Haiti unveils 2026 FIFA World Cup roster with mostly diaspora players

MIAMI — Haiti’s men’s national soccer team, Les Grenadiers, will arrive at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a roster shaped almost entirely with players living outside the country. 

Head coach Sébastien Migné unveiled Friday his final 26-man squad for Haiti’s first World Cup appearance in 52 years, selecting players from clubs in Europe, North America, South America and Asia — with only one player from Haiti’s domestic league making the team. His selection is a story that began with the qualifiers.

“This is a special moment for the players. Playing at a World Cup is the supreme reward for their work,” Migné said during a virtual press conference hosted by the Haitian Football Federation (FHF).

“It is a symbolic moment before any major competition — especially a World Cup long-awaited by Haiti after 52 years of absence.”

Migné largely stayed loyal to the core group of 22 players that carried Haiti through qualifying, reflecting the coach’s emphasis on continuity and chemistry. The roster reflects Haiti’s continued reliance on diaspora talent, a longstanding reality for the national team. Except for midfielder Woodensky Pierre from Haiti’s Violette Athletic Club, all players developed abroad, primarily in France, Belgium, England, Portugal, the United States and Canada. 

Les Grenadiers’ squad includes three goalkeepers, eight defenders, seven midfielders and eight forwards, with an average age of 24.

This period is particularly important for the future of Haitian soccer. The country has never had a pool of so much young talent playing at such a high level on the same team.

Among the notable additions after the qualifiers are midfielder Pierre, who joined the team in March friendlies, forward Wilson Isidor of the English Premier League club Sunderland A.F.C., and first-time call-ups forward Lenny Joseph and midfielder Dominique Simon, who also play in Europe for top-tier clubs Ferencvárosi TC in Hungary and FC Tatran Prešov in Slovakia, respectively.

Pierre’s inclusion is viewed as a significant achievement for local soccer, especially as Haiti’s national championship continues to struggle with financial instability and gang violence.

For Violette AC, Pierre’s selection could also bring financial rewards through FIFA’s club compensation program, which pays domestic clubs for releasing players to the tournament.

Videos circulating on social media soon after the announcement showed Pierre and his teammates celebrating the midfielder’s selection.

“Wow, wow, wow! This is our time,” they screamed, wearing their shirts, jumping, clapping and high-fiving with drinks on the table. “We are going to make it beautiful.”

Haiti’s 26-man 2026 FIFA World Cup roster

An unexpected, yet well-earned, qualification 

Migné’s announcement marks another milestone in one of the most improbable achievements in Haitian sports history. Les Grenadiers qualified for the World Cup despite never playing a qualifier in Haiti because of the country’s worsening security crisis, which has left armed gangs controlling much of Port-au-Prince, vandalized the country’s sole national stadium and made hosting international matches too dangerous to risk.

Instead, Les Grenadiers played “home” matches in  Curaçao, the Dutch Caribbean island, while navigating instability surrounding the FHF, travel challenges and limited resources. Under Frenchman Migné, who became head coach in June 2024, however, Haiti emerged as one of Concacaf’s biggest surprises — securing only its second World Cup berth after its historic 1974 appearance in West Germany.

Haiti’s final stage of preparations will begin May 24 in South Florida, where the team will hold training camp before friendlies against the New Zealand national team on June 2 at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale and Peru at Nu Stadium in downtown Miami.

“These matches will allow us to see the players in action and make the necessary adjustments needed for cohesion and effectiveness ahead of our World Cup debut on June 13,” Migné said.

A global showing that transcends soccer

For many Haitians, at home and abroad, the World Cup represents far more than sports.

As the country continues to grapple with gang violence, political instability and economic hardship, Les Grenadiers have become a rare source of national unity and pride.

“I expect the country’s pride to shine through Les Grenadiers, ready to fly the blue and red high on football’s biggest stage,” said Jean-Marcel Moïse, a Haitian fan based in Margate, Florida.

Migné said Haiti will not travel to the tournament simply hoping to participate.

“Trying to win a match or earn at least a point would not be ambitious enough,” the coach said. “We are realistic about our chances, but we have a team capable of competing, as seen in recent games.”

Sports analyst Kervens Mérisema believes Haiti’s qualification campaign already proved the team can exceed expectations.

“Impossible is not Haitian,” Mérisema said during a livestream for AyiboPost Sports on Facebook. 

“We expect to see a Haitian team determined to shock the world as they did during the qualifiers, when no one except the team believed they could qualify.”

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