Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Haiti clinch U-17 World Cup berths

MIAMI – The 2025 Concacaf U-17 Men’s Qualifiers concluded on Sunday, where the four remaining Concacaf berths at the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup were decided.

Play concluded in Groups A, B, C, and E. Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Haiti each secured first place in their respective groups and claimed their participation among the eight Concacaf representatives in the upcoming U-17 World Cup.

Group A

Anguilla 2, Curaçao 4

Curaçao earned a 4-2 win against Anguilla in Group A at the National Sports Centre in Devonshire Parish, Bermuda.

Jerremy Ortela shined with three goal creations for Curaçao, assisting Nathan Isenia in the 7' and Dayvi Busby 10', before striking from distance in the 19'.

Tarique Jackson pulled one back for Anguilla in the 54'. Nathaniel Owen struck a header in the box at the 67’ off an Anguilla corner kick to pull within one.

D'Shawn Anastacia restored the two-goal cushion for Curaçao in the 77’ to seal the victory.

Canada 7, Bermuda 1

Canada earned a 7-1 victory over Bermuda to seal first place in Group A at the National Sports Centre in Devonshire Parish, Bermuda.

Harlem Bean-Fox opened the scoring in the 33' by converting a penalty kick attempt that placed Bermuda in the lead.

Canada would respond by flipping the scoreline and extending their lead with goals from Aidan Evans in the 41’, 60', 64', and 67'.

Andre Ali-Gayapersad penned his name on the scoresheet in the 74' for Canada’s fifth. Kevin Khan struck in the 83', and Sergei Kozlovskiy followed in the 90’ to put a bow on the victory for the Reds.

 

Canada is set for its ninth FIFA U-17 World Cup appearance at Qatar 2025, having previously competed in Canada 1987, Scotland 1989, Japan 1993, Ecuador 1995, Mexico 2011, the United Arab Emirates 2013, Brazil 2019, and Indonesia 2023.

All-time top scorers: Jordan Hamilton (2) and Jacen Russell-Rowe (2).

Best performance: Group stage (1987, 1989, 1993, 1995, 2011, 2013, 2019, 2023).

Canada finished the U-17 qualifiers with 12 points, winning all four matches, and set a historic milestone by scoring 28 goals while conceding 12.

The 28 goals scored in the 2025 edition set a new record for the Canadian youth team, surpassing the 19 goals scored in the 1992 qualifiers. The top scorers in 2025 were Aidan Evans (7), Kevin Khan (5), and Marius Aiyenero (5).

 

 

Group B

British Virgin Islands 1, Guyana 1

The British Virgin Islands drew 1-1 with Guyana in Group B at Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto in Alajuela, Costa Rica.

Jaden Harris opened the scoring in the 53' to place the Golden Jaguars in the lead. The BVI took away the victory in the 90’+1 as Luca Stuttard struck his own volley to earn his third goal of the tournament.

Costa Rica 2, Trinidad and Tobago 0

Costa Rica won 2-nil against Trinidad and Tobago to win Group B at Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto in Alajuela, Costa Rica.

Isaac Badilla converted from the penalty spot to break the deadlock in the 45’, placing Los Ticos in front.

Ethan Barley struck a header off a corner kick in the 87’ to seal the victory and the first-place finish.

 

 

Costa Rica ready for its 11th FIFA U-17 World Cup appearance

Costa Rica is set to compete in its 11th FIFA U-17 World Cup at Qatar 2025, having previously played in China 1985, Ecuador 1995, Egypt 1997, Trinidad & Tobago 2001, Finland 2003, Peru 2005, South Korea 2007, Nigeria 2009, Chile 2015, and India 2017.

All-time top scorers: Armando Alonso (3), Randall Azofeifa (2), and Andrés Gómez (2).

Best performance: Quarterfinals (2001, 2003, 2005, 2015).

Costa Rica wrapped up the 2025 qualifiers with 10 points, three wins, one draw, 21 goals scored, and only two conceded. This marks its second-highest scoring campaign, just behind the 22 goals netted in 1994. The top scorers were Isaac Badilla (5) and Marcus Brown (3).

 

 

Group C

Belize 3, Barbados 4

Barbados earned a 4-3 win against Belize in Group C at the Mexican Football Federation headquarters in Toluca, Mexico.

Marlon Meza placed Belize in front in the 36’, but Barbados would equalize in the 55’ on a Deifson Cartagena own goal.

Jamal Herrera would regain the lead for Belize in the 59’. Tariq Barker would place the Tridents back on level terms in the 62'.

Tyrico Bellamy would gain the lead for Barbados in the 63’ and extend it in the 69’ to collect his brace.

Meza cut the deficit in the 90’+2 but Barbados would hold on to take the full three points.

Mexico 2, Nicaragua 2

Mexico and Nicaragua played to a 2-2 draw, with Mexico winning first place in Group C on goal difference at the Mexican Football Federation headquarters in Toluca, Mexico.

Jocksan Gámez placed Nicaragua up in the 3' with a right-footed strike from outside the box.

José Mancilla tied for Mexico in the 6' with a left-footed hit from the top of the box.

Máximo Reyes placed the hosts in the lead in the 56' with a header off a corner kick attempt.

Diego Gutiérrez equalized in the 90’+3 but Nicaragua would not be able to add the third goal that would award them the group.

 

 

Mexico is set for its 16th FIFA U-17 World Cup appearance at Qatar 2025, having previously competed in China 1985, Canada 1987, Italy 1991, Japan 1993, Egypt 1997, New Zealand 1999, Finland 2003, Peru 2005, Nigeria 2009, Mexico 2011, the United Arab Emirates 2013, Chile 2015, India 2017, Brazil 2019, and Indonesia 2023.

All-time top scorers: Carlos Vela (5), Éver Guzmán (4), Carlos Fierro (4), Iván Ochoa (4), and Efraín Álvarez (4).

Best performance: Champions (2005, 2011), Runners-up (2013, 2019), Fourth place (2015).

Mexico finished the 2025 qualifiers with 10 points, three wins, and one draw, scoring 19 goals and conceding only 2.

The 2025 edition marked the seventh time Mexico scored 19 or more goals in a qualifying campaign. The top scorers were Aldo de Nigris Jr. (4) and Máximo Reyes (3). This is the second time Mexico has qualified for the FIFA U-17 World Cup with 10 points, the first being in 1992.

 

 

Group E

Antigua and Barbuda 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1

Antigua and Barbuda earned a 3-1 win against Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in Group E at Estadio Cementos Progreso in Guatemala City, Guatemala.

Brandon Satchell scored the opening goal in the 15' to place Antigua and Barbuda in front.

Zibeon Cunningham struck from the top of the box in the 33' to tie the score.

Greg Williams delivered the victory with a brace, striking a header in the box in the 66’, and a header off a corner kick in the 74'.

Haiti 2, Guatemala 0

Haiti earned a 2-nil win against Guatemala to secure the top spot in Group E at Estadio Cementos Progreso in Guatemala City, Guatemala.

Haiti took the lead in the 8’ as Djouby Jean-Phillippe struck from the top of the box. 

Miguel Joseph sealed first place for Les Grenadiers in the 90’+4 with a right-footed rocket from midfield.

 

 

Haiti is heading to its third FIFA U-17 World Cup at Qatar 2025, having previously competed in South Korea 2007 and Brazil 2019.

All-time top scorers: Joseph Guemsly (1), Peterson Desrivieres (1), Peterson Joseph (1), Carl Sainte (1), Samuel Jeanty (1), and Kervens Jolicoeur (1).

Best performance: Group stage (2007, 2019).

Haiti wrapped up the 2025 qualifiers with 9 points, three wins, 10 goals scored, and none conceded. This marks its second-highest scoring campaign, with 10 goals, only behind the 15 scored in 2019. The top scorers were Emerson Laïssé (3), Nikolai Pierre (2), and Franco Celestine (2).