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Overview:
Haiti’s men’s national team kicks off a six-match run to lock in a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, starting with a match against Honduras in Curaçao on Friday, Sept. 5. Reaching the series breaks a 50-year drought for Haiti, whose team is now made up of players trained abroad.
When Haiti kicks off its six-game run on Friday to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the Concacaf qualifiers, it will be the first time in 50 years that the country’s national soccer team could earn a guaranteed spot. But unlike the last time Les Grenadiers qualified directly, the players are all expatriates or born abroad to Haitian parents, boosting the probability that Haiti will make it all the way.
The Concacaf Group C meetups are set to begin on Sept. 5, with the Grenadiers playing Honduras at Ergilio Hato Stadium in Willemstad, Curaçao (8:00 p.m. EST), one of the venues where Haiti has been hosting “home” games ever since gang activity in Port-au-Prince made it too dangerous to play in the Haitian capital.
Yet, despite the challenging circumstances, Haitians at home and abroad are proud to have reached this milestone after half a century. They credit the pipeline of Haitians based abroad–such as star midfielder Jean-Ricner Bellegarde–for supplying players for all positions who are armed with the tactical discipline and other attributes that can prove decisive against the Grenadiers’ Central American rivals.
If successful, the men’s campaign will ignite the flames among fans already enjoying a momentous time in Haitian soccer. One that saw the Haitian women’s team wow global audiences in the 2023 World Cup and the boys’ crew qualify for the FIFA U-17 World Cup in November.
Now, it’s the men’s turn. Bellegarde agrees. “I’m very proud to join the national team,” the newcomer said to the Haitian Football Federation (FHF) media. “I’m here to make a difference, and I hope it goes well,” the midfielder added as he landed in Curaçao.
Chasing first qualification in over 50 years
The last time the Grenadiers had a direct qualification run, they made history by defeating Trinidad & Tobago and Mexico to represent Concacaf in the World Cup in 1974.
During this lone appearance on the global stage, Haiti scored only two goals, both by legendary forward Emmanuel “Manno” Sanon, including one memorable shot in its debut against Italy, the eventual champions. Nevertheless, that first World Cup participation was heroic, especially considering all Concacaf nations competed for only one spot at the time.
Since then, Haiti has alternated between average and disastrous qualifying campaigns. Its last three FIFA World Cup qualifiers—Brazil 2014, Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022— showed both potential and frustration for Haitian fans. In the 2014 qualifiers, the Grenadiers reached the third round but fell short. The 2018 qualifiers ended in a major disappointment after Haiti was eliminated in the final round. In the 2022 Qatar cycle, Haiti went to the second round but lost 4-0 on aggregate to Canada.
Such crushing disappointments underline both the progress and the fragility of Haiti’s men’s program, as each cycle showed promise as well as inconsistencies in organization, infrastructure and player availability. Without a functioning national league and a collapsed domestic structure, home-based soccer players became largely absent from the setup, leaving the field open to those who have built their careers in elite environments overseas.
Concacaf qualifiers match-up details
Concacaf, the Caribbean, Central and North American regional conference, is made up of 41 participating nations competing in multiple rounds. For the 2026 World Cup qualifiers that began in March 2024, the Concacaf countries, excluding the United States, Canada and Mexico—because they qualify automatically as host nations—are in the final stage. Twelve teams are broken out into three groups of four for the tournament. Haiti is in Group C, with Costa Rica, Honduras and Nicaragua.
Each team, in each group, is set to play three home and three away matches between September and November. The three group winners qualify directly for the World Cup. The two best second-place finishers in that final qualifying round of 12 nations advance to an intercontinental playoff scheduled for March 23-31, 2026.
If both Concacaf teams win intercontinental playoff matchups, the region will earn eight spots in the 48-nation tournament. That includes the United States, Mexico and Canada, already qualified as host nations for the summer games, plus the three countries that will secure their spots directly from the final qualifying round ending in November.
Haiti team fills up roster with its diaspora
Since 2021, as a result, the roster has been filled with players training abroad as expats or as children of Haitians living in other countries. One factor is Haiti’s ongoing instability, which has continuously forced the country to rely on foreign-based players. Another, perhaps more critical consequence, is that Haiti benefits from the players’ consistent, high-level exposure on the field and upgraded training facilities to ensure top-level fitness.
Clearly, the strategy, albeit borne of necessity, is bearing fruit.
Going into the competition, the Grenadiers’ core is fused with players from the U.S. Major League Soccer (MLS), South America, Europe and Canada’s professional leagues. One player is based in the Gulf nations. France, in particular, is the most critical talent hub for Haiti. Several of Haiti’s key internationals came through French academies and clubs, and even played for France at youth levels before opting to represent their parents’ homeland.
It’s small wonder that Haiti’s breakout star is Bellegarde, a talented midfielder currently playing for the English club Wolverhampton Wanderers, born in France to Haitian parents. Known for his versatility—capable in central, defensive and attacking midfield roles—the 27-year-old logged 35 Premier League appearances last season alone, scoring two goals and providing seven assists. With his growing influence in that top division, Bellegarde was called up for his first cap ahead of this qualifying series.
Other remarkable players to watch during the finals include:
- Fafà Picault, the veteran winger now with Inter Miami CF, adds pace and creativity to the Grenadiers’ attack.
- In midfield, Danley Jean-Jacques, who joined the Philadelphia Union after making an impact in French Ligue 2 with FC Metz, provides youthful energy and defensive support.
- Up front, Louicius Don Deedson, who recently signed with FC Dallas, pairs with top veteran strikers Duckens Nazon of Persian Gulf Pro League club Esteghlal F.C. Don Deedson can stretch defenses with his speed and movement.
- Frantzdy Pierrot of Greek Super League club AEK Athens also offers more mobility up front and goal-scoring options with his quick and strong presence.
- Veteran goalkeeper and captain Johnny Placide of French Ligue 2 SC Bastia provides assurance and experience.
- Ricardo Adé of the Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito (LDU Quito) club in the Ecuadorian Professional League adds solidity, balance and game tempo control in the heart of Haiti’s defense.
Broader momentum felt across Haitian soccer
The men’s campaign coincides with a high point for Haitian soccer across all categories. The U-17 boys’ team recently secured its spot at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar this November. The women’s national team will also kick off its 2027 World Cup and 2028 Olympic qualifying bids.
The women, Les Grenadières, stunned the world with their 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup debut against mighty England and eventual tournament runners-up. With Melchie Dumornay and other players training abroad on its roster, Haiti helped CONCACAF take six berths in the tournament for the first time in history.
In the 2026 Concacaf W Championship qualifiers, they are the favorites in Group D against the Dominican Republic, Suriname, Belize and Anguilla. Haiti’s women might also clinch a spot at both the 2027 FIFA World Cup in Brazil and the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Altogether, all these successes highlight a renaissance for Haitian soccer, driven largely by diaspora players and overseas training camps.
To be sure, the senior Grenadiers face numerous challenges on their six-game path to the World Cup. Costa Rica and Honduras boast stronger infrastructure and deeper rosters. But, for many observers and soccer fans, optimism runs high. To see a nation battered by crises gain a World Cup berth would be more than a sporting win. It would be a symbol of hope, a moment of exhilarating reprieve.
Group C’s FIFA Rankings
Among the Concacaf region’s 41 nations, here’s where the Group C countries rank.
- Costa Rica sits among CONCACAF’s elite, ranking 5th with roughly 1,493 points.
- Honduras ranks 6th with 1,380 points and regularly challenges for qualification.
- Haiti ranks 10th with 1,261 points, ahead of Guatemala and Trinidad & Tobago.
- Nicaragua, the group’s underdog, is ranked 13th at roughly 1,120 points.
After the Haiti-Honduras match on Sept. 5, Haiti will meet Costa Rica at the National Stadium in San José, Costa Rica (10:00 p.m. EST) to face the host country.