Jamaica’s national men’s team haven’t qualified for a FIFA Under-20 World Cup in 25 years but Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) president Michael Ricketts is confident that the current squad can end the drought after significant investment in the qualification campaign.

The under-20 Reggae Boyz will leave the island on Friday for the 2026 Concacaf Under-20 Championship in Mexico, where they will look to secure one of four spots to next year’s World Cup in Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan. Rodolph Austin, who recently led Portmore United to their first Jamaica Premier League title since 2019, will lead the team along with Molynes United head coach Jermaine Thomas.

The pair oversaw Jamaica’s sweep through the qualifying tournament in Curaçao in February, with the team winning all five matches to reach the Under-20 Championship. They now face Honduras, Panama and Canada in Group C, with the top two advancing to the quarter-finals. A quarter-final victory would seal qualification for the FIFA Under-20 World Cup.