Caribbean Cup success showcases strides in local club football, says Ricketts

Kingston, Jamaica — Portmore United and Mount Pleasant Football Academy will contest the Concacaf Caribbean Cup final in December, ensuring that the regional crown will remain in Jamaican hands for the third time in four years.

It follows Portmore’s triumph in 2019 and the successes of fellow Jamaican clubs Cavalier in 2024 and Mount Pleasant in 2025. Portmore and Mount Pleasant, having progressed to the final, also qualified for the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup. It is the first time since 2004, when Harbour View faced Tivoli Gardens, that two Jamaican teams will meet in the final of the Caribbean club competition. The Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), in congratulating both clubs, hailed their achievements as further evidence of the progress being made by local teams on the regional stage. JFF President Michael Ricketts said the qualification of Portmore United and Mount Pleasant was a significant accomplishment for Jamaican football. “I would like to wholeheartedly congratulate Mount Pleasant Football Academy and Portmore United for qualifying for the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup and also for getting to the final of the Caribbean Cup,” Ricketts said. “This is the fourth year in a row that at least one Jamaican club is in the final of the Caribbean Cup, so we are very pleased by the strides made by our clubs on the island," he noted. “This guarantees that just like in 2024 and in 2025, we will have a Jamaican club lift the Caribbean crown come December 5," Ricketts added The 2026 Caribbean Cup champions will receive a bye to the Round of 16 of the 2027 Champions Cup, while the runners-up and third-place team will begin their campaigns in the first round. The official draw for the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup is scheduled for Monday, December 21, 2026. For Portmore United and Mount Pleasant, the immediate focus will be on securing regional bragging rights in December, with the added incentive of earning a more favourable route into next year’s continental competition. - Howard Walker