Haiti returns to the World Cup with a rare chance to dream

Haiti is back at the World Cup after a 52-year absence, and its opening Group stage match comes against Scotland at 4:00 a.m. local time on the night between Saturday and Sunday. Haiti will also face Brazil and Morocco in the group, in what is being framed at home as far more than a sporting event.

The article recalls Brazil’s 2004 exhibition match in Port-au-Prince, when the capital filled with fans in yellow and green and the game briefly symbolized hope in a country dominated by gangs and drug crime. For two days, authorities even declared a ceasefire for the occasion. Today, Haiti remains deeply unstable, especially after the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. Amnesty International says about 5,600 people were killed in the country in 2024 alone.

Haiti has not hosted a home match in five years, and its games are being played in Curaçao, about 800 kilometers away. Many supporters are finding creative ways to watch despite severe electricity shortages. The squad reflects the country’s diaspora, 16 of the 26 players were born outside Haiti, and they come from 25 clubs in 15 countries. Among them is former Maccabi Haifa forward Frantzdy Pierrot, now with Turkish side Rizespor, while coach Sébastien Migné has never set foot in Haiti.

Captain and all-time top scorer Duckens Nazon said he tells younger players about Haiti’s reality and its responsibility as “the first independent Black nation in the world.” He added that wearing the shirt is “much more than a regular game.” Another inspiration is 21-year-old defensive midfielder Wedensky Pierre, the only home-based player, who grew up in the dangerous Cité Soleil neighborhood and says he carries “the hopes of the place where I came from.” Defender Hannes Delcroix, who was adopted in Belgium and once played for Belgium, said joining Haiti made him feel less alone and that he wants to learn Creole. For Haitians, the tournament will not end the violence, but it offers a brief chance to imagine something better.