KINGSTON, Jamaica – Steve McClaren has resigned as head coach of Jamaica’s men’s football team after failing to lead them to an automatic qualifying spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Jamaica finished second in Group B of their CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers after playing to a goalless draw with Curacao in their final match at the National Stadium on Tuesday.
The Reggae Boyz needed a victory to book their spot at next year’s World Cup, but will now have to qualify through the FIFA Play-Off Tournament.
Moments after the result, the 64-year-old McClaren, who took over head coaching duties just over a year ago, stepped down from the position.
“Over the last 18 months, I have given everything I have to this job, to this role. I carried the weight and pride of this job with the deepest respect.
“Leading this team has been one of the greatest honours of my career. But football is a results business and tonight we have fallen short of our goal, which was to qualify from this group,” McClaren said in a statement.
“It is the responsibility of the leader, myself, to step forward, take accountability and make decisions in the best interests of the team for them to go forward.
“After deep reflection and an honest assessment of where we are and where we need to go, I have decided to step down as head coach of the Jamaican national team,” he disclosed.
McClaren admitted that adjusting to football in the Caribbean had not been easy.
“These 18 months have been hard – really hard. I have had to learn lessons very quickly.
“The experience of Concacaf football has been unique for me. Caribbean football is different to Central American football, which is different to North American football. I have not experienced that before,” he admitted.
McClaren replaced Heimir Hallgrimsson – the current Republic of Ireland chief – in August 2024 and took charge of 24 matches in total.
He won 13 of those, with his side losing only once in World Cup qualifying – a 2-0 defeat to Curacao in October.
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