FIFA World Cup 2026

Saint Lucia coach Stern John talks about the Caribbean island's rise and World Cup qualifying hopes, plus his memories of Germany 2006.

•Former Trinidad & Tobago striker Stern John has been Saint Lucia’s coach since 2022

•Saint Lucia improved six places in the most recent FIFA rankings

•John spoke about the island nation’s World Cup qualifying campaign and his memories of Germany 2006

Go anywhere around the Concacaf region and the name Stern John draws a reaction of respect and admiration. His 70 international goals with Trinidad & Tobago rank him at the top of Concacaf’s all-time scorers, while at club level he was consistently prolific in Major League Soccer (MLS) and English football.

After beginning his national team coaching life with Anguilla, John moved on to Saint Lucia in 2022 and has steadily improved the Piton Boyz, including a six-place climb up the most recent FIFA/Coca-Cola World Rankings thanks to wins against Curacao and Grenada during the September Concacaf Nations League window.

The same high standards of success that propelled John as a player are now qualities that he is instilling into the Saint Lucia squad. When the second round of Concacaf qualifying for FIFA World Cup 26™ resumes next June, John’s Saint Lucia will take on Curacao yet again with a chance to get themselves in the mix for a top two finish in the group and possible advancement to the third round, which would be a first ever for the island.

In an interview with FIFA, John talked about the strides made in Saint Lucian football during his tenure, his approach to coaching and the memories of playing for Trinidad & Tobago at Germany 2006.

FIFA: How are things going there in Saint Lucia?

Stern John: I’ve been here two-and-a-half years and it’s been a work in progress. I think the FA have been really patient with me in getting me what I need to do the job well. I’ve been able to get some good results, so it’s been fantastic.

Saint Lucia didn’t enter qualifying for Qatar 2022, so what has it been like trying to rebuild this program?

We had to bring back the players to the table and explain to them that this was a new start and that we were going to do things differently, that this is a process and we are going to build a proper team to compete in Concacaf.

Saint Lucia were one of the highest climbers in the latest FIFA ranking. What’s your takeaway of that?

We’ve been able to go to the UK and recruit a lot of players who have Saint Lucian parents. I think all around the world and especially in the Caribbean those players are taking that opportunity to go get international experience, because a lot of these Saint Lucian players are not playing that much football on the islands. They’re not in that environment every day, so one of the keys to our success has been bringing in the international players and then we’re able to gel them with the local players.

Yet in the last window nine of your starting XI against Curacao are based in Saint Lucia. What does that say about you and your staff?

I think the coaching staff has done a fantastic job. The FA has supported me since I’ve been here and allowed us to go into different areas, find players and bring them to play for the national team. Since I’ve been here our program has been running all year round. I think that makes a big difference. Having them in that environment and working on the basics makes a massive difference in terms of them training like a professional player.

What are some of the things that stand out about your team right now?

The first thing I did when I came here was to work with the players on the way we defend and the way we attack as well, and then taking information on board. I think we have come leaps and bounds. We have a lot of players who are match-winners, but we had to get the other side of the game right. I was able to come in and show them how to play both sides of the game in transition, be solid in defense, be hard to break down and be hard to beat.

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