For two days in 2004, the violence in Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince simply stopped, brought to a halt by the arrival of then world champions Brazil.
Haitian journalist Pierre Richard Midy remembers his foreign friends being stunned, asking him: “Are you sure the Brazilians are playing in Haiti? It sounds like the Brazilians are at home.”
Thousands of locals lined the streets, climbed trees for a better view, and waved Brazilian flags as stars including Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Roberto Carlos arrived on the island.
Haiti lost that UN-organised friendly 6-0, but the match delivered something far greater than a scoreline, offering a rare and precious pause in a country torn apart by gang warfare.
Now, in 2026, Haitians are preparing for something even more extraordinary, with their national team set to compete at their first World Cup since 1974.
They have been drawn in Group C alongside Brazil, Scotland and Morocco, meaning a rematch with those same yellow-and-green opponents who brought peace two decades ago.
Haiti’s all-time top scorer Duckens Nazon has spoken of the enormous responsibility the squad carries, saying: “When we put the shirt on, it’s more than a normal game. We are the first independent black nation in the world. We have a lot of history. We have to assume this role.”
The team reflects the complexity of the nation itself, with sixteen of Haiti’s players born abroad across five countries and the 26-man squad representing 25 clubs from 15 nations.
Their coach, Frenchman Sebastien Migne, who served as Cameroon’s assistant coach at Qatar 2022, has never set foot on Haitian soil, yet has built something remarkable from scattered parts.
Midy described him simply as “a magical coach,” adding that when asked his secret, Migne responded: “It’s not me, it’s the players. I don’t have no secret. I just tell them put your heart in it.”
One player who embodies Haiti’s spirit more literally than most is Woodensky Pierre, the squad’s only domestic-based player, who was raised in the slum of Cite Soleil and plays for Violette AC.
His club’s home ground, the Stade Sylvio Cator, had been used for Haiti’s home matches until gangs seized control of it two years ago, forcing the national side to play so-called home fixtures 500 miles away in Curacao.
Migne initially called Woodensky up purely on the basis of online videos, unable to watch him play in person given the dangers on the ground in Haiti.
“This player is from one of the most dangerous neighbourhoods in Haiti. He plays with instinct because he learned early that hesitation costs you everything,” said Midy.
Nazon, born in France to Haitian parents and a hero to the Haitian public despite or perhaps because of that, hopes the team’s story can inspire young people away from violence.
“You’re not obligated to take weapons. You’re not obligated to go with gangs or to deal or smoke drugs. There are so many ways to get out of the struggle,” he said.
According to Amnesty International, 5,600 people were reported killed in Haiti in 2024 alone, in a country with an estimated population of around 11.5 million people.
Haiti’s World Cup qualification was secured on 18 November, the same date as the Battle of Vertieres in 1803, when a slave revolt overthrew Napoleon’s colonial rule and gave birth to the nation.
The team had planned to honour that history by wearing a shirt featuring an image of the battle, but were forced to alter the design after Fifa ruled it breached rules banning political messages on kit.
As Haiti prepare to face Scotland in Boston on Saturday in their opening fixture, Nazon admitted the reality of being at a World Cup had not yet fully registered, saying: “The point where we’re going to really realise, I think it’s going to be when the first game is going to start. Yo guys, we are in the World Cup now!”
Back home, Midy says the mood has reached a different level entirely, with local organisations distributing televisions and solar-powered inverter systems to help residents follow the tournament despite chronic electricity shortages.
And perhaps most strikingly of all, even those who control Haiti’s streets through fear appear to be watching along, with Midy noting: “All the gang leaders are soccer lovers. After the qualification, I saw videos of the gang leaders celebrating like everyone on the streets, with music.”
