Barbados national football team

Barbados played their first international match on April 20, 1929, against Trinidad and Tobago, ending in a 3–0 victory. In the 1930s, they participated in several editions of the Martínez Shield[3] where they suffered their most severe defeat against Guyana (at that time, British Guiana), in Georgetown, in 1931, 9–0.

Barbados had to wait for the qualifying tournament for the 1972 Munich Olympic Games to play its first official competition match against the amateur team of El Salvador, on July 25, 1971, in Bridgetown, a match that saw the Selecta win 0–3. Two years later, Barbados participated in the 1974 Central American and Caribbean Games, in Santo Domingo, although it did not qualify past the first round. On August 15, 1976, Barbados defeated Trinidad and Tobago 2–1 (a brace by Victor Clarke) in the 1978 World Cup qualifiers, which doubled as qualification for the 1977 CONCACAF Championship. In the second leg, the Soca Warriors claimed their revenge (1–0) in Port of Spain, taking the tie to a third tiebreaker game, played in Bridgetown, on September 14, 1976, where Trinidad and Tobago won 1–3 eliminating Barbados.

In the '80s, the Bajan Braves obtained 2nd place in the 1985 CFU Championship. The following year they played the 1986 Central American and Caribbean Games, where they reached the quarterfinals, before being eliminated by the hosts, Dominican Republic. At the end of the decade, Barbados hosted the first edition of the Caribbean Cup, without being able to progress beyond the group stage.

In the 90s, Barbados would return to the World Cup qualifiers, in the preliminary tournament for the 1994 World Cup, where it was again eliminated by Trinidad and Tobago (5–1). In the 1998 World Cup qualifiers, after beating Dominica with an aggregate score of 2–0, Barbados was beaten down by Jamaica (0–1 in Bridgetown and 2–0 in Kingston). In the Caribbean Cup, the Bajan Braves qualified for the 1994 competition (eliminated in the first round) but subsequently failed to qualify for the annual competition from 1995 to 1999.

The 21st century started well for Barbados, who eliminated Cuba on penalties (5–4), after two 1–1 draws in Havana and Bridgetown, during the qualifying rounds for the 2002 World Cup. In the second round, they achieved a historic victory at home against Costa Rica (2–1), on July 16, 2000, with goals from Llewellyn Riley and Michael Forde. However after winning that match, the Barbadians lost the remaining fixtures, wasting their chance to advance to the final hexagonal.

They would return in 2001 to the final phase of the Caribbean Cup, although without much luck after being eliminated again in the first round. In the 2006 World Cup qualifiers, the Saint Kitts and Nevis team eliminated Barbados in the first phase, with an aggregate score of 5–2. In 2005, Barbados hosted (for the second time) the XII edition of the Caribbean Cup, finishing in 4th place. They also qualified for the 2007 and 2008 tournaments, eliminated both times in the group stage. In the preliminary tournament for the 2010 World Cup, Barbados was eliminated by the United States, over two legs, with a crushing aggregate result of 9–0.

The qualifiers heading to the 2014 World Cup were a real ordeal for the Bajan Braves who were placed into a group with Bermuda, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago. They finished last in the group, with 2 goals scored and 14 conceded. After being eliminated in the preliminary phase of the Caribbean Cup in 2012 and after 17 months of inactivity, Barbados returned to play an international match, on March 2, 2014, against Jamaica, in Bridgetown, a match that concluded with victory for the Reggae Boyz, 2–0.

In the qualifying rounds for the 2018 World Cup, they would face the US Virgin Islands where they were surprised 0–1 at home, however, Barbados would overcome the deficit by a 0–4 victory on the road. Then they would face Aruba, winning 0–2 as a visitor, then beating them 1–0 at home however Barbados had fielded an ineligible player, Hadan Holligan, who was due to serve a suspension for collecting two yellow cards, therefore the second leg was awarded to Aruba 3–0, seeing them progress, eliminating Barbados.[4]

• The following players were called up for the 2022–23 CONCACAF Nations League matches.[5]
• Match dates: 23 and 26 March 2023
• Opposition:  Cuba and  Antigua and Barbuda
• Caps and goals correct as of: 26 March 2023, after the match against  Antigua and Barbuda

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
	1GK	Liam Brathwaite	(2000-11-06) 6 November 2000	9	0	UWI Blackbirds
	1GK	Raheem Agard	(2000-11-06) 6 November 2000	1	0	Whitehall Titans
	1GK	Kevon Allsopp	(2001-03-30) 30 March 2001	1	0	Deacons
	2DF	Shane Codrington	(1995-12-10) 10 December 1995	23	0	Ellerton
	2DF	Ramon Manning	(1993-01-11) 11 January 1993	13	0	Paradise
	2DF	Andre Applewhaite	(2002-06-03) 3 June 2002	10	0	Coastal Bend College
	2DF	Zachary Ellis-Hayden	(1992-03-01) 1 March 1992	2	0	Guelph United
	3MF	Mario Williams	(1992-08-19) 19 August 1992	47	0	Weymouth Wales
	3MF	Jomo Harris	(1995-02-15) 15 February 1995	42	2	Paradise
	3MF	Rashad Jules	(1992-06-24) 24 June 1992	37	7	Ellerton
	3MF	Tajio James	(2003-12-17) 17 December 2003	9	4	Central Arkansas Bears
	3MF	Elijah Downey	(1999-03-17) 17 March 1999	7	0	Paradise
	3MF	Akeem Chandler	(2004-07-27) 27 July 2004	3	0	Paradise
	3MF	Rámon Griffith	(1993-10-17) 17 October 1993	2	0	UWI Blackbirds
	4FW	Armando Lashley	(1991-11-08) 8 November 1991	42	4	Paradise
	4FW	Omani Leacock	(1998-05-01) 1 May 1998	26	2	Free agent
	4FW	Nadre Butcher	(2004-03-06) 6 March 2004	11	1	Bray Wanderers
	4FW	Thierry Gale	(2002-05-01) 1 May 2002	9	2	Rapid Wien
	4FW	Shaquan Clarke	(2000-02-25) 25 February 2000	5	0	Ellerton
	4FW	Ryan Trotman	(1999-06-27) 27 June 1999	5	0	Glacis United
	4FW	Kemar Holligan	(2000-04-16) 16 April 2000	3	0	Empire Club
	4FW	Shaquan Collymore	(1999-09-07) 7 September 1999	2	0	Ellerton
	4FW	Curtis Hutson	(1994-08-14) 14 August 1994	2	0	Merthyr Town

The following players have been called up within the past 12 months.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
DF	Krystian Pearce	(1990-01-05) 5 January 1990	11	0	Kidderminster Harriers	v.  Montserrat, 8 September 2023
DF	Rashad Smith	(1996-07-31) 31 July 1996	18	0	Weymouth Wales	v.  Grenada, 26 February 2023
MF	Ackeel Applewhaite	(1999-07-17) 17 July 1999	39	1	Weymouth Wales	v.  Grenada, 26 February 2023
MF	Kevon Lucas	(2004-03-11) 11 March 2004	4	0	Notre Dame	v.  Grenada, 26 February 2023
MF	Devonte Richards	(2002-09-27) 27 September 2002	3	0	Free agent	v.  Grenada, 26 February 2023
FW	Antoine Greaves	(1999-12-04) 4 December 1999	7	0	Wotton	v.  Grenada, 26 February 2023