Jamaica divided over potential Mason Greenwood call-up as World Cup decision looms | OneFootball

Mason Greenwood’s international future continues to sit in limbo, despite Jamaica completing his passport and leaving the door open for March’s World Cup play-offs. As reported in The Athletic, JFF president Michael Ricketts expected Greenwood to join the squad after securing documentation, but the forward declined a call-up in September, described privately as a “family decision”.Another factor at play was also Marseille’s involvement in the Champions League, and the club’s reported desire to keep Greenwood from flying a 10,000-mile round trip to Kingston.

While the federation remain keen, dressing-room sentiment is complicated. Isaac Hayden told The Athletic that players who “did not commit during qualifying” should not walk into a World Cup squad. Amari’i Bell echoed that concern, noting years of “blood, sweat and tears” from those already in the group.Greenwood was arrested in January 2022 on suspicion of rape and assault after visual and audio material was shared online. He was later charged with attempted rape, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and controlling or coercive behaviour, before the Crown Prosecution Service discontinued the case in February 2023 due to withdrawn witnesses and “new material” that meant conviction was unlikely. Greenwood denied all allegations, and the Englishman would join Marseille in the summer of 2024. He is now currently top-scorer in Ligue 1 with ten goals in 12 matches for Les Olympiens.GFFN | George Boxall