Barbados

Barbados 2006-10 Home
Barbados 2006-10 Away
Barbados 2011-13 Home

Not the world’s most interesting shirt, but possibly the world’s largest. Locust weren’t keen on small shirts, it seems. The home is ok, with blue across the shoulders and under the arms with a calmer curves on the front and a thicker one on the rear. A difference on the rear of the shirt that isn’t just it being plain is unusual, but let’s not hang it in the Louvre just yet. The logo fits into the body of the shirt well though. The away ditches multiple colours and looks much more plain, sadly.

2010 World Cup qualifiers came with a brutal format for 2 double header knockouts before a group stage. Barbados would edge their way past Dominica 2-1 on aggregate but then had the hard luck to be drawn against the USA. After an 8-0 demolition in the first leg, the US could take things easily and only managed 1-0 in the second leg, though the damage had long been done.

One Sports make an even plainer shirt, though do use a more ocean-y shade of blue. Flag vs geography so hard to say which the shirt is better for. The use of blue is less interesting, only at the collar, shoulders and base of the shirt with the attempt to make up for it seemingly being One’s insecurity in plastering their logo everywhere. Again, not a great shirt, but just above being totally plain.

Used across 2014 World Cup qualifiers, Barbados were drawn in a group with Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago and Bermuda. Things didn’t exactly go well, with them losing their opening three matches 2-0 and following that up with a 4-0 loss away to Trinidad & Tobago. Their final two matches were closer, both being 2-1 losses, but 0 points from 6 matches left them 10 points adrift of even 3^rd place as the rest of the group scrapped for the place in the next round.

Sometimes they’re quite a strong Caribbean side, but generally struggling in qualifiers is very much Barbados’ lot. They rarely make it far in World Cup qualifiers, with the biggest sides of the confederation typically punishing them if they do. They also had a bit of a gap in the 1980’s from major qualifiers, not that it seemed to help them. They’ve never been to a Gold Cup but have occasionally come semi-close to doing so. The Caribbean Cup has brought a little more success, with 9 appearances, including at the 1990 tournament abandoned mid-coup d’etat in Trinidad & Tobago. Their best came in 1985 and 2005, both tournaments they hosted, where they would come 2^nd (after 3 draws in a group of 4) and 4^th (3 losses in the same scenario). Initially in League C of the Nations League after only beating the US Virgin islands in qualification they were quickly promoted but then only saved from relegation by restructuring, a fate which could only save them for 1 season.

Their women’s team has appeared somewhat more sporadically, and has also struggled for positive results. They’ve taken a few positive results since their introduction in 2006, and have avoided some of the more extreme one-sidedness of some of their compatriots. 3 wins in 2010 qualifiers is the closest they’ve come to a major tournament, but the 2 qualifiers from their final group dealt with Barbados comfortably. They’ve not yet won in CFU competition, however. The men’s youth teams have managed some success, with the U20s qualifying for 5 tournaments prior to 1992, but only 1 since. In contrast, the U17s have been to 4 since 2010. No major successes have been achieved. The U15s got promoted to League 1, but immediately were relegated. Their women’s youth sides have struggled in several qualifiers, but have managed to come close on a few occasions. They barely made the 2020 U20 Championship, but the insane CONCACAF setup led to them getting immediately knocked out 12-0 by Haiti.

Not a futsal nation, Barbados have managed to appear in the 2015 and 2017 beach soccer championships. They failed to win a single group stage match in either, only beating Turks and Caicos and the US Virgin Islands in placement matches to finish 15^th! They haven’t since returned.

In a group with Panama, Dominican Republic, Dominica and Anguilla, Barbados were not expected to progress, but managed 4 very close results, drawing to the Dominicas, beating Anguilla 1-0 and only losing 1-0 to runaway group winners Panama. Far better than their Nations League performances would have indicated, but not significant in the long run.