Sports Minister Olivia “Babsy” Grange was a picture of pride as she welcomed home several members of Jamaica’s Under-17 football team and celebrated their qualification to the FIFA Under-17 World Cup, while committing the Government’s support in their preparation for the showpiece event.

Eleven members of the successful squad, Head Coach Wendell Downswell as well as management and support personnel, arrived at the Norman Manley International Airport on Thursday after booking their spot to the tournament set for Qatar in November, after topping their group at the Concacaf Qualifiers.

The Young Reggae Boyz capped their performance with a statement-making 3-1 victory over Canada in the decider on Wednesday. Grange assured the players that they can count on the continued support of the Jamaican Government as they prepare for the global stage.

“As a Jamaican I am very proud, as the sports minister, I am extremely proud and to see that between the JFF [Jamaica Football Federation] and the JAAA [Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association], they get the largest subvention from the Government and when the athletes and footballers excel, we feel that it’s worth the investment and so tonight I am a very proud minister and a very proud Jamaican because when I look at these youngsters achieving qualification for the World Cup at their age, it means a lot, it motivates them and it means that we have a good nursery of footballers that we can know that the future looks good,” Grange told the Jamaica Observer.

Sports Minister Olivia Grange (centre) holds the championship trophy as she shares the spotlight with members of the successful Jamaica Under-17 football team.

The Under-17 team became the first national team to secure three World Cup qualifications following previous appearances in 1999 and 2011.

Heading into the Concacaf Qualifiers as the 11th-ranked team, the Jamaicans impressed throughout the tournament, scoring 18 goals and conceding one — a penalty, in their three matches, played in Costa Rica.

They started the tournament with a 3-0 win over Aruba before hammering the Cayman Islands 12-0 and closing out the group with their victory over Canada, the third-ranked team in the competition.

Grange reiterated that while she could not provide any indication of what their support may look like, the Government will discuss with the Jamaica Football Federation to see what will be needed as the team builds up to the World Cup.

“I can’t say how we will support now but we always provide support. The JFF always gets extra support from us for their teams that qualify and their teams that are preparing for qualification and teams that have done well and is going on to international participation,” said Grange. “We always give them support and a lot of support.”

Meanwhile, Gregory Daley, general secretary of the JFF, says the team’s success is testament to the efforts being made at the youth level and noted that it augers well for the future of the sport in the country.

“It is huge for the JFF and for Jamaica and I think this can be a major game changer and it shows that there are a lot of positive things happening,” Daley said.

“We saw the under-14s two years ago, the Under-15s last year and now the Under-17s achieving success, so there is gradual development and it is showing. This is something that we can bank on to ensure that we continue moving forward,” added Daley.

Jamaica won the 2024 Caribbean Football Union Under-14 Challenge Series and in 2025, became League B champions at the Concacaf Under-15 Championships.

Daley says the success is also down to the impact of the FIFA-backed Talent Development Scheme, which focuses on grassroot football development and technical support.

“I know that the talent pool, especially at the youth level, is very wide. One of the thing is, we know that we don’t have control in terms of having these boys in the space — we would like to have them more often but you know the situation with clubs and schools. But we have programmes in place where we now have more contact with them — especially with the TDS programme — and I think that has helped us leaps and bounds because that is what led to the Under-14, Under-15s and now the Under-17s. And I can tell you that most of those players who were in the Under-14s when it started are on this team,” Daley pointed out.

The draw for the 2026 FIFA Under-17 World Cup is expected to take place in May.

Wendell Downswell (left), head coach of Jamaica’s Under-17 football team; and Denzil Thorpe, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, pose during a special reception for the team on their return to the island from the Concacaf Qualifiers in Costa Rica, in the Government VIP Lounge at the Norman Manley International Airport on Thursday.

Jamaica Under-17 footballer Raheen Kelly (right) hugs his mother Gloria Messam upon the team’s return to the island on Thursday, following qualification to the 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup. Photos: Garfield Robinson