When Haiti’s soccer team lines up against Scotland on June 13, 2026, its players will be representing the Caribbean nation at a World Cup for the first time since 1974. They will also embody the complexities and possibilities of Haiti and its diaspora. Of the 26 players selected for the squad, only 10 were born in Haiti. And just one, Woodensky Pierre, plays for a Haitian club. Twelve were born in France of Haitian parents, one in Canada, one in Switzerland and two in the United States. The team is both a symbol of national pride and a condensation of battles Haitians have long fought for dignity and self-determination. Soccer commentator Nico Cantor captured this powerfully when he effused about the deep meaning of Haiti’s qualification for the World Cup on Nov. 18, 2025, exactly 222 years after revolutionary leader Jean‑Jacques Dessalines fought a famous battle against the French on the way to independence. “Their national team has given Haiti something to be proud of,” Cantor said. “It is historic for many reasons.” Imagined communities and 11 named players During the World Cup, individual actions can catapult a player to the status of national icon or never-forgotten villain. But we…
Hospitality
Haiti at the World Cup is more than an underdog tale – it is the story of global migration
Source: The Conversation Lifestyle — CC BY-ND 4.0