PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad & Tobago – With the Soca Warriors now on the cusp of football’s biggest stage, the President of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA), Kieron Edwards, has issued a passionate appeal for significant financial support, warning that without proper investment, the team’s 2026 World Cup hopes may fade before liftoff.
During a candid interview on i95.5 FM’s Isports program on Sunday, Edwards outlined the scope of the challenge ahead as the national men’s team gears up for the final round of CONCACAF qualifiers, which will determine who advances to the next World Cup set across Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
The road ahead: Jamaica, Curaçao, and Bermuda stand in the way
The Soca Warriors are set to square off against regional rivals Jamaica, Curaçao, and Bermuda in the third and final qualifying round. Only the group winner earns a guaranteed place at the World Cup, while the two best second-place finishers will move on to the FIFA Intercontinental Play-Off Tournament in March 2026.
With such high stakes, Edwards emphasized that success cannot be left to chance — or underfunding.
Edwards: “Costa Rica spent US$12 million — that’s the benchmark”
Citing regional competitors, Edwards made it clear that serious financial investment is no longer optional if Trinidad and Tobago hopes to be competitive.
“When you look at Costa Rica and how much they spent last World Cup — they spent US$12 million behind their team to qualify in the last phase. This is Costa Rica; I’m not even talking about the U.S. or Mexico,” Edwards stressed.
The TTFA president painted a sobering picture of the disparity in support systems, noting that countries like Costa Rica and Jamaica have already made significant financial commitments and maintain large support staff contingents, often numbering over 50 personnel, to ensure their players are in peak condition.
Government commitment a start, but more needed
Edwards acknowledged that while there has been a governmental commitment of US$1 million, it falls significantly short of what is required to mount a serious qualification campaign.
“We have a commitment of an additional US$1 million from the previous government with the Cabinet note, but at that time we didn’t know what we were getting ourselves into at this point,” he said.
“I truly believe anywhere between US$6 million to US$9 million should get us where we need to be.”
Training, staff, and peak performance — what the money will do
The requested funding, Edwards explained, would be channeled into comprehensive training regimens, hiring and dispatching coaches as personal trainers, securing high-performance resources, and creating an elite-level preparation environment for the squad.
“We’re talking about sending coaches to be personal trainers, getting our boys to peak performance… We need that kind of structure if we are to compete.”
2026 or bust: Time for a national push
As the countdown to qualification intensifies, Edwards’ message is as strategic as it is urgent: Trinidad and Tobago must invest now, or risk watching others celebrate in 2026.
The TTFA president’s impassioned appeal is not merely a plea for dollars — it’s a call to action, for the government, corporate partners, and football stakeholders to rally behind a once-in-a-generation opportunity to return the Soca Warriors to the world stage.
Will the nation answer that call? The clock is ticking — and so is the dream.
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