Haiti’s national football team, Les Grenadiers, has secured qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, their first appearance since 1974 and only the second in history.
The breakthrough arrived on November 18, 2025, with a 2-0 victory over Nicaragua at the Ergilio Hato Stadium in Willemstad, Curaçao, which has served as Haiti’s home venue amid ongoing instability in the country.
The result clinched direct qualification and placed Haiti atop Group C, ahead of Honduras and Costa Rica in a dramatic final round of CONCACAF qualifying.
In the decisive match, Haiti struck early when Louicius Deedson finished a swift counter-attack in the 9th minute. Ruben Providence doubled the lead in first-half stoppage time, calmly slotting past goalkeeper Justo Garcés after a through-ball from Rayan Raveloson.
Veteran goalkeeper Johny Placide ensured the clean sheet with several key saves, and the final whistle triggered joyous scenes among players and the Haitian diaspora in the stands.
The win capped an unbeaten final-round campaign of four victories and two draws, giving Haiti 11points and a superior goal-difference edge over Honduras, who also finished on 9 points after drawing 1-1 with Costa Rica in their simultaneous fixture. Costa Rica ended with 7 points.
Haiti had already boosted their chances five days earlier with a historic 1-0 win over Costa Rica in Curaçao, Frantzdy Pierrot heading home the winner in the 72nd minute for the country’s first-ever victory against Los Ticos in World Cup qualifying.
Nicaragua had earlier done Haiti a favour by beating Honduras 2-0, denting the Catrachos’ goal difference and keeping the race wide open until the final day.
For a nation that last reached the World Cup in 1974, where Emmanuel Sanon scored twice including a memorable goal against Italy’s Dino Zoff, this qualification ends a 52-year wait.
Political turmoil, the 2010 earthquake, and years of playing “home” matches abroad had made the journey extraordinarily difficult, yet under coach Sébastien Migné an exciting blend of Europe-based talent Duckens Nazon, Derrick Etienne, Louicius Deedson, and others delivered when it mattered most.
In a country facing severe hardship, with hundreds of thousands displaced by gang violence, the achievement has sparked nationwide celebration and pride. Haiti now prepares for the expanded 48-team tournament across the United States, Canada, and Mexico in the summer of 2026, ready to write a new chapter after half a century away from the global stage.