Jamaican champions Cavalier SC will face Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami in the Concacaf Champions League round of 16 in a two-legged tie, setting up a high-profile clash on Jamaican soil.
Cavalier, who claimed both the Concacaf Caribbean Club Championship and the Jamaica Premier League title, will take on their Major League Soccer (MLS) counterparts for a place in the tournament’s quarterfinals.
The first leg is scheduled for Thursday at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, kicking off at 8:00 p.m. local time. The return fixture will take place at the National Stadium in Kingston on March 13.
The return leg will mark the latest high-profile fixture for the Kingston-based club, which in 1971 hosted Brazilian legend Pelé and Santos in a match watched by 30,000 spectators at the National Stadium. Pelé was also presented with the Keys to the City of Kingston by then Mayor Emerson Barrett.
“Some 54 years ago, Cavalier, through invitation, brought Pelé and Santos to Jamaican soil,” said Ryan Foster, chairman of the Local Organising Committee handling the logistics of the January 31, 1971, match.
Back then, the Corporate Area club, founded in 1962 and run by the late, legendary former national player and coach Leighton Duncan, fielded a Cavalier Invitational team against Santos at the National Stadium.
That Brazilian team was led by Pelé, who is considered by many to be the greatest footballer of all time.
The Brazilian side featured several other stars, including Douglas, Edu, Nene, and Abel.
Cavalier, meanwhile, fielded a squad of national standouts, including goalkeeper Vester Constantine, Delroy ‘Mutty’ Scott, Allan ‘Skill’ Cole, Neville Oxford, brothers Arthur and Asher Welsh, Corsel Blair, and Joshua Hamilton.
The match ended in a 1-1 draw, with ‘Skill’ Cole converting a penalty for Cavalier Invitational to cancel out an earlier goal from Picolo.
Foster highlighted the team’s progress over the past four years, including two Jamaica Premier League titles, a runner-up finish, and a semi-final appearance, as key achievements that have earned them another opportunity to face a club featuring one of football’s biggest stars.
“Within that four-year span, I think we have now earned the right to a round of 16 spot against Inter Miami and the likes of Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, and others,” he said. “And because of our investment in youth development and football, we are now at a stage in the Jamaican football landscape where, not by invitation but through competition, we can bring one of the greatest footballers of all time to Jamaica—along with many others on that roster who have been World Cup winners and greats in their respective positions.”
Messi, a World Cup winner with Argentina and an eight-time Ballon d’Or recipient, will be joined by former Barcelona teammates Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba. The trio previously won multiple titles together, including the Champions League and La Liga.
With Inter Miami’s star-studded squad set to visit Jamaica, local fans are eagerly securing tickets for the return leg.
Cavalier has built a reputation for developing young talent, with key players including captain and central defender Richard King, as well as strikers Jalmaro Calvin, Shaquille Stein, and Christopher Ainsworth.
“I think one of the objectives of the club is not just to win the Premier League but also to transition players to the next level—whether representing Jamaica internationally or transferring to bigger clubs in North America or Europe,” Foster added.
