Caribbean Football Union
The Caribbean Football Union opened its doors on the 28th of January 1978 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Patrick Raymond, a former national footballer from Trinidad and Tobago, drove the initial push for this organization. He had approached Phil Woosnam, the Commissioner of the North American Soccer League, in 1976 about owning a Caribbean franchise. Woosnam instead suggested creating a regional league to unite the area. Raymond acted on that advice with help from Jimmy Hill and his company World Sports Academy. Former FIFA President Sir Stanley Rous recommended forming a sub-group within CONCACAF as the first step. The initiative was introduced in August 1977 in Port of Spain, Trinidad. A previous attempt existed before this moment. The British Caribbean Football Association formed in January 1957 under Ken Galt. Eric James served as General Secretary for that earlier group. That team toured the United Kingdom in 1959.
André Kamperveen led the union from 1978 until 1982. Jack Warner took over the presidency in 1983 and held the role until 2011. Ivan Barrow served as General Secretary between 1983 and 1993. Harold Taylor followed him from 1993 through 2005. Damien E. Hughes directed operations starting in May 2013 when offices moved from Port-of-Spain to Kingston, Jamaica. Neil Cochrane replaced Hughes in August 2015. Cochrane announced plans to move jobs from Jamaica to Antigua. Lisle Austin served as acting president during 2011. Yves Jean-Bart acted as president from 2011 to 2012. Gordon Derrick held office from 2012 to 2017. Randolph Harris became acting president in 2017 and then full president from 2018 to 2025. Lyndon Cooper assumed leadership in 2025. Seven different men have served as general secretaries since the beginning.
The organization faced a crisis in May 2011 after representatives received brown paper envelopes containing US$40,000. Chuck Blazer, the CONCACAF general secretary, reported the incident. Footage leaked the next day showed President Jack Warner speaking to delegates who had received the money. He told them the funds were for personal use and said if they were pious they should go to church. FIFA launched an investigation into over 30 CFU representatives. The probe resulted in the resignation of the CFU president. Vice-presidents and staff members faced suspension. Several national football association staff also resigned following the exposure of these events.
The CFU Championship ran between 1978 and 1988 as a tournament for national teams. It was sometimes called the CFU Nations Cup. The Caribbean Cup operated from 1989 until 2017 for international play. Top four teams qualified for the CONCACAF Gold Cup during that period. The Caribbean Club Championship existed for club teams across the region. Winners qualified for the CONCACAF Champions' Cup from 1997 through 2008. From 2008-09 until 2016-17, top three clubs entered preliminary rounds of the CONCACAF Champions League. Since 2017 winners qualify directly for the knockout stage. A pan-Caribbean league known as the Caribbean Professional Football League ran from 1992 to 1994. The CONCACAF Caribbean Cup represents the latest announced regional competition. Current title holders include Cavalier for the 2024 edition and Moca FC for the 2025 CFU Club Shield.
Twenty-five FIFA member nations participate alongside six non-affiliated territories. Anguilla joined in 1996 while Antigua and Barbuda became members in 1978. Aruba joined in 1988 after splitting from the Netherlands Antilles. The Bahamas and Bermuda both joined in 1978. Cuba and Guyana are listed as South American members despite their geographic location. French Guiana and Martinique remain non-members within the Windward Islands group. Suriname also holds South American status. The Cayman Islands joined in 1992. Montserrat and Saint Kitts and Nevis joined in 1996. Turks and Caicos Islands and U.S. Virgin Islands joined in 1998. The Netherlands Antilles was a founding member until its dissolution in 2011. Current leadership includes Randolph Harris from Barbados and Rignaal Francisca from Curaçao. Gwendolyn Salmon serves on the executive committee representing Antigua and Barbuda.
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Common questions
When did the Caribbean Football Union open its doors?
The Caribbean Football Union opened its doors on the 28th of January 1978 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Patrick Raymond drove the initial push for this organization after approaching Phil Woosnam in 1976.
Who served as president of the Caribbean Football Union from 1983 to 2011?
Jack Warner took over the presidency of the Caribbean Football Union in 1983 and held the role until 2011. He resigned following a crisis involving US$40,000 distributed to representatives in May 2011.
What happened to the Caribbean Football Union in May 2011?
The Caribbean Football Union faced a crisis in May 2011 when representatives received brown paper envelopes containing US$40,000. Chuck Blazer reported the incident which led to an investigation by FIFA and the resignation of the CFU president.
Which tournaments has the Caribbean Football Union organized since 1978?
The Caribbean Football Union ran the CFU Championship between 1978 and 1988 and operated the Caribbean Cup from 1989 until 2017. The organization also managed the Caribbean Club Championship and the Caribbean Professional Football League from 1992 to 1994.
How many member nations participate in the Caribbean Football Union?
Twenty-five FIFA member nations participate alongside six non-affiliated territories within the Caribbean Football Union. Anguilla joined in 1996 while Antigua and Barbuda became members in 1978.