Thanks to reaching the 2016/17 Scotiabank CFU Men’s Caribbean Cup semifinals, Martinique will be making its fifth appearance in the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

With a population of 386,000, Martinique – an overseas department of France – has made a large football impression on the region. 

In 1993, it became the Caribbean Cup champion by overcoming Jamaica in the final, 6-5 on penalty kicks, following a scoreless draw.  As a result, Les Matinino earned a berth in the 1993 Gold Cup, where it registered an historic 2-2 draw with Canada on goals by Georges Gertrude and Thierry Fondelot.

Nine years later, Martinique posted its first-ever Gold Cup win, topping Trinidad & Tobago, 1-0, on Patrick Percin’s 51st-minute goal.  That victory sealed a spot in the quarterfinals, where Canada ultimately prevailed, 6-5 on penalty kicks, after the sides battled to a 1-1 stalemate.

Through the third round of the current Caribbean Cup, Martinique is a perfect 6W-0D-0L, scoring 17 goals and conceding only two.  Twelve players have gotten their names on the scoresheet, with Steeven Langil (4 goals), Yoann Arquin (2) and Kevin Parsemain (2) combining for eight tallies.