The under-17 men’s national football team of Barbados has pulled off a stunning climb in the latest Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) rankings, a leap that the program’s head coach Marlon Harte calls a landmark step forward for the country’s regional football standing.
In the updated regional rankings, Barbados notched a seven-spot jump that landed the side at 13th place overall. The dramatic ascent pushed Barbados ahead of several long-established regional foes including Guatemala, Cuba, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago, a fellow Caribbean side that has historically outranked the Barbadian program. Currently, Jamaica holds 11th place, making it the only other English-speaking Caribbean nation that ranks above Barbados in the U-17 standings.
The impressive ranking shift comes on the heels of Barbados’ recent World Cup qualification run, where the young side came uncomfortably close to securing a spot in the global tournament. Throughout the qualifying group stage, played against a competitive field of regional opponents, Barbados secured a second-place group finish. The team notched a standout 1-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago, followed by two dominant victories against St. Maarten – a 7-1 win and a 6-1 win in separate matchups. The only group stage defeat came against regional powerhouse Mexico, the eventual group winner, who defeated Barbados 4-1.
In an exclusive interview with Barbados TODAY, Harte shared effusive praise for his players and program support staff, while emphasizing that the new ranking is just an intermediate milestone, not the end goal for the developing program. “Moving up seven places to 13th in the Concacaf U17 rankings reflects the commitment of the players, staff, and the wider football community,” Harte explained. “It shows that we are making progress and closing the gap within the region, especially to be ranked ahead of teams like Trinidad and Tobago.”
“At the same time, we see this as motivation, not a destination,” Harte added. “Our focus remains on continued development, improving standards daily, and ensuring that this group is competitive at the highest level when it matters most.”
Topping the current Concacaf U-17 rankings is the United States, followed by Mexico in second and Canada in third. Panama and Costa Rica complete the top five positions in the regional table.