Part IWorld Cup football fever may be gripping fans, but behind the scenes, a different pressure is building in Trinidad and Tobago.The Sports Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SporTT) is seeking answers from the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) regarding the accoun­ting and reporting of millions of dollars in public funding, raising fresh questions about financial oversight within the sport.The main concern surrounds $6.9 million in funding provided to the TTFA for the national team’s World Cup-qualifying campaign between November 2024 and September 2025.The team’s former nation­al coach, Dwight Yorke, who was dismissed in December 2025, is still owed approximately US$150,000 ($1.02 million), while several service providers and vendors who worked closely with the TTFA are also owed significant sums dating back more than two years—despite monetary allocations made to the TTFA by SporTT and additional assistance from corporate sponsors.A senior TTFA insider told the Sunday Express that players, coaches, managers and other staff at the national level continue to experience difficulties receiving their sala­ries, as do personnel asso­ciated with the Trinidad and Tobago Premier Football League (TTPFL).Over the course of a two-month investigation, the Sun­­­day Express obtained docu­ments, reviewed financial records, and interviewed multiple sources familiar with the TTFA’s funding arrangements.SporTT is seeking transpa­rency in the expenditure of sponsorship funds alloca­ted by that body. Separately, State-run entities and private businesses also contributed to T&T’s World Cup-qualifying campaign in 2025, and separate questions are being asked as to how those funds were spent.Breakdown of allocationsA SporTT document obtained by the Sunday Express showed that between No­vember 2024 and April 2026, the TTFA received $14,426,658.34. Of that amount, $6.79 million was allo­cated to T&T’s World Cup-­­­­­qualifying campaign; $836,658.34 for CONCACAF Nations League matches; $5.82 million to the TTPFL to pay players, coaches, technical staff and other employees; and the Senior Wo­men’s National Team received $980,000 in April 2026.The payments to the TTPFL were as follows:• April 2025—$2 million• July 2025—$2.7 million• February 2026—$600,000• April 2026—$520,000Total—$5.82 million.The Senior Women’s Na­tional Team received $980,000 on April 9, 2026, for its international campaign.However, as of today, these players are owed match fees for games played against Honduras on March 4, 2026, and El Salvador on April 1, 2026. Members of the Men’s National Team are also reportedly owed monies dating back to their October 2025 World Cup-qualifying victory over Bermuda.Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs Senator David Nakhid recently discussed the issue of unpaid match fees on the online platform Wired868.Monetary alignmentThe disbursement of funds for the World Cup-qualifying campaign and CONCACAF Nations League competition was as follows:• December 2024—$500,000 for the Men’s Senior National Team FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign.• January 6, 2025—$2,895,000; and January 9, 2025—$3,395,000, represen­ting the first US$1 million ($6.79 million) approved by Ca­binet under the former PNM (People’s National Movement) administration.This sum was presented by former minister of sport Shamfa Cudjoe-Lewis to the TTFA in early January 2025. A second tranche of US$1 mil­lion was to be allocated had T&T successfully qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.In August 2025, the Men’s Senior National Team received disbursements of $499,695.93 and $336,962.41 for CONCACAF Nations League matches played in September and October 2024, including home-and-away fixtures against Cuba, an away match against Honduras, and a home fixture against French Guiana.However, the central point of contention is the TTFA’s failure to provide detailed accounting of how the $6.79 million disbursed by SporTT for T&T’s World Cup-qualifying campaign was spent.SporTT, which is responsible for ensuring public funds are properly managed, has therefore been unable to verify whether the TTFA’s expen­ditures align with the millions of dollars already released.According to a SporTT document, as of March 31, 2026, several months had passed since the TTFA was ex­pected to submit documentation supporting the ex­penditure of the $6.79 million.The required documents reportedly included payroll summary sheets, a list of authorised signatories to verify signatures on submitted documents, and an independent sustainability/technical report.The document further sta­ted that SporTT’s Sport Development and Performance Unit (SPDU) had been following up with the TTFA since August 7, 2025, to bring the matter to closure. The most recent follow-ups by the Coordinator of Grants and Funding reportedly occurred on Feb­ruary 6 and March 26, 2026.According to the same document concerning the TTPFL, SporTT identified similar concerns relating to the status of statutory deduc­tion payments and the submission of an independent sus­tainability/technical report.SporTT has formally requested reconciliation docu­ments on multiple occasions, but the TTFA has not produced documentation showing precisely how the funds were spent, according to multiple sources.Sources said that in late May 2026, TTFA president Kieron Edwards and several other TTFA executives met with senior SporTT officials and Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Phillip Watts.According to sources, the purpose of the meeting was to verify expenditure and obtain supporting documentation, including invoices, receipts, payment records, signatures, and official stamps.“If the Ministry of Sport, through SporTT, is to provide further funding, this must be addressed. We need to see re­conciliation for the funds pre­­viously provided,” said a source familiar with the meeting.In an interview on i95 FM on May 9, Edwards said that all audits had been comple­ted and were in good standing.He also maintained that the TTFA executive remained united and that while disagreements existed on certain issues, members remained aligned on key matters.About SporTTThe Sports Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SporTT) was established in 2004 as a limited liability special interest company geared towards the management, administration and programming of sport, as well as the construction and operational maintenance of sporting facilities throughout Trinidad and Tobago.SporTT is the premier organisation for the develop­ment of sport, athletes and sporting organisations in Trinidad and Tobago. SporTT is the key implementation agency for the Ministry of Sport and Community Development and its varied and comprehensive policies for the promotion, sustainable growth and development of sport in Trinidad and Tobago.—Source: SporTT website