Surinamese football celebrated an historic milestone in 2024 with the creation of the country's first professional championship: the Suriname Major League (SML). This initiative, supported and funded by the FIFA Forward programme, has been a resounding success and has the country dreaming big.    

This inaugural SML season kicked off on 23 February, when S.V. Robinhood forward Jamilhio Rigters had the distinction of scoring the first goal in the tournament’s history. The international striker ended the campaign just as he had started it by grabbing his side’s opener in their 2-0 championship final victory over Transvaal on 24 August. In so doing, the capital side became the first to engrave their name on the new trophy after remaining unbeaten all season.    

"It’s a pleasure to see how Surinamese football is growing and prospering thanks to the Suriname Major League," said Warsha Sardjoe, the Transvaal club president, who congratulated the maiden champions while highlighting the excellent season enjoyed by his own side. "We’re already looking forward to the next edition and more wonderful moments for Surinamese football," he said.    

"We can't wait for next season to play more games and raise the standards of clubs in Suriname," said Ramon Abrahams, president of Robinhood, who was keen to highlight the excellent work done by the league during what was an intense and promising pilot season.  

From strategy development and logistics to putting in place a management structure, the creation of a professional league is an ambitious project involving multiple areas and requiring a great deal of expertise, such as that provided by FIFA, which supported the entire project.

"In May 2023, the Suriname Football Association (SVB) contacted us about developing a professional football league for its senior men’s club sides," said Jordan Victoire, Development Project Coordinator at FIFA’s regional office in Barbados. "We immediately began discussions to support this exciting initiative, working hand in hand to leverage the expertise and advice of FIFA's Professional Football department. This collaborative effort made it possible to structure the competition to meet international standards, while still keeping it adapted to the reality in the country.”

The plan outlined a comprehensive set of short-, mid-, and long-term objectives including enhancing club capabilities through training programs, strategic planning for financial sustainability, establishing partnerships with the business community, fostering grassroots development, financial sustainability on the long term and re-organization of football in Suriname.

"This league is a cornerstone in the development of football in Suriname, providing a professional platform for clubs, talent and numerous football stakeholders to flourish," added Victoire. "FIFA remains committed to supporting the long-term growth of this project by building on this solid foundation for the future of national and international football in Suriname."

The professionalisation of elite football will boost the game throughout the country, starting with the national team. The latter is building momentum and has enjoyed a very positive 2024 with six places gained in the FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking since April and improved positioning in the last three editions of the global standings.    

This progress is down to the excellent results achieved by the team, who have won three and drawn one of their last five games. That sequence includes two wins in the second round of Concacaf qualifying for the FIFA World Cup 26™, which have the Natio currently leading Group F.    

The country has yet to taste the joys of FIFA’s showpiece event, but with the expanded format of the 2026 edition providing between six and eight berths for the region – compared to four for Qatar 2022 – qualification is no longer just a pipe dream.