Findlay To Speak about Bermuda's Post-Qualifying Future
IslandStats.com
As the Bermuda Men's National Football team looks ahead, the focus shifts to the long-term project under Head Coach Michael Findlay, whose vision encompasses not only the next four years but also leveraging the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup for unique preparation opportunities.
Findlay will be joining www.islandstats.com LIVE at 10 am.
Although Bermuda's dream of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup has ended, Coach Findlay has been consistent in emphasizing that the post-qualifying period is crucial for the program's long-term development. His immediate focus is to reassess and reposition the team's goals, ensuring the squad builds on the lessons learned during the challenging final round of Concacaf qualification.
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup set to take place in the region—co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada—a significant opportunity exists for the Bermuda National Team to position itself as a prime warm-up opponent for participating nations.
The final stage of Concacaf qualifying, which featured matches against regional powerhouses like Jamaica, Curaçao, and Trinidad and Tobago, provided a high-level test run. The experience gained from these six matches across the region is invaluable for the players and the technical staff.
The World Cup group stages are set to kick off in June 2026, with host cities spanning the US, Mexico, and Canada. Many international teams will arrive in North America in the summer of 2026 seeking high-quality, geographically convenient opposition for final preparation friendlies. Given Bermuda's location and recent exposure to top Concacaf sides, positioning the team for these lucrative and high-profile warm-up fixtures next summer could be a strategic component of Findlay's future planning.
The BFA's successful arrangement of fixtures, such as the 2024 FIFA Series in Saudi Arabia, demonstrates a commitment to seeking out high-quality international competition to further the team's development. The World Cup warm-up window represents a chance to further elevate the programme and provide the squad with international exposure at the highest level.
Tuesday, December 09, 2025
Could FIFA See New Leadership Before the World Cup?
IslandStats.com
FIFA President Gianni Infantino is facing a formal request for an investigation by the governing body’s ethics committee, alleging he broke rules on political neutrality through his close alignment and public support for United States president Donald Trump.
The complaint, filed by human rights campaign group FairSquare, concerns multiple actions taken by Infantino, arguing that they constitute a breach of FIFA’s ethical mandate for political neutrality.
The main focus of the controversy is the awarding of the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize to President Trump during the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington DC last week. FairSquare contends that "The award of a prize of this nature to a sitting political leader is in, and of itself, a clear breach of FIFA's duty of neutrality".
The complaint also cites several public comments and social media posts made by Infantino, including his statement that Trump "definitely deserves" the Nobel Peace Prize and his endorsement of the president’s actions in a November interview.
Nicholas McGeehan, FairSquare's programme director, suggested that the issue is broader than just political support: "More broadly this is about how Fifa's absurd governance structure has allowed Gianni Infantino to openly flout the organization's rules and act in ways that are both dangerous and directly contrary to the interests of the world's most popular sport".
The FIFA Code of Ethics requires all persons bound by the code to remain "politically neutral" in their dealings. A violation of this duty can be sanctioned with a fine and a ban on taking part in any football-related activity for a maximum of two years.
The investigation by FIFA's ethics committee, if formally launched, will determine whether a breach occurred and what sanctions, if any, should apply.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to begin on 11 June 2026. Should the investigation proceed and result in a suspension or ban for Infantino, it could potentially mean that FIFA would be led by an interim president for the start of the tournament—or even a new elected president, depending on the length and timing of the process.
FIFA, which has closely aligned itself with the US government ahead of the co-hosted tournament, has yet to specify the selection process for the newly created peace prize, which also forms part of the complaint.
Sunday, December 07, 2025
Christopher Extends Perfect Record in Birmingham Win
IslandStats.com
Tyler Christopher extended his perfect professional record, earning a convincing points win over Jensen Irving on the “Jingle Brawls” bill at the Holiday Inn, Birmingham Airport, England.
The southpaw improved his professional record to 11 straight wins (11-0) after dominating the four-round super-welterweight bout. The referee awarded a 40-37 verdict in favour of Christopher.
Christopher's accuracy was on full display. He cut Irving in the second round and then bloodied his nose in the third with a series of accurate jabs.
Christopher now looks to move into bigger and more lucrative fights in 2026, aiming to step up and face opponents with winning records.
Friday, December 05, 2025
BFA President Wade Attends 2026 World Cup Draw
IslandStats.com
Bermuda Football Association (BFA) President Mark Wade has spoken about the excitement and accessibility surrounding the 2026 FIFA World Cup after attending the official draw, held in the region of the expanded tournament.
Wade attended the draw at the Kennedy Center, confirming he was moving early in the day for the Concacaf Presidents' meeting before heading straight over to the World Cup draw.
The event featured immense star power, highlighting the global importance of the tournament, which will be held across the region in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
"Lots of star power in the building, lots of legends," Wade confirmed, noting the presence of greats like Marcel Desailly, Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, and Hugo Sanchez. The actual draw was hosted by Rio Ferdinand, adding to the excitement. American sports stars from baseball, basketball, and hockey were also present, alongside Canada's Wayne Gretzky and Shaquille O’Neal.
Wade noted that the draw structure—which saw top-seeded teams placed in one pot and limited groups to a maximum of two teams from the same confederation—resulted in a set of balanced groups. He observed that the structure avoided the kind of "group of death" seen in previous years.
For fans and for Bermuda specifically, Wade hailed the "unprecedented access" to the World Cup. With many host cities on the East Coast, and Mexico and the West Coast open for those more adventurous, he said, "lots of cities on the East Coast and for those more adventurous, you know, they can get over to Vancouver or even go even go down to Mexico or go over to the US Coast". He added that such ease of access hasn't been seen since 1994, concluding, "It's exciting, and you know, can't wait for the first whistle".
Wednesday, December 03, 2025
CAC Games Housing Update
IslandStats.com
The Organizing Committee of the XXV Central American and Caribbean Games Santo Domingo 2026 announced the completion of the first 320 apartment units that will house the more than six thousand athletes from 37 nations of the region including Bermuda.
The announcement was made Tuesday morning by José P. Monegro, president of the Organizing Committee of the major event, during a meeting held at the apartment complex located in Santo Domingo East, in which Luis Mejía, president of Centro Caribe Sports, executives from Banco de Reservas, Fiduciaria Reservas, the Organizing Committee, the Ministry of Sports, and the project developers participated.
The first 320 fully completed apartments represent the first of four phases of the housing project that will serve as a village for the athletes participating in the games. The remaining three phases are expected to be completed in the first quarter of next year.
“This is a pleasant surprise,” Monegro proclaimed, thanking President Luis Abinader for embracing this model, which is being built through a public-private partnership between Banco de Reservas, Fiduciaria Reservas, and the private sector.
He maintained that the housing complex “has become a model project” that transcends the concept of a sports village. “This is very good,” he said.
The Central American and Caribbean Village consists of approximately 150 buildings, each with eight apartments. Each apartment is fully air-conditioned and includes a living room, dining room, three bedrooms, kitchen, balcony, bathrooms, and other amenities.
Isidro García, vice president of Banco de Reservas, and Miguel Ramos, executive vice president of that bank, also spoke at the event.
Also Luis Mejía, Professor Fernando Teruel, Vice Minister of Sports, and engineer Máximo Bisonó.
The games are expected to include athletes from 37 nations in Central America and the Caribbean, who will be competing in 40 sports, 56 disciplines and 64 modalities.
