For the Haitian diaspora, the 2026 FIFA World Cup was never really about trophies. It was about showing up.
Haiti qualified for the tournament on November 18, 2025, ending a 52-year absence from the world’s biggest soccer stage. The last time the Haitian national team appeared in a World Cup was 1974.
The qualifying match fell on Bataille de Vertières Day, a Haitian national holiday commemorating a decisive battle in the country’s war for independence.
The moment on the pitch
Haiti’s first match at the finals came on June 24, 2026, in Atlanta, against Morocco. The team scored, ending a more than five-decade wait for a World Cup goal. Haiti were eventually eliminated from the competition.
