MIAMI – The 2024/25 Concacaf Nations League begins this week with sixteen nations getting underway in League B on their quest for promotion for the next edition.

Montserrat and El Salvador kick things off as Group A takes place on Thursday. Four matches will occur on Friday across Groups B and C, and Group D will compete on Saturday to conclude the first round of encounters.

Montserrat vs. El Salvador 

Montserrat and El Salvador face off in Group A on Thursday at the Stadion Antonio Trenidat in Rincon, Bonaire. The nations will meet for a third time in the CNL and the fourth time ever.

La Selecta has never lost to Montserrat, winning three of the four meetings. El Salvador will be leaning on forward Brayan Gil when they make a return to League B. The Salvadoran contingent was previously in League B in 2019/20, when they won five of six matches to secure promotion.

The last time they met was a 1-1 draw on March 28, 2021, in the World Cup qualifiers at Ergilio Hato Stadium in Willemstad, where Lyle Taylor scored for Montserrat and Antonio Rugamas for the Salvadorans. Taylor is Montserrat’s top scorer in CNL play, scoring five goals.

Bonaire vs. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 

Bonaire hosts Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in Group A on Thursday at the Stadion Antonio Trenidat in Rincon, Bonaire. The two nations meet for the second time ever.

Bonaire makes its Leagues B debut after earning promotion. Ayrton Cicilia anchors the attack for Bonaire and looks to add to his six CNL goals. Teenage forward Freadyen Michiel is another crucial piece in hopes of a successful tournament.

After falling just short of promotion, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines aim to keep building momentum in League B. Cornelius Stewart has scored in every tournament edition and has three assists in 17 appearances. Oalex Anderson was involved in five of 13 goals scored during the previous campaign, including a hat-trick performance.

Their first meeting between the two nations came during the Nations League qualifiers on March 21, 2019, with a 2-1 victory for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Saint Lucia vs. Curaçao

Saint Lucia will play Curaçao in Group B on Friday at the Kirani James Athletics Stadium in St. George's, Grenada.

This will be the third matchup between the nations but the first in the Nations League. Saint Lucia arrives on a slump of five consecutive matches without a win in any competition, while Curaçao is unbeaten in five straight.

Curaçao will make its League B debut after spending three seasons in League A. Offensive standouts Rangelo Janga and Kenji Gorré will be on a quest to keep that streak alive as Curaçao seeks a return to League A.

Sint Maarten vs. Aruba 

Sint Maarten meets Aruba in Group C on Friday at Estadio Centroamericano in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

Nations League top scorer Gerwin Lake pilots a Sint Maarten side in their first-ever encounter with Aruba. The prolific winger and CNL’s leading scorer has tallied 15 goals over the last three editions of the tournament. Sint Maarten will rely on him to bounce back from two games won and four lost in the previous edition.

Aruba is coming off a brilliant run in League C, going undefeated and scoring 14 goals in four matches to be promoted. Terence Groothusen and Rovien Ostiana have five goals each in CNL and will look to help Aruba to another promotion.

Saint Martin vs. Grenada

Saint Martin and Grenada face off in Group B on Friday at the Kirani James Athletics Stadium in St. George's, Grenada. The nations have competed three times, with Grenada winning all three meetings.

Grenada returns to League B looking to evoke some of the same magic it generated in the 2019/20 edition when it went undefeated in six matches to get promoted.

Goalkeeper Jason Belfon finished the previous tournament with 19 saves and will likely play an important role again.

Freshly promoted Saint Martin arrives with a relentless Axel Raga, who scored eight goals to finish as the top scorer in League C. Saint Martin is coming off a perfect 4-0-0 campaign and will debut in League B.

Puerto Rico vs. Haiti

Puerto Rico hosts Haiti in Group C on Friday at Estadio Centroamericano in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico will try to replicate its solid showing in the last edition when it accumulated 12 points and scored 22 goals behind star forward Ricardo Rivera. 

Frantzdy Pierrot and Don Louicius will lead the push for the Haitians, who are back in League B after being relegated.

These nations have met six times, with Haiti winning each encounter, but they haven’t played each other since a Caribbean Nations Cup clash in 2012. Historically, Haiti has dominated the clash, scoring 23 goals and conceding three.

Bermuda vs. Dominican Republic

Bermuda faces the Dominican Republic in Group D on Saturday at the ABFA Technical Center in Piggotts, Antigua and Barbuda. The two nations meet for the first time in the group stage of the Nations League.

Bermuda enters the tournament searching for a victory after collecting one in its last five matches. Goalkeeper Dale Eve has had 54 saves in 15 CNL matches over the past three editions.

The Dominican Republic will feature a potent attack with winger Dorny Romero, who scored six goals in his six CNL appearances, in its hopes for promotion.

Dominica vs. Antigua and Barbuda

Dominica meets Antigua and Barbuda in Group D on Saturday at the ABFA Technical Center in Piggotts, Antigua and Barbuda.

Dominica returns to League B after going undefeated in League C in the previous campaign. Audel Laville, who has scored in the last two matches, is an essential player on the offensive end.

Thomas-James Bramble and Javorn Stevens were the top scorers for Antigua and Barbuda in the previous edition and aim to start the tournament by adding to their tallies.

The last meeting between the two was a nil-nil draw in an international friendly on April 1, 2018, but the sides share plenty of history with 15 all-time meetings. Antigua and Barbuda have the advantage in the series with six wins to Dominica’s three.