CONCACAF Gold Cup 2025: Haiti to face United States in group stage

MIAMI—Haiti’s men’s national soccer team learned its path to the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup group stage after the official draw on Thursday, April 10, in Miami. Les Grenadiers will compete in Group D, facing regional powerhouse the United States, familiar CONCACAF rivals Trinidad & Tobago, and Asian guest team Saudi Arabia.

The Gold Cup, CONCACAF’s premier international tournament, will take place between June 14 and July 6, with matches hosted in multiple U.S. cities. The inclusion of Saudi Arabia as an invited guest from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) follows a trend seen in recent editions, including Qatar’s consecutive participation in 2021 and 2023.

The 2025 edition marks the 18th CONCACAF Gold Cup and Haiti’s 10th participation. The tournament will feature 16 teams, including 15 nations from North America, Central America and the Caribbean, plus the guest participant from the AFC. The competition’s opening match is scheduled for June 14, 2025, between Mexico and the Dominican Republic at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA, at 10:15 p.m. EST.

To qualify for this year’s Gold Cup, Haiti dominated its group in the CONCACAF Nations League (CNL) campaign that concluded on Nov. 18, 2024. It defeated all its opponents, scoring 29 goals and conceding just five. This impressive run also helped Les Grenadiers secure promotion to League A, placing them among the region’s top nations.

Haiti’s placement in Group D presents a challenging yet familiar scenario for the team, which will once again test itself against powerhouses: the U.S., ranked 16th in the latest FIFA Men’s World Ranking, and a rising international squad from Saudi Arabia, ranked 58th. Trinidad & Tobago has recently struggled to find its once-exciting soccer and is positioned 100th among 210 affiliated FIFA member nations.

• United States (USMNT): One of the tournament favorites and current CONCACAF Nations League champions, the U.S. will be aiming for a record-extending eighth Gold Cup title. They most recently faced Haiti in the 2021 edition, winning 1-0 in a narrow contest.
• Trinidad & Tobago: Another CONCACAF rival with history against Haiti, the Soca Warriors are rebuilding with a new generation of players and will be looking for redemption after failing to advance from the group stage in the last Gold Cup, like Haiti.
• Saudi Arabia: As a guest from the Asian confederation, Saudi Arabia adds international experience to the group. The team recently qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and has gained global recognition through domestic investments in soccer, including in the Saudi Pro League. The Saudi Arabia’s playing style is similar to Qatar, which Haiti faced in the 2021 edition and defeated 2-1.                                         

Haiti’s ambitions

The Haitian squad enters the tournament undefeated since March 2024, led by Frenchman Sébastien Migné. The players aim to regain the energy and form they exhibited during their impressive 2019 run. In that edition, Haiti reached the semifinals, defeated Canada, and narrowly lost to Mexico in extra time due to a controversial penalty kick.

Haiti exited in the group stage at the 2023 Gold Cup — just as it did in 2000, 2007, 2013 and 2021 — after a win against Qatar but losses to Mexico and Honduras. With a deeper squad, bolstered by dual nationals and young talent playing in Europe and the U.S., the Grenadiers are determined to make a stronger showing this time.

“We know our group won’t be easy, but our players are focused,” said a Haitian Football Federation (FHF) official in a comment following the draw. “This is a challenging group, but we’ve shown before that Haiti can rise to the occasion.”

Head coach Sébastien Migné, appointed in early 2024, is expected to continue preparing his team, playing friendlies and 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers during the club’s action pauses. That will help fine-tune the squad and find his best possible 23-man roster in the coming months. Among the names expected to lead Haiti’s list are star strikers Frantzdy Pierrot and Duckens Nazon, who are shining in Europe, and winger Fabrice “Fafà” Picault, who is plying his trade with Inter Miami CF in Major League Soccer.

Meanwhile, CONCACAF has already confirmed the schedule of all matches for the group stage, with Group D playing in San Diego and San Jose ( California), Las Vegas (Nevada), Austin, Houston and Arlington (Texas).

Haiti will meet Saudi Arabia on Sunday, June 15, at 8:15 p.m.EST at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, CA, for its opening encounter. On Thursday, June 19, Les Grenadiers will measure up with Trinidad & Tobago at 6:45 p.m. EST at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston, TX. Then, they will close out their group stage matches against the U.S. at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX, on Sunday,  June 22 at 7:00 p.m. EST.

What’s at stake

The top two teams from each of the four groups will advance to the quarterfinals, with the final scheduled for July 6, 2025, at NRG Stadium in Houston, TX, at 7:00 p.m. EST. A strong performance could also boost Haiti’s FIFA ranking and increase visibility ahead of the final stretch of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, where the Grenadiers aim to qualify for the tournament for the first time since 1974.

Beyond its sporting significance, the Gold Cup offers Haitians—both at home and across the diaspora—an opportunity to showcase national pride and unity. It offers a stage for Haiti to exhibit its soccer talent, resilience and cultural spirit. Thousands of fans are preparing to follow the team across U.S. cities and display the Haitian blue and red flag and various messages concerning their communities.

The tournament’s 31 matches will be broadcast on Fox Sports (English, USA), TUDN (Spanish, USA), Televisa and TV Azteca (Mexico), OneSoccer (Canada) and ESPN (Caribbean, Central and South America). For other territories, they will be available on CONCACAF’s YouTube channel.

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