CONCACAF (North America)

CONCACAF is the Regional Continental Association for North, Central American and Caribbean Football Associations, and governs Soccer at the Continental level throughout North, Central America and the Caribbean. Within CONCACAF, there are sub-federations NAFU (North American Football Union) containing Soccer Canada, The United States Soccer Federation and the Mexican Football Federation; UNCAF (Union Centroamericana de Futbol) which is a regional federation for the seven Central American Nations, plus CFU (Caribbean Football Union) which represents the Soccer Associations of the Caribbean Islands plus Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana, geographically part of South America, but small enough and bordering the Caribbean that they are part of the CFU and CONCACAF rather than the giant Footballing countries of CONMEBOL (Confederation Sudamericana de Futbol) – the South American Confederation.

Ireland Men’s National Team

CONCACAF North America Preseason

Preseason tournaments held in USA include the International Champions Cup featuring top European and South American teams which has been held over the past few years; the United Soccer Association, a preseason league where European and South American teams (including Shamrock Rovers and Glenavon) played as American-based teams over the summer of 1967; and the International Soccer League from 1960 to 1965, an extended preseason tournament, again featuring top European and South American teams.

CONCACAF Cups

NAFU North American Football Union

UNCAF Central America

CFU Caribbean Football Union

Both Montserrat and Barbados have populations partly descended from Irish captives enslaved by Oliver Cromwell. Montserrat is the only other country in the world where St. Patrick’s Day is a National Holiday, and the Roman Catholic Cathedral in Barbados is St. Patrick’s Cathedral. ^{1 2}

Major League Soccer & CONCACAF National Leagues

Major League Soccer & North America

USSF United States Soccer Federation Leagues

Soccer Canada Leagues

UNCAF Central America National Leagues

CFU Caribbean National Leagues

Both Montserrat and Barbados have populations partly descended from Irish captives enslaved by Oliver Cromwell. Montserrat is the only other country in the world where St. Patrick’s Day is a National Holiday, and the Roman Catholic Cathedral in Barbados is St. Patrick’s Cathedral. [References: 3,4]

1. Go Barbados (2022) St. Patrick’s  Roman Catholic Cathedral [Internet] Available from: https://barbados.org/churches/stpatrick.htm#.YlKtYpHMI2w [Accessed 10 April 2022]  ↩︎
2. Irish America (2022) The Irish of Barbados [Internet] Available from: https://www.irishamerica.com/2015/10/the-irish-of-barbados-photos/#:~:text=Captain%20West%20was%20instructed%20to%20return%20to%20London,sold%20in%20Barbados%20for%20between%20%C2%A310%20and%20%C2%A335. [Accessed 10 April 2022] ↩︎