WE need only look back at Jamaica’s qualifying campaign for the 1998 senior men’s football World Cup in France to recognise that there is far more to success in international football than talent on the field of play.

Back in the late 1990s a creative partnership including chief stewards of this country’s football, Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), the Jamaican Government, and the business community, was pivotal in propelling the Reggae Boyz.

Sponsorship was absolutely crucial — with the admirably energetic Captain Horace Burrell, then president of the JFF, at the helm of the drive to raise funds.

There should be no surprise that we are reminded of that landmark sponsorship drive with news this week that Stewart’s Automotive Group, St Mary’s Snacks, and Supreme Ventures/JustBet have signed up as business partners for Jamaica’s 2026 World Cup-qualifying campaign.

We are told that these three companies will be among those providing vital support for the Reggae Boyz’s training, logistics, and so forth, for the remainder of the Concacaf qualification phase.

The senior men’s FIFA World Cup will be hosted by Concacaf nations United States, Canada, and Mexico. Three other Concacaf nations will automatically make it to the World Cup. Two others will have the opportunity to qualify in play-offs against teams from other confederations.

That means that as many as eight Concacaf teams could conceivably be at the 2026 World Cup.

With the possible exception of the Olympics, the FIFA World Cup is perhaps the highest point in global sport — which partly explains the enthusiasm of sponsors who are in quest for promotional benefits even as they seek to support Jamaica’s football.

Mrs Jackie Stewart-Lechler, managing director at Stewart’s Automotive Group, reminds us that her company has been “on board” with Jamaica ‘s Reggae Boyz “since René Simões in 1998, and we are vested” with “shared values”.

Ms Candice Bulli, brand manager of St Mary’s snacks, says partnering with the football programme is “a no-brainer” and that the Reggae Boyz “bring heart, passion, and a drive to win — which is what our brand and this sponsorship is all about”.

Ms Kajay Rowe of betting group Supreme Ventures/JustBet, tells us that football “runs deep in our Jamaican identity” and that partnership “with the JFF is an investment in our shared dreams”.

Unsurprisingly, JFF General Secretary Dennis Chung and the entire executive are on the hunt for other business partnerships.

Says Mr Chung: “There’s new energy, strong leadership, and clear vision within the JFF. Now is the time for corporate Jamaica to align with football and be part of something transformational.”

Undoubtedly, that push for financial and material support will be aided by recent approval of the JFF by external auditors — essentially certifying that the organisation is being run in a financially sound manner.

Even before that there was FIFA’s lifting of financial restrictions on the JFF, which is said to have signalled the world governing body’s confidence in the JFF’s governance and fiscal discipline.

As Mr Chung said last month “…knowing the JFF is financially sound means [potential business partners] will be more willing to engage…”

There is a long, hard road ahead for those in charge of Jamaica’s football. We wish them well.