With Mount Pleasant Football Academy’s successful run in the Concacaf Caribbean Cup, Jamaicans may once again get the chance to see Argentina superstar Lionel Messi grace the island’s shores. But for Head Coach Theodore Whitmore, he’s focused on his team progressing as far as possible in the tournament.

The parish of St Ann is still in celebration mode after seeing the three-time Jamaica Premier League (JPL) finalists lift the Caribbean title on Tuesday at the National Stadium following a dramatic 3-2 aggregate win over Dominican Republic’s O&M FC.

It’s an improved 2025 for Mount Pleasant after failing to make it out of the group stage. They become the fourth team in Jamaican history to win a regional club title following Cavalier FC’s Caribbean Cup last year, as well as Portmore United and Harbour View FC, who both won the now-discontinued Caribbean Club Championships.

Whitmore says his club’s success is proof that local football is improving.

“We’re improving a lot,” he said. “Last year it was Cavalier and [we] decided, regardless of the situation, the trophy must not leave Jamaica.

“In the Premier League, we just need some good surfaces to play on. This is to show that we are doing something good where football is concerned in Jamaica because [it was] a Jamaican team last year and a Jamaican team this year.”

Mount Pleasant players carry the trophy to celebrate with their fans after winning the Concacaf Caribbean Cup at the National Stadium on Tuesday night. (Naphtali Junior)

The win adds to Whitmore’s personal trophy cabinet after leading the club to the 2023 JPL and two Caribbean Cup wins with the Reggae Boyz in 2008 and 2010.

While he could stake a claim as one of the country’s best coaches, the former Reggae Boyz midfielder isn’t bothered.

“I don’t run down titles,” he said. “Theodore Whitmore is always going to do his best whether for club or country. I’m always going to give 100 per cent. You can’t beat the stats; it is there to show, so I’m not the one who’s going to quarrel over who’s the best coach.”

Mount Pleasant now await their opponents for the round of 16 in the Concacaf Champions Cup. Like rivals Cavalier FC last season, they could potentially meet Major League Soccer (MLS) club Inter Miami CF, home of eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi.

Inter Miami’s 4-0 aggregate win last March, which included a Messi goal at a sold-out National Stadium, saw Cavalier fail to advance to the last eight.

Whitmore, though, is looking to create history and contend for the title.

“I don’t know who will be coming but we want to do better [than Cavalier] so it doesn’t really matter who gets here,” he said.

“As a Jamaican club, we want to go one step further so it doesn’t really matter who we play — we just have to prepare ourselves physically and mentally.”

The draw, which takes place on Tuesday, could also see a match-up with former Tottenham star Son Heung-Min with Los Angeles FC, Germany’s World Cup winner Thomas Mueller with Vancouver Whitecaps, and Reggae Boyz Captain Andre Blake with Philadelphia Union.

Regardless of who they play, Whitmore wants his players to use the competition as their audition to a bigger club.

“We’ve put ourselves in a position now [where we’re in a] bigger league for players to go out there and show [their talent],” he said.

“We want to see players going abroad, we want to see players going on trial. We don’t want players who just want to stay at Mount Pleasant. Any player who just wants to stay at Mount Pleasant, it makes no sense they [remain] there. They’ve put themselves on a stage now where they’re on show and show the Concacaf region and the Caribbean at large what they’re made of.”

WHITMORE…you can’t beat the stats; it is there to show, so I’m not the one who’s going to quarrel over who’s the best coachPhoto: Karl Mclarty