Findlay Reflects on Bermuda's Final World Cup Qualifier
IslandStats.com
Bermuda Head Coach Findlay has spoken to www.islandstats.com following the conclusion of the island's 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifying campaign, expressing pride in his team's character and highlighting the progress made against strong international competition.
In an interview after the final match against Trinidad and Tobago, which ended in a narrow 2-1 defeat, Findlay was "extremely pleased" with the overall performance and the way the team addressed their pre-tournament objectives.
The coach acknowledged the technical difficulties with the score during the final match, calling the situation "very frustrating for the players, the staff, and the BFA." However, he quickly focused on the successful outcome of the camp's short-term goal.
"Our goal and objective when we came into the final camp in November was to put points on the board, to get a result or two results," he stated.
Despite starting the cycle with an "unfortunate situation and result against Curacao"—a nation that directly qualified for the World Cup—Findlay saw a significant upturn in character.
"I think it was a character builder for us... I think it was incredibly not just pleasing but exciting to see how we rebounded, how we applied ourself to the game in some difficult situations."
Findlay confirmed that despite the challenging conditions and humidity, the players acted accordingly, leading to a tangible reward: "We come away with a result and we can put a point on the board in World Cup qualifying." This single point was secured in the 1-1 draw against Jamaica earlier in the campaign.
He stressed that while the team didn't get all the results they were looking for, the journey was about long-term development.
"This was going to be a long-term objective for this group," Findlay confirmed, adding that the team can now proudly say they scored goals in World Cup qualifying and their name sits next to a number of teams still possibly going to the 2026 World Cup.
The coach also highlighted the successful international debuts of several young players, seeing them as a sign of progress.
"Incredibly happy for Milai Perott making his debut, Jace Donawa making his debut, Logan Jiménez in the previous game making his debut," he said. "This is a sign of things to come."
Findlay concluded with an optimistic look toward the next competitive cycle: "Now we look forward to 2026 and preparing for a Gold Cup qualification in Nations League... The future looks bright and I’m happy that we gained the point here in Trinidad and Tobago."
