Trinidad and Tobago football clubs have entered international competitions since 1967, when Regiment of the Port of Spain Football League took part in the 1967 CONCACAF Champions' Cup. Since the nation's first international club competition, several association football clubs from Trinidad and Tobago have entered North America, Central America, and Caribbean competitions (CONCACAF Champions' Cup/Champions League and CFU Club Championship).
The CONCACAF Champions' Cup started in 1962, but there was no Trinidad and Tobago representative during that inaugural season as the competition was open to eight teams from seven countries: Netherlands Antilles, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, and Mexico. Since their first appearance, Trinidad and Tobago clubs have claimed the Champions' Cup on two occasions with Defence Force winning the title in 1978 and again in 1985 in the Teteron Boys''' treble-winning season.
Since the establishment of the CFU Club Championship in 1997, clubs from the Caribbean Islands that are members of the Caribbean Football Union, have competed in the region's qualification tournament for the CONCACAF Champions' Cup and Champions League. The first club to compete in the regional competition was United Petrotrin of the Semi-Professional League. The Oilmen won the inaugural tournament after defeating Seba United of Jamaica 2–1 to advance to the 1997 Champions' Cup. Since the country's first appearance in the CFU Club Championship, Trinidad and Tobago clubs have claimed the title on eleven occasions with an additional nine runners-up finishes.
Qualification for continental competitions
Competition Qualifiers NotesCFU Club ChampionshipClub finishing as the TT Pro League championsClubs enter competition in the first roundClub finishing as the TT Pro League runners-up
Champions of continental competitions
CONCACAFChampions League CaribbeanClub Championship1978 – Defence Force1997 – United Petrotrin1985 – Defence Force (2)1998 – Joe Public2000 – Joe Public (2)2001 – Defence Force2002 – W Connection2003 – San Juan Jabloteh2006 – W Connection (2)2009 – W Connection (3)2012 – Caledonia AIA2015 – Central FC2016 – Central FC (2)
Full continental competition record
CONCACAF Champions' Cup and Champions League
Season Team Progress Score Opponents Venue(s) 1962None entered 1963None entered 1967 Regiment 2nd in group stage CRKSV Jong Colombia, Regiment, Somerset Trojans, Racing Club Haïtien 1968None entered 1969None entered 1970 Maple Club First round 1–4 Transvaal 1971None entered 1972None entered 1973None entered 1974None entered 1975None entered 1976 Tesoro Palo Seco Second round 1–6 Voorwaarts Malvern United Second round 0–2 Robinhood 1977 Defence Force First round 0–4 Violette TECSA Fourth round 2–4 Robinhood 1978 TECSA First round 2–3 Voorwaarts Defence Force Winners 4–1 Voorwaarts 1979 Tesoro Palo Seco Third round w/o Robinhood Defence Force Third round 2–3 CRKSV Jong Colombia 1980 Police First round 2–4 Transvaal Defence Force Second round w/o Robinhood 1981 Memphis First round 0–3 SUBT Defence Force First round w/o Transvaal 1982 Tesoro Palo Seco First round w/o SUBT Defence Force Third round 3–6 Robinhood 1983 Defence Force First round 1–3 Robinhood Memphis First round 4–5 SUBT 1984 Defence Force First round w/o Violette 1985 Defence Force Winners 2–1 Olimpia 2–0 at National Stadium, 0–1 at Estadio Francisco Morazán 1986 Sirocco First round 2–4 Trintoc Trintoc Semifinals 4–4 (3–4p) Transvaal 1987 Trintoc Semifinals 2–3 Defence Force Defence Force Final 1–3 América 1–1 at National Stadium, 0–2 at Estadio Azteca 1988 Trintoc First round 1–2 Excelsior Defence Force Final 0–4 Olimpia 0–2 at Estadio Excélsior, 0–2 at Estadio Nacional 1989 Defence Force 3rd in group stage FC Pinar del Río, Trintoc, Juventus, CRKSV Jong Colombia Trintoc 2nd in group stage FC Pinar del Río, Defence Force, Juventus, CRKSV Jong Colombia 1990None entered 1991 Defence Force Third round 2–3 Police Police Final 2–4 Puebla 1–3 at Estadio Cuauhtémoc, 1–1 at Skinner Park 1992 Trintoc First round 1–2 Transvaal Mayaro United Second round 1–2 Robinhood 1993 Hawks First round w/o Sithoc Trintoc Semifinals 0–1 Robinhood 1994None entered 1995None entered 1996None entered 1997 United Petrotrin Quarterfinals 0–1 D.C. United Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium 1998 Joe Public Quarterfinals 0–8 D.C. United Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium 1999 Joe Public Quarterfinals 0–2 Chicago Fire Soldier Field 2000 Joe Public Quarterfinals 0–1 Pachuca Titan Stadium 2002 W Connection Round of 16 0–3 Kansas City Wizards 0–1 at Manny Ramjohn Stadium, 0–2 at Arrowhead Stadium Defence Force Round of 16 1–4 Pachuca 1–0 at Hasely Crawford Stadium, 0–4 at Estadio Hidalgo 2003 W Connection Round of 16 5–6 Toluca 3–3 at Manny Ramjohn Stadium, 2–3 at Estadio Nemesio Díez 2004 San Juan Jabloteh Quarterfinals 5–6 Chicago Fire 5–2 at Hasely Crawford Stadium, 0–4 at Soldier Field 2005No clubs qualified for competition 2006No clubs qualified for competition 2007 W Connection Quarterfinals 2–4 Guadalajara 2–1 at Manny Ramjohn Stadium, 0–3 at Estadio Jalisco 2008No clubs qualified for competition 2008–09 Joe Public 4th in group stage Atlante, Montreal Impact, Olimpia2009–10 San Juan Jabloteh 4th in group stage Toluca, Marathón, D.C. United W Connection 3rd in group stage UNAM, Comunicaciones, Real España2010–11 San Juan Jabloteh Preliminary round 0–6 Santos Laguna 0–1 at Marvin Lee Stadium, 0–5 at Estadio Corona Joe Public 4th in group stage Santos Laguna, Columbus Crew, Municipal 2011–12No clubs qualified for competition 2012–13 Caledonia AIA 3rd in group stage Seattle Sounders FC, Marathón W Connection 3rd in group stage Xelajú, Guadalajara 2013–14 W Connection 3rd in group stage Árabe Unido, Houston Dynamo Caledonia AIA 3rd in group stage Comunicaciones, Toluca 2014–15No clubs qualified for competition 2015–16 Central FC 2nd in group stage C.S.D. Comunicaciones, LA Galaxy W Connection 3rd in group stage Deportivo Saprissa, Santos Laguna 2016–17 Central FC W Connection
CFU Club Championship
Season Team Progress Score Opponents Venue(s) 1997 United Petrotrin Winners 2–1 Seba United Palo Seco Velodrome 1998 San Juan Jabloteh Quarterfinals 0–2 Aiglon du Lamentin National Stadium Caledonia AIA Final 0–1 Joe Public Marvin Lee Stadium Joe Public Winners 1–0 Caledonia AIA Marvin Lee Stadium 2000 W Connection 2nd in final round Joe Public, Harbour View, Carioca FC Joe Public Winners W Connection, Harbour View, Carioca FC 2001 W Connection 1st in final round Racing Club Haïtien, CRKSV Jong Colombia Defence Force Winners Suriname National Lager, Roulado 2002 W Connection Winners Harbour View, US Robert 2003 W Connection Final 3–3 (2–4p) San Juan Jabloteh 1–2 at Manny Ramjohn Stadium, 2–1 at Hasely Crawford Stadium San Juan Jabloteh Winners 3–3 (4–2p) W Connection 2–1 at Manny Ramjohn Stadium, 1–2 at Hasely Crawford Stadium 2004 San Juan Jabloteh Semifinals 1–2 Tivoli Gardens 1–1 at Hasely Crawford Stadium, 0–1 at Railway Oval 2005 North East Stars Quarterfinals w/o Robinhood 2006 San Juan Jabloteh Final 0–1 W Connection Manny Ramjohn Stadium W Connection Winners 1–0 San Juan Jabloteh Manny Ramjohn Stadium 2007 San Juan Jabloteh Third place 0–1 Puerto Rico Islanders 0–1 at Estadio Juan Ramón Loubriel, 0–0 at Hasely Crawford Stadium Joe Public Final 1–2 Harbour View Marvin Lee Stadium 2009 San Juan Jabloteh Third place 2–1 Tempête Marvin Lee Stadium W Connection Winners 2–1 Puerto Rico Islanders Marvin Lee Stadium 2010 San Juan Jabloteh 3rd in final round Puerto Rico Islanders, Joe Public, Bayamón FC Joe Public 2nd in final round Puerto Rico Islanders, San Juan Jabloteh, Bayamón FC 2011 Caledonia AIA Second round 1–1 (2–3p) Tempête 0–1 at Ato Boldon Stadium, 1–0 at Parc Levelt Defence Force Semifinals 0–0 (2–4p) Tempête Providence Stadium 2012 W Connection Final 1–1 (3–4p) Caledonia AIA Manny Ramjohn Stadium Caledonia AIA Winners 1–1 (4–3p) W Connection Manny Ramjohn Stadium 2013 Caledonia AIA Playoff round 3–2 Portmore United 1–0 at Hasely Crawford Stadium, 2–2 at Ato Boldon Stadium W Connection 1st in final round Caledonia AIA, Antigua Barracuda FC 2014 Caledonia AIA 2nd in first round Mirebalais, Waterhouse, Inter Moengotapoe Defence Force 2nd in first round Alpha United FC, Harbour View 2015 Central FC Winners 2–1 W Connection Ato Boldon Stadium W Connection Final 1–2 Central FC Ato Boldon Stadium 2016 Central FC Winners 3–0 W Connection Stade Sylvio Cator W Connection Final 0–3 Central FC Stade Sylvio Cator
TT Pro League international performance Since the inaugural season of the TT Pro League in 1999, the league champion and runners-up have entered the CFU Club Championship to earn qualification in the CONCACAF Champions' Cup/Champions League. The first Pro League club to compete in international competition was Joe Public when the club entered the 1999 CONCACAF Champions' Cup. However, the Eastern Lions qualified for the competition through the 1998 CFU Club Championship as a member of the Semi-Professional League the previous season. The 2000 CFU Club Championship was the first occurrence of clubs having earned qualification through final position in the Pro League. Defence Force entered as the 1999 Pro League champion, W Connection as runners-up, and Joe Public as the CFU Club Championship holders. Joe Public won the competition to provide the Pro League with its first international championship.
Pro League clubs have won the CFU Club Championship for Caribbean-based clubs on eleven occasions and nine additional runners-up finishes. However, no Pro League club has won the Champions' Cup or Champions League. The best performance occurred in the 2000, 2004, and 2007 Champions' Cup when Joe Public, San Juan Jabloteh, and W Connection, respectively, entered the quarterfinal round.
CONCACAF Champions' Cup and Champions League
Note: The CONCACAF Champions' Cup began in 1962 and was renamed the CONCACAF Champions League in 2008–09 (abbreviated here to 2009). Trinidad and Tobago clubs began entering the continental competition in 1967. After the inauguration of the TT Pro League in 1999, teams from the Pro League were playing in CONCACAF competition during that season (abbreviated to 2009), even though they had actually qualified through the old Semi-Professional League the previous season.
Trinidad and Tobago finalists (1962–present) For comparison, this table shows how Trinidad and Tobago clubs have performed at the top level of CONCACAF football before the TT Pro League era. Defence Force remains the only team from Trinidad and Tobago to win the Champions' Cup in 1978 and 1985. Since the Teteron Boys''' treble-winning season, the best performance by a Trinidad and Tobago team came in 1987 and 1988 when Defence Force, and again in 1991 when Police finished as runners-up.
Club Winners Runners-up Seasons won Seasons runners-up Defence Force 2 21978, 19851987, 1988 Police 0 11991
All finalists performance by club (1962–present) On this table, covering before and during the TT Pro League era, the best-performing ten clubs are listed. Pro League club, Defence Force, is tied for ninth best-performing club in the CONCACAF Champions' Cup and Champions League.
ClubWinnersRunners-upSeasons wonSeasons runner-up Cruz Azul 5 21969, 1970, 1971, 1996, 19972009, 2010 América 5 01977, 1987, 1990, 1992, 2006 Pachuca 4 02002, 2007, 2008, 2010 Saprissa 3 21993, 1995, 20052004, 2008 UNAM 3 11980, 1982, 19892005 Monterrey 3 02011, 2012, 2013 Transvaal 2 31973, 19811974, 1975, 1986 Alajuelense 2 31986, 20041971, 1992, 1999 Olimpia 2 21972, 19881985, 2000 Toluca221968, 20031998, 2006 Defence Force221978, 19851987, 1988
All finalists performance by nation