Haiti have confirmed their 26-man squad for the 2026 World Cup, marking their first appearance at the tournament since 1974. Coach Sébastien Migné has assembled a group with considerable international experience, blending European pedigree with players from across the globe.
Ranked 83rd in the FIFA rankings, the Caribbean nation came through two qualifying rounds, finishing second in their initial group before topping a difficult second phase that included Costa Rica and Honduras.
Remarkably, Haiti was unable to play a single home qualifier on Haitian soil because of the country’s ongoing humanitarian and security crisis, a testament to the squad’s extraordinary resilience.
Among the notable names in the squad are Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Sunderland striker Wilson Isidor, who recently switched international allegiance from France to Haiti and made his debut for his new nation in March.
Leading the attack is Duckens Nazon, the team’s all-time top scorer with 44 goals, while goalkeeper Johnny Placide the most-capped player in the squad captains the side.
Strikingly, only one player in the squad currently plays in the domestic Haitian league, reflecting the remarkable growth of Haitian football in recent years.
Haiti have been drawn into Group C alongside five-time world champions Brazil, Morocco, and Scotland, with their opening match scheduled for June 13 in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
It is a daunting task, but one laden with historical resonance. Haiti’s only previous World Cup appearance came in 1974 in West Germany, where Emmanuel Sanon scored a famous goal that ended Italian goalkeeper Dino Zoff’s record clean-sheet streak.
Now, over half a century on, a new generation of Les Grenadiers will look to write their own chapter on football’s biggest stage.
Goalkeepers: Johny Placide, Alexandre Pierre, Josue Duverger
Defenders: Carlens Arcus, Wilguens Paugain, Duke Lacroix, Martin Experience, JK Duverne, Ricardo Ade, Hannes Delcroix, Keeto Thermoncy
Midfielders: Leverton Pierre, Carl-Fred Sainte, Danley Jean-Jacques, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, Woodensky Pierre, Simon Dominique
Forwards: Louicius Deedson, Ruben Providence, Josue Casimir, Derrick Etienne, Wilson Isidor, Duckens Nazon, Frantzdy Pierrot, Yassin Fortune, Lenny Joseph
