Haiti to exit World Cup after group stage, following 3-0 loss to Brazil

PHILADELPHIA — Haiti has been eliminated from the 2026 FIFA World Cup after suffering a 3-0 defeat to Brazil at a sold-out Philadelphia Stadium on June 19. Fans and players alike were left disappointed after losing by a large margin against the five-time World Cup champions.

Haiti started the game with five defenders, hinting the team wanted to focus on defense against the South American giants. However, the defenders often left holes in the back as they attempted to play an offside trap.

Brazilian forward Matheus Cunha scored a double, finding the net in the 23rd and 26th minute. Brazil’s star player Vinícius Júnior also shook Haiti’s net, scoring in the 47th minute.

Les Grenadiers lost their first encounter 1-0 to Scotland on June 13 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Sports analysts and fans said Haiti dominated the encounter but the referee failed to blow his whistle twice for penalty kick after Scottish defender Grant Hanley appeared to hand the ball intentionally twice in the box.

Haiti is in last place with zero points after the two consecutive losses and it is mathematically impossible for the Caribbean nation to finish in second place to reach the knockout stage.

Haitians point fingers at Migné for loss

During the game against Brazil, fans and sports analysts heavily blamed head coach Sebastien Migné for the loss. Migné started the game with a 5-4-1 formation, leaving his star striker Wilson Isidor on the bench. Fans said Frantzdy Pierrot, a Number 9, was not fast enough to be the lone striker in a World Cup match versus Brazil. 

Fans said when Migné subbed Isidor for Pierrot at halftime, the flow of the game changed for Haiti. Les Grenadiers looked sharper in the attacking. Fans said if Isidor started the 3-0 loss could have been prevented.

Migné also subbed defensive midfielder Dominique Simon at halftime and he also helped Haiti improve tremendously. Simon provided the much needed first pass deep in midfield and covered spaces defensively. Haiti did not concede in the second half with Simon on the pitch

So fans think Simon should have started the match, as well as promising forward Lenny Joseph who was subbed in the 72nd minute and provided a spur in the attacking third. 

Haiti’s soccer federation has long struggled with poor coaching decisions in major tournaments. For example, fans heavily blamed then head coach Nicolas Delépine when the women’s team failed to advance to the knockout stage of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup without scoring a goal while losing all three games in the group stage.

Fans are hoping that history does not repeat itself and want Haiti to score in this World Cup or even win a game. Les Grenadiers’ last game in the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be against Morocco on June 24 at Atlanta Stadium.

Even if Haiti wins that encounter, it will not move to the knockout stage but will make history because Les Grenadiers have yet to win a World Cup game.

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