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The Trinidad and Tobago Men’s National Senior Team dropped one place to 101 in the Fifa Men’s International World Ranking index today, which marks roughly six years with little sign of tangible progress from the Soca Warriors.
The Soca Warriors were ranked 100th in the world when the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA), led by president Kieron Edwards, fired then head coach Angus Eve in July 2024.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
They slipped two places to 102 under caretaker Derek King before Dwight Yorke was hired in November 2024. And, eight months later, the Trinidad and Tobago outfit are 101st—with Yorke losing one spot after four straight competitive matches without a win.
After a high-scoring 6-2 triumph over Saint Kitts and Nevis in World Cup qualifying action last month, Yorke’s troops lost to Costa Rica (1-2) and the United States (0-5) while holding Haiti (1-1) and Saudi Arabia (1-1) to draws.
All four nations are ranked above Trinidad and Tobago. However, Yorke must find a way to defeat higher ranked teams if the two-island republic are to qualify for the 2026 World Cup—as promised by Edwards.
Photo: TTFA Media.
At present, Trinidad and Tobago are ranked 12th in Concacaf.
Yesterday, the TTFA asked fans to submit suggestions for a new nickname, which has so far ranged from Steelpan Warriors, Twin Island Titans and Calypso Strikers to Pelau Panthers, Corbeau Feters and Boat Ride Ballerz.
Despite the undeniable buzz around Yorke’s attack-minded troops, football fans are probably hungry for something more than superficial makeovers for their troops.
It is not since 2015, under coach Stephen Hart, that the Warriors were ranked among the world’s top 50 nations.
Trinidad and Tobago were ranked 81st on the planet when then president Raymond Tim Kee hired Hart in June 2013. Within two years, they climbed 32 places to 49th.
Photo: Allan V Crane/ Wired868.
However, a change of president coincided with a slide as they dropped to 78th in 12 months before David John-Williams replaced Hart with Belgian Tom Sainfiet in November 2016.
The Warriors’ demise only became more pronounced after that.
Trinidad and Tobago were 83rd when Dennis Lawrence took over in January 2015 but were 104th by the time he was sacked, by president William Wallace, in December 2019.
(Copyright AFP 2017/ Ed Grimaldo.)
Almost six years and three head coaches later, there has been little change—although the Warriors did briefly climb to 98th under Eve, after 2023 Concacaf Nations League wins over Curaçao, El Salvador, Guatemala and the United States.
Yorke would hope to fix that from September when Trinidad and Tobago host Curaçao before travelling to face Jamaica, Bermuda and Curaçao in crucial road matches in Group B for the third Concacaf World Cup qualifying round.
Jamaica, who dropped seven places in the Fifa ranking to 70th after their 2025 Gold Cup group stage elimination, are the highest ranked team in Group B and the seventh-best in Concacaf.
(via TTFA Media.)
Curaçao are 86th in the world while Bermuda are 162nd.
The Warriors’ last two World Cup qualifying matches are scheduled for the Hasely Crawford Stadium this November.
All match days for the third and final World Cup qualifying round are yet to be determined, although they will be played within available Fifa match windows in September, October and November.
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The evidence is there that something is seriously wrong with the way football is administered and organized (the problem is not the national team coach/manager). If the hand that they are being repeatedly dealt is flawed there isn’t much that could be done to change the poor results that we are receiving. What is needed is a serious plan with goals/targets/outcomes that takes into consideration all levels of football and football related activities from the grassroot level straight up to the national team setup (men/women). Probably detailed to the point of identifying prototypes of ideal players (physical attributes etc) for various positions/playing systems. Without serious planning it will be difficult to achieve any credible improvements/results.