Academy product earns first ever international call up ahead of 2025 Concacaf U-17 World Cup Qualifiers
Portland Timbers Academy midfielder Brighton Utush has received his first international call up, having been selected to the Nicaragua U-17 National Team to participate in traning camp and then compete in the 2025 Concacaf U-17 World Cup Qualifiers. Utush will join the Nicaraguan U-17s beginning Jan. 15th and will remain with them through the duration of their participation in qualifiers.
The 2025 Concacaf U-17 World Cup Qualifiers are taking place from Feb. 7th-16th. Utush and Nicaragua will need to top their group if they want to book a ticket to the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar. Nicaragua are placed in group C with group hosts Mexico, Barbados, Belize, and Dominica.
The 2025 Concacaf U-17 World Cup Qualifiers will be the first under the new Concacaf U-17 format and will span across six venues to include the participation of 35 Concacaf Member Associations.. It follows FIFA’s confirmation in early 2024 that it would increase the frequency of the FIFA U-17 Men’s World Cup to become an annual competition. Matches for the 2025 edition will be divided across six venues: Bermuda will host Group A, Costa Rica Group B and F, Mexico Group C, Honduras Group D, Guatemala Groups E and H, and Panama Group G.
