup Ranking 1930-2014 (PDF; 200 kB)
2. ^ World Cup 1986 qualifications
3. ↑ fifa.com: History of the FIFA World Cup Preliminary Competition (by year) (PDF; 325 kB), p. 27