It wasn’t just Michail Antonio’s presence on the pitch which caught the eye – the West Ham United veteran making his first appearance in seven months – it was the impact he made during that brief CONCACAF Gold Cup cameo for Jamaica against Guatemala.
Runners-up twice in the last ten years, Steve McClaren’s Reggae Boyz outfit began the 2025 tournament with a highly-underwhelming defeat against a team who had never won before in a Gold Cup match. Until the tournament’s opening weekend, that is.
But the emotional, inspiring return of Michail Antonio could yet prove a galvanising moment for a Jamaica squad in need of a lift.
Former Manchester United, Newcastle and England coach Steve McClaren goes as far as to label Antonio’s comeback a ‘miracle’. A triumph of the human spirit over the most fearsome adversity.
The West Ham United striker had not played a single minute of professional football since he broke his leg in a horrific car accident back in December. That he is back on the pitch at all – Antonio was initially expected to be absent until 2026 at the earliest – is an almighty achievement in itself.
West Ham United hero Michail Antonio shines on Jamaica return
As Gold Cup pundits David Mosse and Alexi Lalas explain, however, it was not just Antonio’s presence but his impact and his enduring quality which made that ten-minute outing one to savour.
“A lot of people thought his career was over. At the very least, it looked like a year before he was going to play again,” Mosse begins on the State of the Union podcast. “[So] he’s well ahead of schedule!
“He made the Jamaica Gold Cup squad and even then people just thought it was so he could train with them. Realistically, he was not going to play in this tournament!
“Lo and behold, their first match, they need a spark off the bench [and on comes Antonio]. I actually thought he looked OK for a guy who hadn’t played!”
USA legend Alexi Lalas tips Antonio for major CONCACAF Gold Cup impact
Alexi Lalas, one of the most recognisable figures of US soccer and not just because of his iconic hair and beard combo, goes even further.
Antonio’s introduction with 85 minutes on the clock, he feels, gave a sluggish Jamaica outfit the proverbial kick up the backside they needed even if an equaliser would prove elusive.
“Absolutely, he did change the game when he came on,” Lalas agrees. “When you see someone [who has been out for so long] you think; ‘Is there a hitch in the step’. You couldn’t tell in that moment, that ten-minute spell.
“In that moment, they turned to him when they needed something – they needed a spark, they needed a goal – and I think that says a lot.
“It shows the spirit, the commitment, the dedication and the personality to work so hard and get back and provide inspiration in that team.
“Is he OK to start? I don’t know. We will see going forward. The story is great but, from a practical perspective, they need players like him on the field.”
The former Nottingham Forest forward is a man surrounded by uncertainty at club level, however. Michail Antonio would prefer to stay at the London Stadium but talks between West Ham and the ex-Southampton man stalled recently.
According to reports, David Moyes could look to strike an Everton reunion once his contract expires.
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