Mason Greenwood has decided against pledging his international future to Jamaica despite being granted citizenship and obtaining a new passport.
Jamaica head coach Steve McClaren had hoped to include the Marseille forward in his squad for their World Cup qualifiers against Bermuda on Friday and Trinidad and Tobago on Wednesday. But Greenwood, 23, has not signed the letter that would make his switch of allegiance from England official.
That leaves him still eligible to play for England, the country where he won his only senior cap in September 2020. Greenwood came off the bench in a Nations League match against Iceland before being sent home along with Phil Foden after breaching Covid quarantine rules. He has not featured for England at any level since.
McClaren admitted he was disappointed by Greenwood's stance, although he remains optimistic that the forward could commit to Jamaica later in the year.
'We acquired a passport and we expected him to be coming to this camp but in a conversation with his family he's not going to commit at this time to anybody,' McClaren said.
'It's a little bit disappointing, we probably have to be more patient. We will keep pursuing him because I know from my conversations with Mason that he loves Jamaica. He wants to concentrate on club football and not commit to an international team at the moment. He's taking his time over that. Who knows in the future?'
Greenwood qualifies to represent Jamaica through his grandfather and meets FIFA's criteria for a switch, having played fewer than three competitive matches for England before the age of 21.
His performances at club level have sparked Jamaica’s interest. Greenwood scored 21 goals and registered six assists in Ligue 1 last season, convincing Marseille to make his £26.6m move from Manchester United permanent in the summer.
The French club view him as a central part of their project, with sporting director Mehdi Benatia insisting earlier this summer that Greenwood was not for sale.
Greenwood’s international future has been the subject of debate for months. McClaren approached the FA about a potential switch late last year and has remained in contact with the player’s family throughout 2024 and 2025.
Greenwood has not played for England since his solitary cap five years ago, and his arrest in January 2022 on allegations of attempted rape, assault and coercive behaviour effectively ended his Old Trafford career. The charges, which he denied, were later dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service following the withdrawal of key witnesses and the emergence of new material.
Jamaica, who reached the Gold Cup semi-finals in the summer, are trying to add more UK-born players to their squad as they push to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.